2025-26 Big 12 preview

Themes often run through talking points and quotes from conference officials, athletic directors and coaches. Ask anyone in the trenches of the Big 12 and they will tell you that this league is tough, unpredictable, highly competitive and, in many cases, underappreciated. Every night brings new challenges for coaches to formulate a game plan to compete against so many different styles of play.

How hard is it to steal a win on the road in the Big 12? The league led the nation in home winning percentage (.743) last season. The Big 12 has had four straight seasons with at least six teams receiving bids to the NCAA Tournament, and in four of the last five years, multiple Big 12 teams punched their ticket to the Sweet 16. Four teams have been named to the 2025-26 Associated Press preseason top 25 poll.

The 2025-26 conference preseason poll, voted on by the Big 12 head coaches, was released on Oct. 9. Four teams received first-place votes — TCU (10), Iowa State (2), Baylor (2) and Oklahoma State (2) — and all teams picked in the top nine received over 100 points in the voting process.

There are three new coaches this season who come from outside the league and two who move one chair over to the head spot at their respective schools. After challenging nonconference schedules for all 16 teams, the gift that keeps on giving is a grueling 18-game conference slate. Will there be upsets? You can count on it.

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Welcome to the 2025-26 Big 12 Conference preview at The IX Basketball. The teams and destinations stay the same this year, and they all will play with a chip on their shoulders. The message is clear: Underappreciate the talent in the Big 12 across the board, and it will prove to be a costly mistake.

*The order of teams in this preview reflects the preseason coaches’ poll.

*A special thanks to colleagues at The IX Basketball for assistance with roster information and media day quotes. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics in this article are university- and conference-provided statistics.

TCU

2024-25 record: 34-4 overall, 16-2 in Big 12
AP preseason: No. 17

Fort Worth, Texas, has become a transfer portal destination, and the numbers prove it — 18 transfer players in three seasons. Head coach Mark Campbell has attracted top talent to his pick-and-roll system, and it has paid off. The 2024-25 season was a historic one for the Horned Frogs, garnering them their first-ever Big 12 regular-season title, first-ever Big 12 postseason tournament title and a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs enter the 2025-26 season no longer as the hunters, but as the hunted, and Campbell has his team leaning into that idea.

“Pressure is a privilege, and that is what you want as a competitor,” he told reporters at Big 12 media day on Oct. 21. “You want the opportunity to compete for championships, and we have built a program that is worthy of that. And so with that, there is expectations, and this summer, how you meet those expectations is you got to make sure you pay the price. You got to make sure you do the work.

“And so our mantra, our theme this summer, was a blue-collar summer, and we got 10 new players. We got a whole new group, and you got to start over from scratch, from ground zero. And this group has done that. I’ll say this, they are the hardest working team that I’ve been around in my 18 years.”

TCU returns junior guard Donovyn Hunter out front and 6’1 redshirt senior Taylor Bigby at the wing. Graduate student guard Maddie Scherr, a scorer and distributor throughout her career, will be available this season after missing all of last season with a back injury. Campbell will be without junior Aaliyah Roberson, who appeared in all 38 games and led TCU in 3-point percentage (48.3%) last season. She sustained an ACL injury in the spring.

The portal class includes the size to execute TCU’s pick-and-roll system with 6’3 forward Marta Suarez (Cal), 6’7 center Kennedy Basham (Arizona State), 6’1 guard Taliyah Parker (Texas A&M) and 6’7 sophomore Clara Silva (Kentucky). They will help stack the backline while 5’9 senior Veronica Sheffey, San Diego State’s leading scorer a season ago, gives perimeter depth.

The biggest name to land at TCU is Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles. The 5’10 guard is a three-time All-American and immediately makes TCU a contender in the Big 12. One interesting note is that Campbell’s team will only leave Fort Worth twice before conference play — at NC State on Nov. 16 and then to the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving. It will begin its quest for a second Big 12 title on Dec. 20 against Kansas State at home.

Iowa State

2024-25 record: 23-12 overall, 12-6 in Big 12
AP preseason: No. 14

A year ago, there was a buzz about Iowa State, and rightly so because head coach Bill Fennelly had three of the best players in the Big 12 on his roster. The Cyclones were challenged by their schedule and navigated injuries to fight their way to a 23-12 record. Replacing the void left by point guard Emily Ryan, the all-time conference assist leader, is never an easy task, but having the one-two punch of juniors Audi Crooks and Addy Brown back is a great place to start.

