IRVING, Texas – Despite losing four of their top-five leading scorers from the 2010-11 Big 12 Champion squad, the Kansas Jayhawks earned five first-place votes en route to being voted to win the 2012 conference in the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Thursday. Kansas will share the designation of being preseason favorite with Texas A&M. It marks the second time in league history (KU, Oklahoma State in 2004-05) that two squads tied for the top spot in the preseason poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
It is the 11th time since the league’s inception in 1996-97 that Kansas has been selected as the Big 12’s preseason No. 1. The Jayhawks have been picked as the favorite to win the conference title in five of the past eight seasons and have gone on to win the league title the past seven-straight years.
KU received 73 points in the poll, equaling Texas A&M’s total, who also garnered one first-place vote. Baylor was voted preseason No. 3 with 63 points and two first-place votes while Missouri followed closely at No. 4 with 61 points and one first-place vote.
The Jayhawks will be led by senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior forward Thomas Robinson in 2011-12. Kansas has eight lettermen back from a squad that went 35-3 and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals for the 27th time in 2011.
The Jayhawks open up their title defense on Nov. 11 against Towson with first-round action of the 2011 EA Sports Maui Invitational in Lawrence, Kan., televised by the Jayhawk Television Network at 7 p.m.
Team (First place votes) Points
1. KANSAS (5) 73
Texas A&M (1) 73
3. Baylor (2) 63
4. Missouri (1) 61
5. Texas 51
6. Kansas State 39
7. Oklahoma State 33
8. Iowa State 27
9. Oklahoma 15
Texas Tech 15
