Big 12 Conference men’s basketball teams have established a competitive edge by aggressively utilizing the transfer portal. Their targeted recruitment of top transfers has been a central factor in elevating programs’ national title aspirations.
Baylor, Kansas, and Houston show this direct approach. Over the past five seasons, Texas and Kansas have won national championships, while Houston has reached the Final Four twice. Their results set an example for the Big 12, as noted by Vice President for Basketball Brian Thornton.
High-Ranking Big 12 Official Weighs In on the Transfer Portal Landscape
Brian Thornton was a guest on the November 11 episode of “The Sideline with Andy Katz.” He was asked about the developments in the conference, particularly the effect of the transfer portal for all teams. The Big 12 VP for Basketball spoke on the progress being made by certain teams in utilizing the database.
“Everybody has an opportunity to rebuild or reload really quickly. So it’s not necessarily that organic rebuilding that maybe we were accustomed to,” Thornton told Katz. “A new coach can come in and bring in a new group of guys, bring in some players, and they can be ready to compete right away.”
Thornton cited the example of Oklahoma State when Steve Lutz was hired as coach for the 2024-25 season. The 2023-24 lineup either graduated or opted to look for other destinations, forcing him to acquire his entire lineup from the portal.
Although Lutz’s gamble gave the Cowboys a 17-18 record last season, the team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2025 National Invitation Tournament, beating Wichita State in the first round and upsetting top seed SMU in the second round. Oklahoma State fell two points shy of No. 2 seed North Texas in the last eight, ending their campaign.
All but three from last year’s lineup have either exhausted their eligibility or transferred to another program. Those who remained with the team were Andrija Vuković, Kirk Cole, and Robert Jennings II.
With Vuković, Cole, and Jennings committing for another year, Lutz recruited five players from high school and the international ranks: Benjamin Ahmed, Ryan Crotty, Daniel Guetta, Lefteris Mantzoukas, and Mekhi Ragland. He also treaded the transfer portal and secured the commitments of Kanye Clary, Isaiah Coleman, Jaylen Curry, Parsa Fallah, Vyctorius Miller, and Anthony Roy.
Oklahoma State Surprises the Nation With Solid Performances in Exhibition and Nonconference Games
Expectations were modest for the Cowboys during the preseason, but they demonstrated their potential in exhibition games, upsetting last season’s Final Four qualifier, Auburn, 97-95, before falling to SMU, 86-71.
Building on their surprising preseason performances, Oklahoma State carried momentum into the nonconference phase by dispatching Oral Roberts, 95-71, and clobbering another SEC team, Texas A&M, 87-63, to start the 2025-26 season at 2-0. In those games, transfers Miller, Christian Coleman, Fallah, Isaiah Coleman, and Curry were the leading scorers, further manifesting Lutz’s ability to effectively manage transfer portal players.
Reflecting on the hot start and strong integration of new talent, Thornton expressed belief he’s seeing the Cowboys’ competitive spirit, coupled with Lutz’s magic, coming to fruition. He added that the transfer portal stars Lutz picked during the offseason are showing what they’re capable of doing in the competitive Big 12 Conference.