There really isn't more that can be said about this year. 1-16 pretty much sums it up. So I wanted to look through the rosters as they turn over to next year and see where K-State's roster will land from a talent and experience standpoint.
The teams are simply done by current Big 12 standings:
*All seniors are eligible to return if they so choose
1. Baylor
Key Departures: 3 (Teague, Vital, Butler)
Teague and Vital are both seniors and Butler is believed headed to the NBA. That's three key players in what they do offensively and defensively.
Returning players: 9
Davion Mitchell will be a front runner for CPOY next year and Matt Mayer should finally get his chance to play 30 minutes a game. Guards LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler are guys that can step right in and fill some of the scoring punch lost by Teague and Butler.
Key Additions: 3
Baylor has parlayed it's on the floor success to recruiting success. After finishing 2020 class ranked 33 with 3 four star players, Baylor has jumped to the next level with a top 10 class including 5 star super athlete Kendall Brown of Sunrise Christian.
21 projected starting lineup:
Mitchell
Flagler
Brown
Mayer
JTT
2. Oklahoma
Key Departures 4 (Kuath, Manek, Reaves, Williams)
OU has gotten a little experience playing without either Manek or Reaves as both have missed stretches this year but that's quite a bit of scoring punch.
Returning Players 10
Harmon, Gibson and Harkless will give OU one of the best backcourts in the conference to start the season. Sophomore more forward Jalen Hill and Victor Iwuakor are both getting significant minutes this year that will take a jump next year. They really like F Guard Trey Phipps but will need another of they young bigs to take a big step forward.
Key newcomers 2
Good ole Lon gave his Alma Mater the giant finger by plucking away four star guard CJ Noland who has moved all the way up to pushing for top 100 status. Bijan Cortes is an underrated true PG out of Oklahoma that had offers from Oklahoma State and TCU before choosing OU. OU will have another scholarship open so look for Lon to be active in the transfer market again.
OU Projected Starters:
Harmon
Gibson
Harkless
Hill
Iwuakor
3. Kansas
Key Departures 2* (Garrett, Lightfoot)
I put an asterisk by this because I think it's about 50/50 on whether Agbaji stays or goes to the draft after this year. He is the kind of player that built up some hype early because of his projection, but the longer he stays in school, the more they will pick apart his faults. I also think Garrett is the type of Senior that could decide to return for one more year (and I think he will).
Returning Players: 10
I think 10 is the right number because one of Agbaji and Garrett will stay and one will leave. There could also be a couple of guys that are encouraged to transfer as this roster has a couple of major holes that Self needs to try and fill in the spring/summer with a transfer. A backcourt of Braun and Thompson (Garrett) is a good foundation but needs a PG. Wilson and McCormack provide tremendous scoring punch in the front court and would probably be the leagues best duo to start. Did you know that Jalen Wilson is currently on a 5 game double double streak?
Key Additions: 3
Kansas doesn't have a 5 star in this incoming class but 6'10 Dean Wade clone Zach Clemence is very close and could make an instant impact. He is a good athlete and can really shoot from the perimeter. Their recruiting has been down a bit, but this is still a top 20 class. Look for Self to push hard for a downhill PG in this year's transfer market.
Projected Starters
Garrett or Agbaji
Thompson
Braun
Wilson
McCormack
4. Texas Longhorns
Key Departures: 5 (Brown, Coleman, Febres, Hamm, Sims)
Brown is for sure a lottery pick. Coleman is a four year starter and Sims has been as key to their defense as anybody. I could see a guy like Febres who has missed so much time this year trying to retur.
Returning players: 7
That could drop to 6 if Kai Jones decides to declare for the draft. NBA scouts are enamored with his potential. Any backcourt that starts with Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey is going to be one of the best in the conference. Donovan Williams is a former top 40 recruit that has played key minutes this year and will look to step in as the third guard/wing. Heppa, Liddell and Cunningham all bring something different to the front court.
Key Newcomers: 4
Texas currently has a top 15 class which is headlined by old friend Tamar Bates. Bates has seen his sock skyrocket this year after moving from Piper to IMG Academy. A fringe four star player in the KC metro area, Bates has become one of the best shooting guards in the country and a top 50ish player overall. Look for Texas to continue to be very active in the spring period both from a HS standpoint and in the transfer market as they have potentially 3 or 4 scholly's still available.
