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BYU men's basketball coach Kevin Young confronts an official during a game against Fresno State in the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.

Nate Edwards, BYU Photo

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BYU's Dallin Hall drives to the basket against Wyoming in a men's college basketball game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Egor Demin (3) dribbles into the key against Mississippi Valley State in a men's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young knows full well that he has half a dozen players on his roster with more Big 12 experience than he does.

That will change, eventually, but as Young and Cougars prepare for his first (and BYU’s second) season in the league, he’s still trying to wrap his brain around what lies ahead.

It sounds like he can’t wait.

“We kind of break things up with all the assistants on the scouts and so forth,” Young said. “So they’re dialed in with it. I’m pretty dialed in with it. I went through a stretch a couple of weeks ago where I was just watching games non stop, and so we’ll certainly learn quite a bit over the break. I’ll have time to really study it. But that’s the fun part for me, is the game planning and figuring out where you can gain some advantages. We’ll be be locked and loaded.”

One of his players who went through the Big 12 wars last season is junior point guard Dallin Hall, who can refer to big wins against Iowa State, Baylor, Texas and Kansas from his memory banks.

“It’s super physical,” Hall said. “That’s the first thing that jumps out on the Big 12 is it’s a physical league. Every night is a dog fight, so there’s no off nights. And it’s also every night is like you’re living your dream, right? You get to play on the biggest stage against the best teams. So I think you put that all in one and it’s just fun basketball, fun hoops, and we’re excited for the challenge.”

The Big 12 isn’t the highest-rated conference in college basketball this season: That mantle belongs to the Southeastern Conference, which has five teams in the Top 10 right now. But the Big 12 is still a formidable group of teams to face over the next ten weeks.

BYU posted a 9-2 record in the non-conference season, beating up on the teams it was supposed to beat up on and going 1-2 against power conference opponents.

“I think I probably learned more than the players,” Young admitted. “I’m extremely critical of what we do, and I always ask myself, ‘Are we on the right path?’ That was something I would ask myself a lot in the NBA, and we do a lot of analytical sort of check ins to make sure we are on the right path. Playing the teams we had in that stretch with Providence, Ole Miss and NC State, I learned a lot there. I was able to kind of take some of those lessons and put them into play against Fresno and Wyoming. In hindsight, I wish there would have been a few more of those kind of power teams we could have played to learn even more.”

The Cougars have been without freshman Egor Demin and junior Richie Saunders for the past couple of weeks but both players are expected to be ready for the Big 12 opener at home against Arizona State on New Year’s Eve.

Here’s a look at the Big 12 heading into conference play, which begins with four games on Dec. 30 and four more on Dec. 31. (All ratings and results are as of Dec. 22)

1. No. 3 Iowa State (10-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 3rd

NET ranking: 8

Best win: An 81-70 victory against Marquette (NET 9) on Dec. 4.

Best player: 6-4 senior guard Keshon Gilbert is averaging 16.4 points and five assists per game while shooting 52% from the field.

The Word: Iowa State looks even better than last season, when it reached the Sweet 16. Returning starters Gilbert, Curtis Jones (15.7 ppg), Milan Momcilovic (11.8) and Tamin Lipsey (9.1) are all playing at a high level and the addition of transfers Joshua Jefferson (St. Mary’s) and Dishon Jackson (Charlotte) give the Cyclones plenty of firepower. Iowa State is No. 8 in the country in scoring and shares the ball extremely well.

2. No. 7 Kansas (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 1st

NET ranking: 12

Best win: A 75-73 victory against Duke (NET 3) on Nov. 26.

Best player: 7-2 senior center Hunter Dickinson is averaging 15.6 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting 56% from the field.

The Word: Dickinson might be the league’s most impactful player and one of the most difficult to guard. Transfer guard Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) is a key addition who adds explosiveness to the lineup at 13.5 points per game. The Jayhawks did stumble with a pair of losses to unranked teams (Creighton and Missouri) in early December but they are still one of the league favorites.

3. No. 17 Cincinnati (10-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 6th

NET ranking: 18

Best win: A 66-59 victory against Dayton (NET 41) on Dec. 20.

Best player: 6-8 senior forward Simas Lukosius is averaging 15.7 points and 3.2 assists per game.

