When examining the 2021-2022 college basketball season to this point, there has been one consistent and clear bright spot: the Big 12.

Is it the talent this year? Is it the rivalries? The transfers? Bad blood amongst coaches and programs? For the first time in a while, Big 12 basketball has blended all of these to create a high-energy brand of basketball that is quite fun to watch.

If you need an example, just look at February 1, when the Longhorns of Texas traveled to Texas Tech. This would have been a remarkable game and atmosphere regardless of the storylines. However, Texas head coach Chris Beard was making his first trip back to Lubbock, Texas after notoriously leaving the hometown Raiders to coach for their rival. 

Beard, who led the Raiders to the National Championship in 2019, shocked ‘em all when he flipped to Austin and immediately began to pick up transfers and recruits. This included star transfers Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen, who had put the Longhorns at 23 in the national rankings headed into Texas Tech.

This backstory gave way to must-see TV, as the energy and passion in United Supermarkets Arena could be felt through the screen all night long. The Tech students were relentless in “welcoming” back their former coach.

To nobody’s surprise, new head coach Mark Adams and 14th-ranked Texas Tech played with a vengeance all game long and came out on top by 13. Thanks to an outstanding headline, college basketball fans were gifted a game and atmosphere to remember.

It also helps a conference’s reputation when it has two of the best teams in the country. In the Big 12’s case this year, the powerhouses of Kansas and Baylor have elevated the competition so much more.

Formerly the number eight team in the country, the Kansas Jayhawks actually dropped its most recent game to Texas on the road. Despite the loss, head coach Bill Self and his Jayhawks had to have been pleased with their recent 83-59 blowout win over Baylor, the team that is currently Kansas’s most daunting challenger.

The Bears of Baylor are continuing on their multi-year hot streak that was highlighted by winning the national championship last spring. In fact, some might say that Baylor has entered a position to threaten the Jayhawks’ status as the league’s top dog. Scott Drew’s squad is known for its togetherness and toughness, which have been on full display this year.

The Bears have taken some tough losses, first falling to Texas Tech at home before losing to Oklahoma State and Alabama on the road. With their most recent drubbing taken to Kansas, the Bears sit just one game back from first place.

Above all else, the transfer situation has been arguably the main show-stopper in the Big 12 this year. Once college basketball players were granted the freedom to play wherever and whenever they wanted (now for money), Big 12 powerhouses certainly benefited from the influx of talent entering the league.

Chris Beard turned Texas into the transfer epicenter, as he used the portal to his advantage and landed his team’. He picked up Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen, which would be more than enough incoming talent for most teams.

Still, Beard kept his foot on the gas. When all was said and done, he ended up convincing forward Tre Mitchell to pack his bags and move to Austin.

Elsewhere in the Big 12, Kansas landed top transfers in Remy Martin and Jalen Coleman-Lands, while Baylor has added James Akinjo. Akinjo has proved to be a huge piece for the contending Bears this season.

If the coaching antics and unmatched talent weren’t enough, the transfer portal has shaken things up for the better in Big 12 basketball. It feels like us college basketball fans have been watching Kansas win the league for the past decade, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see some teams on the rise.

Overall, the Big 12 is better than it’s been in a long time. From wild storylines to coaches butting heads and the transfer portal, the nature of the conference feels excitingly young and revamped. While it’s got some wood to chop to reach current Big 10 levels, it’s safe to say that Big 12 basketball is in amazing shape for the future.