Projected lineup
Ramey
Jones
Williams
Jones
Cunningham
5. West Virginia
Key Departures:2 (Osabuhien, Sherman)
I have heard it mentioned that it's possible that Culver leaves for the draft, but he isn't high on draft boards. If he stays, WVU returns basically their entire roster outside of the two mentioned.
Returning Players: 11
Without any departures that would be considered shocks, WVU will bring back about 90% of their scoring and 98% of their rebounding. They currently have 9 guys that play double figure minutes and 7 of those will return. They will be the deepest team on paper to start the season.
Key Newcomers: 2
With two lightly recruited guard commits, WVU is tied with K-State at the bottom of the conference in recruiting.
Projected Starters:
McBride
McNeil
McCabe
Mathews Jr
Culver
6. Texas Tech
Key Departures: 2 (Santos Silva, Shannon)
Texas Tech has one of the youngest rosters in the league but will lose two key pieces in Terrence Shannon who will be a lottery pick and transfer Marcos Santos Silva.
Returning Players: 10
Matt McClung should be the preseason pick for conference POY and will pair with Edwards, Burton and McCullar to give the Red Raiders continuity in their lineup. Tyreek Smith, Micah Peavy and Chibuzo Agbo will all be counted on in the front court and all have great length and athleticisim.
Key Additions: 1
Jaylen Tyson is a long, bouncy Small Forward in the mold of Shannon. He is currently ranked as the 34th best prospect in the 2021 class and on the verge of 5 star status. With a couple of openings currently available, we know Beard will be involved for the best transfers when the market presents itself after the season.
Projected Starters:
McClung
Burton
Edwards
McCullar
Smith
7. Oklahoma State
Key Departures 3 (Cunningham, Williams, Flavors)
That's three really key departures. Cunningham is going to be the #1 overall pick and Williams is possibly the best athlete on the team.
Returning Players: 10
There will be a lot of talent returning and it will be led by 9th year Senior Issac Likelele, Rondel Walker and Avery Anderson in the backcourt. The Boone twins return and Matt-Alexander Moncrieffe has had some really good games as a true freshman in the post. Chris Harris and Donovan Williams both redshirted this year and it will be interesting to see what kind of support they can add next year.
Key Newcomers:
OSU doesn't currently have any commits
Projected Lineup:
Likelele
Walker
Anderson
Boone
Moncrieffe
8. TCU
Key Departures: 1 (Obannon Jr)
OBannon has been inserted into the starting lineup and has been playing well but if he is the only departure, TCU could get really good in a hurry.
Returning Players 11
Kevin Samuel is heading towards All Big 12 and Mike Miles would be the conference FOY if not for Cunningham. Combine those two with Nembhard and you have possibly the best Guard/Forward/Center combination in the conference.
Key Newcomers: 1
Four Star JUCO Center Doumbia is crazy long and had offers from Alabama, WVU, Arizona State and Cincy among others. He will provide immediate depth behind Samuel.
Projected Roster:
Miles
Fuller
Nembhard
Easley
Samuel
9. K-State
Key Departures: 1 ( McGuirl)
I originally thought that McGuirl would return but I don't think so anymore.
Returning Players: 11
Basically the entirety of the roster returns with the exception of McGuirl. Take that however you want it. I would expect some departures but as of now, the freshman duo of Pack and Bradford has been about as good as can be expected. I thought AG would for sure be one to leave, but at this point, he is playing 35 minutes a game and why would he leave when he can't get that anywhere else.
Key Newcomers: 2
K-State adds another Center and an undersized 4 to the roster. As mentioned earlier, they are tied with WVU for last in the conference in recruiting.
Projected Starters:
Pack
DJG
Miguel
AG
Bradford
10. Iowa State
Key Departures: 2 (Coleman-Lands, Young)
Coleman-Lands has become ISU's best shooter and is their second leading scorer and Young is their third leading scorer and best low post defender.
Returning Players: 11
They lose their #'s 2 and 3 scorers, but everyone else on the roster returns. Rasir Bolton is their do everything guy but he turns the ball over at such a high rate. Iowa State has actually been better since moving Freshman PG Jaden Walker into the lineup. They will probably have a new coach next year so this entire thing could look different.
Key Newcomers: 2
Tyrese Hunter is good enough to jump right into the starting lineup for them next year at PG. He is a blur with the ball in his hands and they need all the help they can get not turning the ball over. Jayden Nunn is a big PG but probably needs some time to get acclimated.
Projected Starters:
Hunter
Walker
Bolton
Johnson
Conditt
It's hard to rank the rosters right now without knowing who all the departures will be and who will surprise and stay, but it's pretty clear that you have a distinct difference between the top 8 and the bottom 2 from a talent standpoint.