Crooks, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, is bulldozing her way through the Cyclone record books. The 6’3 center averaged 23.4 points per game as a sophomore on over 60% shooting from the floor. Brown is a tenacious rebounder, heady distributor and three-level scorer. She averaged 15.2 points per game last year and dished out 190 assists, and though injury set her back during the offseason, she is ready to go.

Junior transfer Jada Williams led Arizona in scoring last season and will give Iowa State a burst of speed and athleticism in the backcourt. Consistency from others will be key to taking some of the load off Crooks and Brown. If the Cyclones can get contributions from the likes of senior Sydney Harris, junior Arianna Jackson, and a healthy, sharpshooting Kenzie Hare, the conference will be put on notice.

Nonconference matchups against Iowa, Drake and Northern Iowa, along with a trip to the Coconut Hoops tournament in Fort Myers, Florida, will get Iowa State ready for conference play. It will host Kansas on Dec. 21 to tip off Big 12 action.

Baylor

2024-25 record: 28-8 overall, 15-3 in Big 12 play in 2024-25
AP preseason: No. 16

When the foundation of your team is connected by a group of savvy senior veterans, it means the next iteration of the roster will look quite different. A year ago, Baylor finished 28-8 and runner-up in the Big 12 regular season and the postseason tournament. Fifth-year head coach Nicki Collen returns pieces for 2025-26 that have her program starting this season ranked in the AP poll for the 21st straight year.

Senior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a first-team All-Big 12 selection, was the only player in the league to average a double-double (13.8 points and 10 rebounds per game) last season. Senior Bella Fontleroy, a preseason All-Big 12 selection along with Littlepage-Buggs, is a relentless defender who started every game as a junior.

The Bears went hard to the portal to find scoring and more size. Two Auburn transfers, 5’9 Taliah Scott and 6’2 Yuting Deng, can give them a lift as well as 6’1 junior Kiera Pemberton, who had a breakout sophomore campaign at North Dakota.

While Waco is a long way from Paris, France, a game against Duke is not — the Bears will take on the Blue Devils there Nov. 3 on the first official day of the college basketball season. Collen has also scheduled other tough nonconference tests against the likes of UNLV, Iowa and Davidson, as well as a neutral-site matchup with Texas on Dec. 14. 

“I think the beauty of our nonconference schedule is always playing against opponents that are going to mimic, to some degree, what we’re going to see in the Big 12,” Collen said at Big 12 media day. “So, you know, Texas obviously [has] an aggressive, defensive-minded tempo — the Rory Harmons and the Madison Bookers, defending elite players. You go against athleticism and strength, but then you take an Iowa, where it’s all about spacing and pace and 3-point shooting. And so for us, playing teams in the nonconference, they’re going to set us up for success in the Big 12.”

Oklahoma State

2024-25 record: 25-7 overall, 14-4 in Big 12
AP preseason: No. 22

Crafting rosters in the landscape that is college basketball is never an easy task. It is the equivalent of putting 14 or 15 new puzzle pieces together every year. In two of her first three seasons, head coach Jacie Hoyt has led Oklahoma State to the NCAA Tournament with a fast-paced, aggressive style of play. Last season, that propelled the Cowgirls to a 25-win season. They racked up 14 Big 12 wins while ranking in the top five in both scoring and scoring defense for the season.

Hoyt will look to fit pieces this year around her top returning scorers in junior Stailee Heard and senior Micah Gray. Heard, a 5’11 guard, averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 boards per game on her way to being named a first-team All-Big 12 selection. Gray, who hails from Oklahoma City, started every game for the Cowgirls and hit 83 threes as a junior. The Cowgirls will get a lift from a host of transfers, including versatile junior guard Amari Whiting (BYU), veteran guard Haleigh Timmer (South Dakota State) and athletic forward Achol Akot (UCF).

The first test for the Cowgirls will likely be at The Cayman Islands Classic over Thanksgiving. Then it is the much-anticipated Bedlam Series game against Oklahoma in Oklahoma City on Dec. 13. If Oklahoma State can defend at the level it did a season ago, matching or exceeding its conference win total is not out of the question. Big 12 action will tip off on the road at Cincinnati on Dec. 21.

