Sports|Sports Teams

The Best Big 12 Basketball Teams

Ranker NCAA Basketball
Updated February 1, 2025 10 items
Ranked By
674 votes
143 voters
Voting Rules
Vote up the Big 12 schools with the historically best basketball team.

The best Big 12 basketball teams provide enough fire power to make the conference among the best in the NCAA landscape. Top college basketball programs like the Kansas Jayhawks, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys have showcased future NBA superstars at their early stages. Some of the best NBA players of all time like Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Paul Pierce started their maturation on the basketball court for Big 12 teams. 

The list of Big 12 schools has also given us top current NBA stars Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Apart from the TCU Horned Frogs, all the Big 12 conference programs have made a run to the Final Four, while Kansas and Oklahoma State both have multiple NCAA titles.

So who deserves the title of best Big 12 basketball team? You be the judge.

  • Kansas Jayhawks
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    Kansas Jayhawks

    All-time record: 2274-859
    Conferences titles: 61
    National championships: 3
    Final Four appearances: 15

    Notable players: Wilt Chamberlain, Joel Embiid, Paul Pierce, Andrew Wiggins, Kirk Hinrich

    • Location: Lawrence, Kansas
    68 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Iowa State Cyclones
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      • Iowa State
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    Iowa State Cyclones

    All-time record: 1374-1323
    Conferences titles: 6
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 1

    Notable players: Jeff Hornacek, Monte Morris, Jamaal Tinsley

    • Location: Ames, Iowa
    54 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Kansas State Wildcats
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      • Kansas State
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    Kansas State Wildcats

    All-time record: 1657-1154
    Conferences titles: 19
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 4

    Notable players: Mitch Richmond, Rolando Blackman, Michael Beasley

    • Location: Manhattan, Kansas
    52 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders
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    Texas Tech Red Raiders

    All-time record: 1424-1108
    Conferences titles: 13
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 1

    Notable players: Tony Battie

    • Location: Lubbock, Texas
    55 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Oklahoma State Cowboys
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      • Oklahoma State
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    Oklahoma State Cowboys

    All-time record: 1660-1177
    Conferences titles: 19
    National championships: 2
    Final Four appearances: 6

    Notable players: John Starks, Tony Allen, Bryant Reeves

    • Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma
    58 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Texas Longhorns
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      • Texas
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    Texas Longhorns

    All-time record: 1788-1086
    Conferences titles: 25
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 3

    Notable players: Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Myles Turner, T.J. Ford

    • Location: Austin, Texas
    63 votes
    Is this impressive?