The Word: Lukosius and sophomore Jizzle James (12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists per game) are versatile athletes who can beat you in different ways and make the Bearcats a real contender. The addition of Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell (11 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 69% FG) inside makes the presence of shot blocker Aziz Bandaogo even bigger. Cincinnati is a top 10 scoring defensive team as well.

4. No. 15 Houston (8-3, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 2nd

NET ranking: 6

Best win: A 79-51 victory against Butler (NET 71) on Dec. 7.

Best player: Junior guard Emanuel Sharp is averaging 14.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the 3-point line.

The Word: With Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan (8.8 points, 5.1 assists per game) in the lineup with Sharp and L.J. Cryer (14.8 ppg), the guard line for Houston is a handful. The Cougars are No. 1 in the country in field goal percentage defense (34.9%) and No. 3 in scoring defense (56.4) so games are bound to get ugly.

5. No. 25 Baylor (7-3, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 4th

NET ranking: 21

Best win: A 99-98 OT victory against St. John’s (NET 28) on Nov. 21.

Best player: 6-7 senior forward Norchad Omier, a Miami transfer, is averaging 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 62% from the field.

The Word: Baylor has played a very tough schedule with five games against ranked teams. Newcomers Omier and Jeremey Roach (from Duke) are legit scorers and the Bears also boast two of the leagues top freshmen in V.J. Edgecombe (11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game) and Robert O. Wright (12.9 points, 5.4 assists per game).

6. Texas Tech (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 7th

NET ranking: 17

Best win: A 76-62 victory against DePaul (NET 86) on Dec. 4.

Best player: 6-9 sophomore forward J.T. Toppin, a transfer from New Mexico, is averaging 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 58% from the field.

The Word: Toppin has been everything he was expected to be for the Red Raiders. Along with holdovers Darrion Williams (16.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, five assists per game) and Chance McMillian (16.4 ppg), Texas Tech has one of the top scoring trios in the country. Its no wonder the Red Raiders are No. 4 in the nation in field goal percentage (51%).

7. BYU (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 9th

NET ranking: 44

Best win: A 72-61 victory against North Carolina State (NET 105) on Nov. 29.

Best player: Freshman Egor Demin is averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 39% from the 3-point line.

The Word: The collection of players new coach Kevin Young has put together in Provo might be the most talented ever and next year, with the country’s No. 1 recruit A.J. Dybantsa already signed, it could be even better. The Cougars have an interesting combination of high-ranking newcomers and veterans who pushed them to a fifth-place finish in the Big 12 last year. BYU is doing good work on the board, rising to No. 2 in the country in rebound margin (+12).

8. Arizona (6-5, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 5th

NET ranking: 25

Best win: A 104-71 victory against Davidson (NET 112) on Nov. 27.

Best player: 6-4 senior guard Caleb Love is averaging 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and three assists per game.

The Word: The Wildcats have been ranked as high as No. 10 but haven’t been able to pick up a signature win in non-conference play with losses to Wisconsin, Duke and Oklahoma. That doesn’t mean Arizona will be a pushover, though. Tommy Lloyd has a lot of talent in Tucson and they will seemingly go as far as the mercurial Love can take them.

9. West Virginia (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 13th

NET ranking: 33

Best win: An 86-78 OT victory against Gonzaga (NET 5) on Nov. 27.

Best player: 6-3 senior guard Javon Small, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 40% from the 3-point line.

The Word: West Virginia’s neutral site win against Gonzaga shows that new coach Darian DeVries, who came over from Drake, has his team pointed in the right direction. Small is one of the league’s top scorers and Tucker DeVries (Drake) and Amari Hansberry (Illinois) have increased the talent level in Morgantown.

10. Arizona State (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 12th

NET ranking: 50

Best win: An 85-82 victory against New Mexico (NET 85) on Nov. 28.

Best player: 6-5 freshman guard Joson Sonon is averaging 14.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the 3-point line.

The Word: The Sun Devils have had a productive preseason as Bobby Hurley attempts to meld his group together. Sonon has been a strong scorer and 6-9 Ball State transfer Bashir Jihad (13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds per game) can be a problem in the paint.