The teams are simply done by current Big 12 standings:
*All seniors are eligible to return if they so choose
1. Baylor
Key Departures: 3 (Teague, Vital, Butler)
Teague and Vital are both seniors and Butler is believed headed to the NBA. That's three key players in what they do offensively and defensively.
Returning players: 9
Davion Mitchell will be a front runner for CPOY next year and Matt Mayer should finally get his chance to play 30 minutes a game. Guards LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler are guys that can step right in and fill some of the scoring punch lost by Teague and Butler.
Key Additions: 3
Baylor has parlayed it's on the floor success to recruiting success. After finishing 2020 class ranked 33 with 3 four star players, Baylor has jumped to the next level with a top 10 class including 5 star super athlete Kendall Brown of Sunrise Christian.
21 projected starting lineup:
Mitchell
Flagler
Brown
Mayer
JTT
2. Oklahoma
Key Departures 4 (Kuath, Manek, Reaves, Williams)
OU has gotten a little experience playing without either Manek or Reaves as both have missed stretches this year but that's quite a bit of scoring punch.
Returning Players 10
Harmon, Gibson and Harkless will give OU one of the best backcourts in the conference to start the season. Sophomore more forward Jalen Hill and Victor Iwuakor are both getting significant minutes this year that will take a jump next year. They really like F Guard Trey Phipps but will need another of they young bigs to take a big step forward.
Key newcomers 2
Good ole Lon gave his Alma Mater the giant finger by plucking away four star guard CJ Noland who has moved all the way up to pushing for top 100 status. Bijan Cortes is an underrated true PG out of Oklahoma that had offers from Oklahoma State and TCU before choosing OU. OU will have another scholarship open so look for Lon to be active in the transfer market again.
OU Projected Starters:
Harmon
Gibson
Harkless
Hill
Iwuakor
3. Kansas
Key Departures 2* (Garrett, Lightfoot)
I put an asterisk by this because I think it's about 50/50 on whether Agbaji stays or goes to the draft after this year. He is the kind of player that built up some hype early because of his projection, but the longer he stays in school, the more they will pick apart his faults. I also think Garrett is the type of Senior that could decide to return for one more year (and I think he will).
Returning Players: 10
I think 10 is the right number because one of Agbaji and Garrett will stay and one will leave. There could also be a couple of guys that are encouraged to transfer as this roster has a couple of major holes that Self needs to try and fill in the spring/summer with a transfer. A backcourt of Braun and Thompson (Garrett) is a good foundation but needs a PG. Wilson and McCormack provide tremendous scoring punch in the front court and would probably be the leagues best duo to start. Did you know that Jalen Wilson is currently on a 5 game double double streak?
Key Additions: 3
Kansas doesn't have a 5 star in this incoming class but 6'10 Dean Wade clone Zach Clemence is very close and could make an instant impact. He is a good athlete and can really shoot from the perimeter. Their recruiting has been down a bit, but this is still a top 20 class. Look for Self to push hard for a downhill PG in this year's transfer market.
Projected Starters
Garrett or Agbaji
Thompson
Braun
Wilson
McCormack
4. Texas Longhorns
Key Departures: 5 (Brown, Coleman, Febres, Hamm, Sims)
Brown is for sure a lottery pick. Coleman is a four year starter and Sims has been as key to their defense as anybody. I could see a guy like Febres who has missed so much time this year trying to retur.
Returning players: 7
That could drop to 6 if Kai Jones decides to declare for the draft. NBA scouts are enamored with his potential. Any backcourt that starts with Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey is going to be one of the best in the conference. Donovan Williams is a former top 40 recruit that has played key minutes this year and will look to step in as the third guard/wing. Heppa, Liddell and Cunningham all bring something different to the front court.
Key Newcomers: 4
Texas currently has a top 15 class which is headlined by old friend Tamar Bates. Bates has seen his sock skyrocket this year after moving from Piper to IMG Academy. A fringe four star player in the KC metro area, Bates has become one of the best shooting guards in the country and a top 50ish player overall. Look for Texas to continue to be very active in the spring period both from a HS standpoint and in the transfer market as they have potentially 3 or 4 scholly's still available.
Projected lineup
Ramey
Jones
Williams
Jones
Cunningham
5. West Virginia
Key Departures:2 (Osabuhien, Sherman)
I have heard it mentioned that it's possible that Culver leaves for the draft, but he isn't high on draft boards. If he stays, WVU returns basically their entire roster outside of the two mentioned.
