KANSAS CITY — The 2024-25 season is setting up to be a memorable one for Big 12 men’s basketball.
There are five league programs in the top 10 of the preseason Associated Press top 25 rankings — the most ever from one conference. The Big 12 also added four schools this offseason, bringing in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State from the Pac-12.
“Our men’s basketball continues to be second to none. … With the addition of the four corners, our league has become even stronger,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said during his address at Big 12 basketball media days at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Arizona is the only one of the new schools projected to finish in the top half of the toughest conference in the sport — the Wildcats are predicted to finish fifth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll.
Arizona State (12th), Colorado (15th) and Utah (16th), meanwhile, are expected to finish near the bottom of the league.
Even though expectations aren’t high for the Runnin’ Utes this year as they enter the Big 12, several league coaches interviewed by the Deseret News at media days shared their optimism that Utah is a good fit in the conference.
Three coaches — BYU’s Kevin Young, TCU’s Jamie Dixon and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson — mentioned the tradition and history of the Utah program, with their own little twists.
The 58-year-old Dixon has a long history with the Utes, spanning back to previous gigs at Hawaii and Northern Arizona as an assistant coach in the 1990s.
Dixon had a relationship with the Utes’ most accomplished coach, Hall of Famer Rock Majerus, who led Utah to the 1998 national championship game.
“Yeah, familiar with them when I was at Hawaii when we were in the WAC together, so there’s a lot of history,” Dixon told the Deseret News. “When I was coaching at Northern Arizona, coach Majerus was a mentor to us and then Ben Howland when we started our program there.
“Believe it or not, we used to work there during Coach Majerus’ elite camps, stay in the dorms with the players so we could get some of the guys they didn’t want to get, the recruits.”
Dixon, who has been TCU’s coach since 2016, played the Utes in nonconference action in 2021 and 2022. The Horned Frogs won both contests.
“A lot of familiarity with the program, the city, and I think it’s great fit,” Dixon said of Utah. “Obviously, there’s history there from before in the Mountain West, but a tradition. I mean, I’ve been in Utah when it’s, you know, 15,000 in the Huntsman. I know the history, I know what Coach Majerus did there.”
Sampson, who’s coached at the collegiate level for most of his career which began in the early 1980s, is also well-versed in Utah history.
“When I think of Utah, I go all the way back to Jerry Pimm and Lynn Archibald. What a great coach Lynn Archibald was. Got to know his kids. His daughter is married to Mark Pope, Kentucky’s coach,” Sampson said.
“So I remember Lynn, remember Jerry Pimm. The greatest Final Four game ever was played at the Huntsman Center, Michigan State and Indiana State.”
Sampson’s Cougars, who are ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason rankings, played Utah in the Charleston Classic last year, beating the Utes 76-66.
“Utah will be a great fit. They’ve got a great tradition. So many great players came through there. We played Utah last year. Really good coach, really good coach. He’ll be fine,” Sampson said.
“All these coaches that are coming from these different leagues, they’re just moving into the name of a league that’s got some really good teams, but you’re playing the teams. You’re not playing the league.”
Young, who’s headed into his first season as BYU’s coach after an accomplished stint as a high-level assistant in the NBA ranks, said having BYU and Utah back in the same conference will be a good thing.
“I think it’s awesome for both schools, you know, to just kind of have that rivalry just baked in, you know, naturally,” he said. “I think it’s great for state, I think it’s great for the sport and I’m sure it’ll be an unbelievable game.”
The Utes beat a ranked Cougars team in the Huntsman Center last season. This year, they’ll play two games. Utah hosts BYU on Jan. 18, while the Cougars play the Utes in Provo on March 8.