Top to bottom, the Big 12 Conference ranks among the best in the nation. Houston won the regular-season championship and the conference championship last year. Can they repeat their success with a few key pieces running out of eligibility? Kansas had a stranglehold on the conference for a long time, but took a step back in 2024-25. Can they reload for this year? Texas Tech is also on the way up. Is this the year they break through? We’ve done the research and found a best bet that you need to lock in today.
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2025-26 Big 12 Champion Best Bets
Houston to win the Big 12 Conference: +160
Houston returns three starters from a team that won the Big 12 regular season, the Big 12 conference tournament, and was runner-up for the national title. They’ve also added a pair of McDonald’s All-American freshmen that should step right into the starting lineup.
Milos Uzan, Emmanuel Sharp, and Joseph Tugler come back for their senior seasons. They’ll be joined by freshmen Isiah Harwell and Chris Cenac. Harwell was the 16th-rated prospect in this past year’s recruiting class. Cenac was the seventh-rated prospect in this past year’s recruiting class.
Houston didn’t need to dip into the transfer portal to round out its rotation. They have sophomore guard Mercy Miller expected to step into a larger role. Miller was a top 50 prospect when he was recruited two years ago. Houston also has senior guard Ramon Walker Jr. and senior big man Kalifa Sakho returning to take on a larger role. Redshirt freshman Chase McCarty is expected to step into a role as an off-the-bench shooter. Freshman combo guard Kingston Flemings looks like the heir apparent to Milos Uzan when Uzan finally runs out of eligibility.
The 2025-26 version of the Houston Cougars brings back experience that has gone deep into March, and adds dynamic freshmen to add fresh legs to the mix. Also, the Cougars have a culture of winning based on head coach Kelvin Sampson’s no-nonsense approach.
When it comes to the rest of the conference, Texas Tech is the clearest threat to Houston repeating. The Red Raiders have a legit Player of the Year candidate in JT Toppin. However, his supporting cast may not match what last year’s team had. Texas Tech had to completely retool most of its roster after a lot of its team members moved on or aged out.
Kansas lost almost its entire roster, but the Jayhawks did add the top recruit in the country in Darryn Peterson. Peterson should run the point for the Jayhawks this year. That’s a lot of responsibility to put on the shoulders of a freshman. Flory Bidunga returns as the starting center, but the rest of the starting five are either freshman recruits or portal pieces. On paper, this Kansas roster isn’t quite as good as last year’s. The Jayhawks lack a true distributor and have a thin front court. One or two injuries, and the Jayhawks will struggle.
Houston returns a lot from a team that has unfinished business. Look for these Cougars to take conference play personally as they look to cement themselves as the biggest bully on a tough block. Lock up Houston to win the regular season again.
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