Texas Tech University Athletics
Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days set for next week
October 14, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas โ The Big 12 Conference has announced attendees for the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days, including Texas Tech's Donovan Atwell, JT Toppin and Darrion Williams, which will be held next week at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center. The Red Raiders are set to be in the spotlight on Tuesday with a second wave of basketball programs going on Wednesday.
New for this year, each institution's men's and women's basketball programs will participate on theย same day. Eight institutions will be featured each day, creating a unified platform to highlight theย depth and strength of theย league.ย
The 2026 event will feature several new enhancements alongside expansive national media coverage.
This year's enhancements include:
- Unmatched Media Partner Coverage:ย All five of the Conference's television partners, ESPN, FOX, CBS, TNT and NBC, return on-site to provide unparalleled coverage of the league.
- Launch of The Rotation: Big 12 Digital Contributor Kendra Sheehan and former NCAA student-athletes Jaden Owens and Olivia Petnicki will provide behind-the-scenes coverage with the launch of The Rotation, a personality-driven original content series featuring authentic interviews with student-athletes, coaches and influential voices at the intersection of sports, culture and lifestyle. The Rotation will air live on the Big 12's YouTube channel each day from 2 โ 4 p.m. CT with additional interviews and short-form content available across social platforms.
- Monster Energy Lounge: The Monster Energy Lounge offers student-athletes and coaches a relaxed space to connect and recharge throughout the two-day event.
- SLAM Magazine: A leader in showcasing men's and women's basketball at all levels, SLAM will activate on-site in Kansas City, capturing content featuring all 32 Big 12 programs for use throughout the 2026-27 season. ย
- New Era Activation: New Era will provide official co-branded media gifts for attending media, including aย hat customization bar where attendees can personalize their hats with embroideryย and other details.ย
Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Utah will take the stage on Tuesday followed by Arizona, BYU, UCF, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia on Wednesday.
Coverage from the main set will air on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Matt Schick, Brooke Weisbrod, King McClure, Sydney Jones and Alex Glover Jemison will help preview both the men's and women's seasons. Both days will also be simulcast on Big 12 Studios and BYUtv.
Commissioner Brett Yormark will speak on the main stage at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Former K-State guard and WNBA analyst Missy Heidrick returns to moderate the women's Q&A sessions with head coaches and student-athletes, while BYUtv's Spencer Linton will host the men's sessions. A feed of all press conferences and interviews will be available on ESPN+.
TuneIn Radio will also be on-site at T-Mobile Center, recording interviews with coaches and student-athletes from all 32 programs that will air leading up to the season.
The men's side also saw eight teams qualify for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with three schools appearing in the Sweet 16, and league champion Arizona advancing to the Final Four. The Conference then had a historic showing at the 2026 NBA Draft with a Conference-record 13 overall selections, a league-record nine first round selections and the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in BYU's AJ Dybantsa and Kansas' Darryn Peterson, respectively.
A full list of participating student-athletes is included below. Each school's head coach will also be in attendance.
Men's Attendees
Arizona: Caleb Holt, Ivan Kharchenkov, Motiejus Krivas; Arizona State: Emmanuel Innocenti, Paulius Murauskas, Dillan Shaw; Baylor: Kayden Mingo, Isaac Williams IV; BYU: Bruce Branch III, Collin Chandler, Robert Wright III; UCF: John Bol, Dior Johnson, Cayden Vasko; Cincinnati: Myles Colvin, Jayden Hastings, Tyler Tejada; Colorado: Barrington Hargress, Josiah Sanders; Houston: Chase McCarty, Mercy Miller, Joseph Tugler; Iowa State: Jamarion Batemon, Blake Buchanan, Killyan Toure; Kansas: Keanu Dawes, Kohl Rosario, Tyran Stokes; K-State: Isaiah Abraham, Brandon Rechsteiner; Oklahoma State: Jordan Burks, Kanye Clary, Parsa Fallah; TCU: Xavier Edmonds, Brock Harding, Micah Robinson; Texas Tech: Donovan Atwell, JT Toppin, Darrion Williams; Utah: Alec Anigbata, Jackson Holcombe; West Virginia: Finley Bizjack, Miles Sadler, Martin Somerville
*Subject to change.ย
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Follow the Red Raiders:ย Keep up with Texas Tech men's basketball news atย TexasTech.comย and at the team's social media onย Instagram,ย Xย andย Facebook.