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West Virginia

2024-25 record: 25-8 overall, 13-5 in Big 12

Some people like to escape to the mountains for fresh air and possibly to hide an important secret. The Appalachian Mountains around Morgantown provide a breathtaking view, but the secret of West Virginia women’s basketball’s recent success is no longer hidden in a rocky cave. The Mountaineers are coming off back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in head coach Mark Kellogg’s first two seasons at the helm. The secret to their success has been their defense, as the Mountaineers are the top returning defensive team in the Big 12 for the second year in a row (55.7 points allowed per game).

Senior guard Jordan Harrison, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, will be the leader of West Virginia’s backcourt after averaging 13.7 points per game last year and leading the team in assists. Senior Sydney Shaw led the team in minutes played last season (31.7 per game) and is the top returning 3-point shooter. Sophomore Jordan Thomas saw action in every game as a freshman and can lock down the paint for West Virginia on both ends of the floor. Forward Kierra Walker, an all-conference performer at Norfolk State, is a versatile scorer and physical defender.

While Kellogg holds his cards close to the vest, he spoke very highly of the versatility of his team at Big 12 media day. “We’re going to play hard, we’re going to compete,” he said. “… I think we’ll be a little different now on the offensive end. I think we’ll maybe be able to score and have a little more production in the paint than we have in the past. So it will be fun to have a balanced, inside and out attack, which is going to just be a little bit different for us than what we’ve had in our first two years.”

The nonconference schedule is packed with opponents of all styles of play, with matchups against the likes of Duke, Texas A&M, Villanova and Georgia Tech. It will get the Mountaineers ready to tip Big 12 play at home against Houston on Dec. 21.

Kansas

2024-25 record: 16-14 overall, 6-12 in Big 12

The 2024-25 season did not live up to the expectations of anyone around the Kansas program, as the Jayhawks navigated a year of injuries and adversity. Head coach Brandon Schnieder, now in his 11th season at Kansas, has turned the page to a group of returning veterans and a heralded freshman class.

There was no sophomore slump for guard S’Mya Nichols, who averaged just over 18 points per game and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last year. The 6’ junior will lead a group of returners that includes 6’3 senior Elle Evans (14.4 points per game), senior guard Sania Copeland (32.9 minutes per game) and sophomore Regan Williams (9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game).

Schnieder welcomes a top 10 recruiting class to Lawrence (per ESPN.com), led by Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year Jaliya Davis. The 6’2 forward is the third McDonald’s All-American in program history and is a physical scorer and rebounder. Fellow freshman guards Keeley Parks and Libby Fandel will likely see minutes early and often as well.

The Jayhawks will be tested right out of the gate in November, with a neutral-site matchup against Missouri, a home game against Minnesota, and then games against Georgia and Dayton at the Fort Myers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving. Their Big 12 slate starts on the road for the second straight year, this time at Iowa State on Dec. 21.

Kansas State

2024-25 record: 28-8 overall, 13-5 in Big 12

College coaches know the day is coming when their veteran returners are going to be out of eligibility and no longer in the gym with them. A year ago, an experienced group of Wildcats took Kansas State to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 23 years, on the backs of All-Big 12 performers Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell. The faces in the gym for head coach Jeff Mittie are vastly different now, with less than 30% of the scoring and rebounding returning and only three players from a season ago still in Manhattan.

“While this group is at a much different phase in October than a year ago, I like the path this group is on,” Mittie said at Big 12 media day. “And we’re still getting to know what we do well and what we don’t do as well, but their work ethic has been really good, and now we’re just trying to develop that chemistry on the court.”

Junior guard Taryn Sides is the only returner of the three who saw playing time last year. The 5’7 native of Phillipsburg, Kansas, averaged 24.5 minutes per game off the bench as a sophomore and was one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the Big 12 (43%). Mittie, now in his 12th season at Kansas State, will rely on a group of transfers and the No. 8 recruiting class in the country (per ESPN.com) to fill out a starting five and more.

Sophomore guard Izela Arenas (Louisville) brings speed and scoring to the backcourt, while 6’5 center Ramiya White (Virginia Tech) and 6’1 forward Jenessa Cotton (Duke) give Mittie options in the post. Freshman guard Jordan Speiser, the No. 16 player in the class of 2025 (per ESPN.com), will be a perimeter threat from Day 1, while international signees Gina Garcia (Spain) and Nastja Claessens (Belgium) bring experience to the Wildcats.

