Darren Carroll for Sports Illustrated

For Texas to dethrone Kansas and its decade-long stranglehold on the Big 12, big things are expected from point guard Isaiah Taylor to create for teammates.

With freshman Myles Turner in the fold, along with possible double-double machines Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley, the Longhorns have more than enough firepower to compete on the upper levels of college basketball.

College basketball conference previews: Big 12

The question for the Longhorns, as it has been for the past few seasons, is consistency. The team does not shoot the three very well, and will most likely rely on its athleticism to exploit defenses and give opportunities to Taylor and the rest of his talented teammates. With the bigs patrolling the middle of the paint, Texas has a chance to become an elite defensive team.

Texas advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament last season, and the school rewarded coach Rick Barnes with a contract extension.

For more on the college basketball preview, check out this week's Sports Illustrated (subscribe here).

Also in this issue, features on the San Francisco Giants' title run, the Arizona Cardinals' defense and a preview of the women's college basketball season.

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