Robert Wright III was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team as one of two players unanimously voted to the squad, according to a report published October 15, 2026. The announcement from the league in Irving, Texas, identified Wright III and Texas Tech's JT Toppin as the only unanimous selections.
The All-Big 12 Preseason Team also included Arizona's Motiejus Krivas, who was named Preseason Player of the Year, and Ivan Kharchenkov. Other selections were Paulius Murauskas of Arizona State, who was named Preseason Newcomer of the Year; Tyran Stokes of Kansas, named Preseason Freshman of the Year; Tamin Lipsey of Iowa State; Xavier Edmonds of TCU; and Dedan Thomas Jr. and Joseph Tugler of Houston.
In the annual preseason poll voted on by head coaches, BYU was projected to finish sixth with 148 points. Defending regular season and tournament champions Arizona received 12 of the 16 first-place votes and were selected to win the poll. Houston finished second with four first-place votes, followed by Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. The Top 10 included TCU, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Baylor, while Oklahoma State was ranked 11th, followed by Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Kansas State, and Utah.
Wright III returns for his junior season following a season where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. His performance helped the Cougars reach the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time in program history. During his previous season, the 6-foot-1 guard from Wilmington, Del., scored in double figures in 32 of 35 games he started, including a career-high 39 points in an overtime win against Colorado and a 30-point performance against Baylor.
BYU is scheduled to open the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Ohio State at the Delta Center. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcast on FS1.