November will answer some questions about this new-look roster with matchups against SMU, Texas A&M and Green Bay and a trip to the Cancun Challenge. Big 12 play will tip off on Dec. 20 at TCU.

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Utah

2024-25 record: 22-9 overall, 13-5 in Big 12

When four institutions joined the Big 12 last year, most people knew that Utah would be a significant player in the women’s basketball race from the start. But people were not expecting to see head coach Lynne Roberts depart in November 2024 for the WNBA. Gavin Petersen, who had been with Roberts at Utah for 10 seasons, moved one chair over from associate head coach and led the Utes to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Petersen and Utah now have a team that looks different from a season ago, but with key returners and six newcomers, they are hunting wins.

Senior guard Lani White is back after a unique journey in college basketball — two seasons at Utah, a transfer to Virginia Tech, where she had 14 double-figure games last year, and then a move back to Utah for her senior campaign.

“I think what I’m looking forward to most is just getting back in the Huntsman [Center],” White said at Big 12 media day. “Our fans are great, playing in front of many, many people that support us through all of it, but also just getting back to playing with my old teammates. Not many people get the opportunity to leave and come back. So I’m beyond blessed to just kind of be back [with] the familiar faces and staff and back in the system that I know.”

Fellow senior guard Maty Wilke shot 43% from behind the arc last year, logging just shy of 23 minutes per game. Forward Samantha Crispe averaged 8.9 points per game last season, and junior forward Reese Ross shot over 50% from the field while playing in all 31 games as a sophomore. Four freshmen are suiting up for Utah, including 5’6 point guard LA Sneed, a five-star recruit out of Texas.

The Utes have been known for unselfish play and offensive efficiency, and that will not change under Petersen’s direction. November matchups include games against Washington, Syracuse and the defending national champions, UConn. Big 12 play commences on Dec. 22 at Arizona.

Colorado

2024-25 record: 21-13 overall, 9-9 in Big-12

Season 9 at Colorado for head coach JR Payne was the first for the program back in the Big 12 and mirrored the treacherous roads of the Rocky Mountains. Hard-fought wins but too many tough losses kept the Buffaloes out of the NCAA Tournament after Payne’s program had made back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances. The 2025-26 season will once again have a new-look roster, featuring 10 newcomers for the second year in a row, but the Buffaloes will be anchored by a preseason All-Big 12 selection.

Senior Jade Masogayo had a breakout junior campaign, leading Colorado in scoring at 12.5 points per game. The Fort Worth, Texas, native ranked in the top 15 in the nation in field-goal percentage last year at 59.9%. Redshirt sophomore Kennedy Sanders returns after seeing action in 29 games last season.

Five freshmen land in Boulder along with a host of transfers who bring experience to the floor. Guards Zyana Walker (K-State), Maeve McErlane (DePaul), Claire O’Connor (Gonzaga) and Desiree Wooten (North Texas) will all add depth to the backcourt.

The nonconference slate includes a tough road trip to Louisville and three challenging games at the Hawaii North Shore Showcase over Thanksgiving. The Buffs will look to make life rocky for Big 12 opponents when action starts Dec. 21 at Arizona State.

BYU

2024-25 record: 13-17 overall, 4-14 in Big 12

A philosophy of being bigger, faster and stronger to compete in the Big 12, as well as playing faster on the floor, drove the BYU program last season. After a disappointing finish in the conference standings, associate head coach Lee Cummard was promoted to the top position in the offseason. The BYU alum and former honorable mention All-American for the Cougars men’s program had spent the previous three seasons on the BYU bench. A renewed energy and focus have spread through the program, and Cummard understands what it will take to win in the Big 12.

“Last year, we lost six games by 5 or more points,” he said at Big 12 media day. “We lost three games where we had [the] lead with under a minute [left]. And we want to see growth in some of the little parts of the game. Whether it’s offensive points per possession or defensive points per possession, shrinking that turnover percentage number, just showing growth in different areas that we feel like we can improve on.”

Cummard added, “At BYU, we’re always going to have a group of girls that can shoot the three-ball. We’re going to embrace that fully.” The Cougars averaged 8.1 made threes per game last season.

When you have a coaching change, it is always nice to keep the best player on your roster, and the Cougars return one of the best in the league. Reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year Delaney Gibb had a phenomenal first year in Provo. The 5’10 guard averaged 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and is a preseason All-Big 12 selection. Sophomores Brinley Cannon and Kambree Barber will step into bigger roles, and look for redshirt junior Marya Hudgins to contribute after missing all but seven games last year with an injury.

