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FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Senior Georges Niang will be a key part of the Iowa State offense this season.
ALONZO ADAMS/AP
In this Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, file photo, Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield drives to the basket as West Virginia guard Daxter Miles Jr. defends during a game in Norman, Okla.
Daily Debate: Which team is the biggest threat to KU's Big 12 streak?
NICK GEIDNER
@nickgeidner
Iowa State
Iowa State is loaded.
All Big 12 First Team starter and senior forward Georges Niang, All Big 12 Second Team starter and junior guard Monte Morris and All Big 12 Third Team starter and senior forward Jarnaeel McKay are all set to return for another forward at Iowa State.
Other valuable role players in senior guard Nazareth Mitrou-Long and senior for ward Abdel Nader will also return for the Iowa State team that won the 2015 Big 12 tournament and tied for second with Oklahoma in Big 12 conference play (12-6).
With all of Iowa State's returning talent, there's no question it will be a contender to end Kansas' streak of 11-consecutive Big 12 championships.
The center of the Cyclone offense will again be around
Niang this season, who averaged 30.7 minutes per game and 15.3 points per game last season. The all-around forward is projected to be among the top two candidates for Big 12 Player of the Year this upcoming season, according to Sports Illustrated
With arguably one of the best pure point guards in the country in Morris — who led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio just a season ago, adding to the already powerful offensive force of Iowa State — it is almost a guarantee they will be able to put up close to 80 points a game throughout the season.
The biggest question surrounding Iowa State coming in to the 2015-16 season is the departure of former coach Fred Hoiberg, who left the Cyclones to take the head coaching job for the Chicago Bulls following their disappointing end to last season.
The new coach for the Cyclones is Steve Prohm, who has preached a "one day at a time" mindset since being
hired in early June.
Prohm, who spent his last four years as head coach at Murray State, had an impressive 104-29 overall record over that span. In his first year at Murray State, he led his team to the NCAA tournament. Last season, he led his team to an undefeated record in the Ohio Valley Conference before losing in the conference tournament.
While a new head coach can present a lot of challenges for a team, Iowa State believes Prohm is a perfect fit for the two-time defending Big 12 tournament champion Cyclones, said athletic director Jamie Pollard.
With a head coach that has proven his ability to win and an experienced team that is ranked among the top ten in this year's preseason poll, the Iowa State Cyclones have the best chance to end Kansas' streak of consecutive Big 12 championships.
— Edited by Dani Malakoff
MIKE MAICKE
@MJ_Maicke
Oklahoma
College basketball season is on the horizon, and the Big 12 Conference returns with another crop of talented players and nationally ranked teams. The Big 12 has five out of their ten-team league ranked in the top 25, with Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa State all in the top ten.
Every year, ten teams come into the season with aspirations to win the conference championship. However, for the last 11 years, the Jayhawks have claimed at least a share of the title, despite a consistently high level of conference competition.
With a dynamic blend of upperclassmen and a talented group of incoming freshmen, the jayhawks are certainly a loaded and deep team. It is difficult to pick against Kansas when predicting the conference winner. However,
this year, it's not too crazy to envision a changing of the guard.
The Oklahoma Sooners present a very real threat for the Jayhawks this season. Oklahoma touts a talented and experienced backcourt, with returning players junior guard Jordan Woodard, senior guard Buddy Hield, senior guard Isaiah Cousins and senior forward Ryan Spangler, who all give the Sooners a reliable, veteran, low-post presence.
Last season, the Sooners finished with a 12-6 conference record, which landed them in second place, one game back from the Big 12 champion Jayhawks. When comparing the players that both teams lost in the offseason, the Sooners retained more talent than the Jayhawks.
Former Jayhawk Kelly
Oubre jr. was a matchup
nightmare for opposing
teams all last season. The
former-freshman guard was
an oversized backcourt threat
that kept defenders honest
around the perimeter, yet still had a first step that would give opponents fits.
While the fact that Oubre averaged around nine points per game and five rebounds per game doesn't stand out on paper, the Jayhawks will miss his defense and size this season as they are expected to start junior guard Wayne Selden, sophomore guard Devonte Graham and junior guard Frank Mason III in the backcourt.
This will be an issue when Oklahoma's oversized backcourt matches up with Kansas. 6-foot-4 Hield and 6-foot-4 Cousins can score the ball in more ways than a simple jump shot and will not hesitate to post up on the smaller Graham and Mason.
After over a decade of back to back Big 12 titles, the conference championship still runs through Lawrence. However, all streaks come to an end, and the Sooners roster is deep enough and skilled enough to put an end to Kansas' Big 12 dominance.
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