Big 12 basketball coaches gave their early thoughts on BYU and Utah heading into the 2026-27 season.
The league’s annual preseason poll was released Thursday, with coaches picking the Cougars to finish sixth in the Big 12 and the Runnin’ Utes to finish in last place.
Defending conference champion Arizona was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, followed by Houston, Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech to round out the top five.
KenPom’s preseason ratings currently rank BYU 33rd and Utah 84th, with the Runnin’ Utes ranked higher than Colorado and Kansas State.
The Cougars will be led by returning point guard and preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection Rob Wright III, who headlines a projected starting lineup that includes high-profile transfers Collin Chandler, Tyler Betsey and Jaxon Kohler, as well as five-star freshman forward Bruce Branch III.
Alex Jensen has assembled an almost entirely new team in his second year at Utah, with Group of Five veterans Jackson Holcombe, Trey Campbell and Babacar Faye expected to play key roles for the Runnin’ Utes. Jensen and his team also focused particularly on international recruitment, adding prospects from Australia, Spain, France, Germany and Finland.
BYU is seeking its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and third under Kevin Young, while Jensen is trying to make Utah a perennial tournament team and return the Runnin’ Utes to the Big Dance for the first time since 2016.
Young and Jensen, along with some of their players, will talk more about the upcoming season at Big 12 media days in Kansas City next week.
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