The Cougars will build their resume with a host of home games in November and a trip to the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving. They will open Big 12 action on the road at UCF on Dec. 20.

Arizona State

2024-25 record: 10-22 overall, 3-15 in Big 12

A new era of Sun Devil women’s basketball begins this season with a new coaching staff and a roster overhaul. Molly Miller arrives at Arizona State after amassing a 117-38 record at Grand Canyon over five seasons, leading GCU to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2025. Miller is known as a program-builder who demands toughness and effort, especially on the defensive end. She knows that to compete in the Big 12, defense is where they will need to thrive.

“We kind of joke and say playing Arizona State should be like going to the dentist,” Miller said at Big 12 media day. “No one wants to do it, because [we’re] going to go out there and [we’re] going to play relentless. You’re going to see a very selfless team. We are going to play a fun brand of basketball, but it’s going to be a team-first approach. They’re going to be tough.

“I also have another saying: Every 50-50 ball is 100% ours. So we’re going to dive on the floor. We’re going to go for loose balls. We’re going to be convicted to the defensive end.”

The Sun Devils return less than 20% of their scoring and rebounding from a season ago, with just three returners on the roster. Junior guard Jayah LoVett made 21 starts last year and registered 16 double-figure scoring games as a sophomore. Senior Makayla Moore made five starts a season ago for ASU.

The transfer portal was key for Miller and her staff to find the right players hungry to help rebuild the program. Guards Gabby Elliott (Penn State), Last-Tear Poa (LSU) and Marley Washenitz (Pittsburgh) bring Power Five experience to Tempe, while athleticism and versatility arrive with the likes of McKinna Brackens (UNLV) and Jordan Jones (Denver).

ASU will learn a lot about itself in November and then tackle three games at Penn State, Oregon State and Gonzaga before conference play begins on Dec. 21 against Colorado. 

Cincinnati

2024-25 record: 15-14 overall, 7-11 in Big 12

While the steps forward in building a winning program are not always big ones, Cincinnati saw marked improvement last season. The Bearcats had an overall winning record and two more conference wins than the previous year. Third-year head coach Katrina Merriweather knows firsthand what’s needed to win at her alma mater, and with every season comes momentum for building the right culture for her team.

The Bearcats rely on relentless defensive pressure, finishing second in the Big 12 last year in turnover margin (3.79).

This season, Merriweather will look for more balanced scoring. Junior guard Regan Jackson is the top returning scorer after averaging 9.2 points per game as a sophomore. Senior guard Mya Perry, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, will bring a scoring mentality and experience to the backcourt.  Cincinnati will need the No. 15-ranked recruiting class in the country (per ESPN.com) to make an immediate impact.

Hometown native Dee Alexander, a two-time Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year, headlines this heralded class. At 6’2, she is a versatile and athletic guard, but she recently announced she will miss the first half of the season with a lower-body injury. Others will have to fill the void in Alexander’s absence.

Cincinnati will travel to Penn State and Saint Joseph’s in the first week of the regular season, but then several nonconference games at home can build confidence for the Big 12 race. The Bearcats will open conference play on Dec. 21 when they host Oklahoma State.

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Texas Tech

2024-25 record: 19-18 overall, 5-14 in Big 12

Expectations continue to rise in Lubbock, and head coach Krista Gerlich is not shying away from the challenge. With a roster that is heavy with veterans, including seniors who will play a final season in red and black, Texas Tech is on a mission for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Offseasons are where the key strides are made, and Gerlich embraced the opportunity to have her squad compete this summer in the FISU World University Games.

“It was an incredible experience, and one that we are forever grateful for, to be able to practice throughout the summer with our new team, with your returners and your new players,” she said at Big 12 media day. “It’s just something that benefits our program well throughout the season. But being able to go over and compete in Germany against high-level competition was truly an honor, [and] to be able to represent Team USA. But also, you can’t manufacture that type of competition in the summer.”

Senior guard Bailey Maupin, a two-time All-Big 12 honorable mention selection, is the top returning scorer for the Lady Raiders at 13.6 points per game. Redshirt senior Denae Fritz made 31 starts a year ago and gives Tech another deep threat on the perimeter. Junior Jalyn Bristow will be a versatile scoring threat and senior guard Sidney Love, a Texas-San Antonio transfer, brings a spark for Gerlich on both ends to the backcourt.

