As part of Sports Illustrated’s preview of the 2021–22 men’s college basketball season, we’re breaking down each of the seven biggest conferences (AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC), plus a “best of the rest.” All will be complete with our analyst’s breakdown of each team, plus a projected order of finish drawn from SI’s master 1–358 rankings, to be revealed before the season’s kickoff. Next up is the Big 12.
The big picture
The Big 12 has been a men’s NCAA tournament power in recent years, with Baylor’s national championship team last season marking the conference’s fourth Final Four participant in the last five tournaments.