Returning Players: 11
Without any departures that would be considered shocks, WVU will bring back about 90% of their scoring and 98% of their rebounding. They currently have 9 guys that play double figure minutes and 7 of those will return. They will be the deepest team on paper to start the season.
Key Newcomers: 2
With two lightly recruited guard commits, WVU is tied with K-State at the bottom of the conference in recruiting.
Projected Starters:
McBride
McNeil
McCabe
Mathews Jr
Culver
6. Texas Tech
Key Departures: 2 (Santos Silva, Shannon)
Texas Tech has one of the youngest rosters in the league but will lose two key pieces in Terrence Shannon who will be a lottery pick and transfer Marcos Santos Silva.
Returning Players: 10
Matt McClung should be the preseason pick for conference POY and will pair with Edwards, Burton and McCullar to give the Red Raiders continuity in their lineup. Tyreek Smith, Micah Peavy and Chibuzo Agbo will all be counted on in the front court and all have great length and athleticisim.
Key Additions: 1
Jaylen Tyson is a long, bouncy Small Forward in the mold of Shannon. He is currently ranked as the 34th best prospect in the 2021 class and on the verge of 5 star status. With a couple of openings currently available, we know Beard will be involved for the best transfers when the market presents itself after the season.
Projected Starters:
McClung
Burton
Edwards
McCullar
Smith
7. Oklahoma State
Key Departures 3 (Cunningham, Williams, Flavors)
That's three really key departures. Cunningham is going to be the #1 overall pick and Williams is possibly the best athlete on the team.
Returning Players: 10
There will be a lot of talent returning and it will be led by 9th year Senior Issac Likelele, Rondel Walker and Avery Anderson in the backcourt. The Boone twins return and Matt-Alexander Moncrieffe has had some really good games as a true freshman in the post. Chris Harris and Donovan Williams both redshirted this year and it will be interesting to see what kind of support they can add next year.
Key Newcomers:
OSU doesn't currently have any commits
Projected Lineup:
Likelele
Walker
Anderson
Boone
Moncrieffe
8. TCU
Key Departures: 1 (Obannon Jr)
OBannon has been inserted into the starting lineup and has been playing well but if he is the only departure, TCU could get really good in a hurry.
Returning Players 11
Kevin Samuel is heading towards All Big 12 and Mike Miles would be the conference FOY if not for Cunningham. Combine those two with Nembhard and you have possibly the best Guard/Forward/Center combination in the conference.
Key Newcomers: 1
Four Star JUCO Center Doumbia is crazy long and had offers from Alabama, WVU, Arizona State and Cincy among others. He will provide immediate depth behind Samuel.
Projected Roster:
Miles
Fuller
Nembhard
Easley
Samuel
9. K-State
Key Departures: 1 ( McGuirl)
I originally thought that McGuirl would return but I don't think so anymore.
Returning Players: 11
Basically the entirety of the roster returns with the exception of McGuirl. Take that however you want it. I would expect some departures but as of now, the freshman duo of Pack and Bradford has been about as good as can be expected. I thought AG would for sure be one to leave, but at this point, he is playing 35 minutes a game and why would he leave when he can't get that anywhere else.
Key Newcomers: 2
K-State adds another Center and an undersized 4 to the roster. As mentioned earlier, they are tied with WVU for last in the conference in recruiting.
Projected Starters:
Pack
DJG
Miguel
AG
Bradford
10. Iowa State
Key Departures: 2 (Coleman-Lands, Young)
Coleman-Lands has become ISU's best shooter and is their second leading scorer and Young is their third leading scorer and best low post defender.
Returning Players: 11
They lose their #'s 2 and 3 scorers, but everyone else on the roster returns. Rasir Bolton is their do everything guy but he turns the ball over at such a high rate. Iowa State has actually been better since moving Freshman PG Jaden Walker into the lineup. They will probably have a new coach next year so this entire thing could look different.
Key Newcomers: 2
Tyrese Hunter is good enough to jump right into the starting lineup for them next year at PG. He is a blur with the ball in his hands and they need all the help they can get not turning the ball over. Jayden Nunn is a big PG but probably needs some time to get acclimated.
Projected Starters:
Hunter
Walker
Bolton
Johnson
Conditt
It's hard to rank the rosters right now without knowing who all the departures will be and who will surprise and stay, but it's pretty clear that you have a distinct difference between the top 8 and the bottom 2 from a talent standpoint.