11. Utah (8-3, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 16th

NET ranking: 63

Best win: An 81-63 victory against Radford (NET 171) on Dec. 14.

Best player: 6-6 senior guard Gabe Madsen is averaging 19.7 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

The Word: The Utes are still looking for a splash win but don’t look like a team picked to finish last in the Big 12, mainly because Madsen has become an elite scorer. There’s good scoring depth and 7-1 Lawson Lovering (13.7 points, six rebounds per game) has come back to play well after missing the first five games due to injury. Utah is No. 1 in the country in assists per game (20.6).

12. Colorado (9-2 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 15th

NET ranking: 77

Best win: A 73-72 victory against No. 2 UConn (NET 16) on Nov. 26.

Best player: 6-2 senior guard Julian Hammond III is averaging 13.4 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 44% from the 3-point line.

The Word: Nothing about the Buffs play really stands out but they do have maybe the Big 12’s best non-conference win against then-No. 2 UConn, so take them lightly at your own risk. There’s some good size here with 6-10 Grace College transfer Elijah Malone (12 ppg) and 6-8 Washington transfer Andrej Jakimovski (11.2) to help out Hammond.

13. UCF (9-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 11th

NET ranking: 80

Best win: A 64-61 victory against Texas A&M (NET 27) on Nov. 4.

Best player: 6-1 senior guard Darius Johnson is averaging 15 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game.

The Word: Scoring was an issue at times last year for the Golden Knights but Jonny Dawkins has put together a pretty good offensive team that is averaging 80 points per game. Johnson, Tulsa transfer Jordan Ivy-Curry (16.3 ppg) and George Mason transfer Keyshawn Hall (15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds per game) are going to give opposing coaches nightmares. 7-2 freshman Moustapha Thiam is only going to get better.

14. TCU (7-4, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 10th

NET ranking: 73

Best win: A 76-72 victory against Xavier (NET 64) on Dec. 5.

Best player: 6-2 senior guard Frankie Collins, an Arizona State transfer, is averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

The Word: Collins has really blossomed in Jamie Dixon’s system but he’s going to need more help on the offensive end from a group that is shooting 42% from the field and 30% from the 3-point line. UNC-Wilmington transfer Trazarien White (10.3 ppg), Old Dominion transfer Vaean Allette (9.9) and Wyoming transfer Brendan Wenzel (9.4) are still developing.

15. Oklahoma State (8-3, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 14th

NET ranking: 109

Best win: An 80-74 victory against Miami (NET 160) on Nov. 22.

Best player: 6-8 senior forward Marchelus Avery, a transfer from UCF, is averaging 13.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The Word: The Steve Lutz era has begun with some strong play from Avery, Xavier transfer Abou Ousmane (11.4 ppg) and Bryce Thompson (10.2), but the inconsistency is expected with ten players new to the program. The good news is that the Cowboys are No. 6 in the country in bench points (39.78 per game), so you never know who is going to hurt you.

16. Kansas State (6-5, 0-0 Big 12)

Preseason Big 12 pick: 8th

NET ranking: 122

Best win: An 83-71 victory against George Washington (NET 131) on Nov. 22.

Best player: 6-9 forward David N’Guessan, a fifth-year senior, is averaging 14.1 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 69% from the field.

The Word: The Wildcats ended the non-conference schedule with three straight losses to St. Johns (88-71), Drake (73-70 OT) and Wichita State (84-64). Jerome Tang is getting really good minutes from N’Guessan, who is a matchup nightmare and is expecting more from Villanova transfer Brendan Hausen (13.9 points per game, 43% 3s). There’s also been some inner turmoil as 6-9 Samford transfer Achor Achor was dismissed from the team on Dec. 11.

Big 12 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Monday, Dec. 30

Cincinnati at Kansas State, 5 p.m. MT (CBSSN)

Houston at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

TCU at Arizona, 6 p.m. MT (ESPN+)

Iowa State at Colorado, 7 p.m. MT (CBSSN)

Tuesday, Dec. 31

West Virginia at Kansas, TBD (ESPN+)

UCF at Texas Tech, noon MT (ESPN+)

Utah at Baylor, noon MT (ESPN+)

Arizona State at BYU, 2 p.m. MT (ESPN2)