The Lady Raiders will play their first six games at home. Big 12 action will start with against in-state rival Baylor in Waco on Dec. 21. 

Arizona

2024-25 record: 19-14 overall, 10-8 in Big 12

Year 1 in the Big 12 was an uphill climb for the Wildcats, and the offseason brought change. Just like Arizona State, Arizona is ushering in a new era under the direction of Becky Burke. The former standout guard at Louisville arrives in Tucson after three seasons as the head coach at Buffalo, where her squad won 30 games in 2025 and a WNIT title. Burke’s arrival at Arizona was met with a roster that had only one player left, sending her and her staff running to find players who wanted to be part of rebuilding a program.

“I think what [people] don’t know about our team is our competitiveness, our attention to detail, our blue-collar mentality, how gritty these guys are, the chip that they all have on their shoulder,” Burke said at Big 12 media day on Oct. 22. “We have a really good mix of mid-major studs, true freshmen, international players, Power Five transfers. Every single one of them has such a unique story and such a big chip on their shoulder to come to Arizona.”

Guard Noelani Cornfield, who followed Burke from Buffalo, will set the tone with her defense, as she ranked in the top 20 nationally last season in steals per game (2.6). Guard Mickayla Perdue was the 2025 Horizon League Player of the Year at Cleveland State, and junior guard Sumayah Sugapong was a two-time All-Big West selection at UC San Diego. Other transfers such as Tanyuel Welch (Memphis), Achol Magot (Texas Tech) and Fredriecka Wallace (Kansas) will be asked to contribute early and often.

The rebuilding process begins Nov. 9, when the Wildcats open with UC-Riverside. They will play every nonconference game at home, and their first conference game will be in Tucson as well, on Dec. 22 against Utah.

Houston

2024-25 record: 5-25 overall, 1-17 in Big 12

The last of the new head coaches in the Big 12 this season is a veteran in the business and someone known for developing talent and building winning programs. Five years ago, Matthew Mitchell stepped down as the all-time winningest coach in Kentucky women’s basketball history. He now returns to resurrect this Cougars program at a university and in a city with a tradition of basketball success. That process began last spring by putting together a roster around just three returners.

Junior Kierra Merchant played in all 30 contests a season ago, averaging 9 points and more than two steals per game. While change is never easy, the 5’9 guard is ready to embrace this season under new leadership.

“The difference between the team this year and what I’ve experienced in the past is just the energy Coach Mitchell comes in the gym with every day,” Merchant said at Big 12 media day. “He pushes us to be the best that we can. He always talks about our attitude and our effort and how that’s just going to give us the energy that we need to play.”

Three freshmen and seven transfers will debut with Mitchell this year in red and white. In-state transfers TK Pitts (SMU), along with Amirah Abdur-Rahim and Kyndall Hunter from Texas A&M, bring athleticism on both ends of the floor. Forward Jorynn Ross adds Big 12 experience to the roster after spending her sophomore season at Arizona. Troy transfer Briana Peguero posted 20 double-digit scoring games a year ago.

The Cougars will have a chance to get comfortable playing together with a handful of nonconference games at home. Then they’ll jet to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops tournament over Thanksgiving. The Mitchell era begins in the Big 12 on Dec. 21 at West Virginia.

UCF

2024-25 record: 12-18 overall, 4-14 in Big 12

Climbing up the conference standings is not an easy task when you face the grind of an 18-game Big 12 schedule. UCF head coach Sytia Messer knows that blending 11 new talents with her returners to find fight and toughness is what they need to win in this league.

Junior center Khyala Ngodu is back after appearing in 29 games as a sophomore. The 6’3 native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, averaged 19 minutes per game and is the top returning rebounder for the Golden Knights. Sophomore Mahogany Chandler-Roberts made nine starts as a freshman and is looking to be more of a vocal leader and versatile scorer.

Three freshmen join transfers who bring experience and stats to Orlando. Guards Krystol Ayson (Tulsa), Jacorriah Bracey (Southern Miss) and Leah Harmon (Miami) all can score and defend at a high level. And look for 6’4 center Savannah Scott, who redshirted a season ago at Auburn, to be a post presence down low.

The first five nonconference games for UCF will be played at home, and then it’s off to the Puerto Rico Classic for three games over Thanksgiving. The Knights will open Big 12 play at home against BYU on Dec. 20.