Big 12 coaches project Kansas State to win the league

Either the Big 12 coaches had athletic department interns fill out their preseason ballots this season, or their projected league standings differ considerably from the preseason consensus among fans and the media.

It's a minor surprise that the coaches projected Kansas State to beat out in-state rival Kansas for the conference crown considering the Jayhawks have won or shared the Big 12 title every year since 2004. It's a far bigger shock that Texas was picked third, ahead of a Baylor team that fell one victory shy of the Final Four last year and a Missouri team that returns four of five starters and went farther in last year's NCAA tournament than the Longhorns did.

Clearly the Big 12 coaches either don't believe Baylor and Missouri will be that strong or they have more faith than the rest of us do in Texas coach Rick Barnes to maximize the ample young talent on his roster. Damian James, Dexter Pittman and Avery Bradley have all moved on from last year's Texas team that disintegrated after a 17-0 start, but the Longhorns do return guards J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton and add a highly regarded recruiting class.

Among the other noteworthy items from the poll was the lack of respect shown a Colorado team that boasts two of the 10 best players in the league. Guards Alec Burks and Cory Higgins are as formidable a starting backcourt as there is in the Big 12, yet the Buffaloes were picked ninth, ahead of only woeful Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Speaking of the Big 12 bottom feeders, there's no doubt who the coaches think the worst of them will be. Every ballot had Iowa State last except Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg, who is not allowed to vote for his own team.

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