The Big 12, like many other conferences, is going through enormous changes ahead of the 2024-25 season. The conference will feature a whopping 16 teams, including the entrance of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the now-defunct Pac-12.
We have a lot of time before the women’s college basketball season begins, but here are some things to keep an eye on.
How good will the Four Corner programs be?
The arrival of the Pac-12’s Four Corner teams—Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State—will add some interest and intrigue to the Big 12. But how good will they be? Colorado and Utah were juggernauts last year, and their programs have been trending upwards, so they’ll likely have a say in the Big 12 hierarchy in the 2024-25 season. Arizona and Arizona State may struggle a bit more, but the Pac-12 was just as competitive as the Big 12 last year, so it shouldn’t be a jarring change.
It’ll be interesting to see what new rivalries emerge from these conference realignments and what unknown consequences such drastic changes have, both good and bad. This aspect of the women’s college basketball season will be one of the more exciting storylines.
Out with the old, in with the new
Oklahoma won the Big 12 regular season title and Texas won the Big 12 Tournament, but both champs are leaving the conference for the SEC. This means the SEC will be dramatically bolstered, and there will be room for a new queen to be crowned in the Big 12.
Will Baylor return to the top of the conference? Maybe it’s time for Kansas State to shine, or perhaps the Iowa State Cyclones? In any event, one could argue this is the most open and compelling the Big 12 has been, and that’s good for the sport.
Way-too-early predictions
It’s far too soon for season previews, but I’ll take the Iowa State Cyclones as early favorites to win it all. They lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Stanford, but have shown tremendous promise. With another year of development and some new additions, I think they’ll be the team to beat in the Big 12.
Friday Fun Fact: entering 2023-24, Colleen Peterson held the record for most made field goals by a Cyclone freshman with 163 makes in 1975-76. This season, the dynamic duo of @AudiCrooks AND @Addy_Brown24 both bested the mark!
Audi Crooks – 258 FGM
Addy Brown – 164 FGM️ ️ pic.twitter.com/ZTBjPifPxY
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) April 12, 2024
Colorado, Utah and Kansas State will have something to say about this, but for now, we’ll keep things here and circle back as we near the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
