Big 12 Conference preseason poll highlights Kansas women’s basketball as a contender

LAWRENCE — Kansas women’s basketball is viewed as a contender this year in the Big 12 Conference, with the Jayhawks earning a No. 3 spot in the preseason poll.

Kansas is right behind Big 12 favorite Texas and Baylor in the poll, which was voted on by the league’s head coaches and released Thursday. Rival Kansas State isn’t far behind in fourth. The Jayhawks are set up well for what is a highly anticipated season for head coach Brandon Schneider and his program.

Kansas is coming off of a NCAA tournament appearance in 2022 and the 2023 Postseason WNIT title last year. It has four of its regular starters back in super-senior center Taiyanna Jackson, super-senior guard Holly Kersgieter, super-senior guard Zakiyah Franklin and senior guard Wyvette Mayberry. There have also been a number of key additions, including freshman guard S’Mya Nichols.

“Kansas earns a top-three conference projection for the fourth time in the history of the Big 12, and first since being picked second prior to the 2009-10 season,” a KU release stated. “The Jayhawks were picked to finish fifth last season and ended up placing seventh with a league record of 9-9.”

Here is the entire Big 12 Conference women’s basketball preseason poll

1. Texas (12) — 168

2. Baylor (2) — 148

3. Kansas — 138

4. Kansas State — 133

5. Oklahoma — 121

6. Iowa State — 107

7. Oklahoma State — 99

8. West Virginia — 80

9. TCU — 77

10. Texas Tech — 63

11. BYU — 56

12. Houston — 45

13. Cincinnati — 22

14. UCF — 18

Here are the Kansas women’s basketball players who earned preseason honors

Jackson, Franklin and Kersgieter all received preseason recognition from the conference. Jackson and Franklin are on the preseason All-Big 12 team, with Jackson making it as an unanimous selection. Kersgieter is an honorable mention.

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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Big 12 preseason poll projects Kansas women’s basketball as contender