In this Nov. 16, 2014, file photo, Texas’ Myles Turner defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alcorn State in Austin, Texas. Texas basketball is rolling _ both the men and the women _ and making a splash among the nation’s best just two seasons after both had seemed to hit bottom. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Forecasting a winner for the ever-deep Big 12 basketball race hasn’t always been easy, but it’s never been this difficult.

So many mysteries, so many contenders, such a wide degree-of-difficulty spectrum of nonconference schedules played by the 10 members.

Kansas University’s run of at least a share of 10 consecutive titles faces challenges from multiple fronts this time.

The Big 12 opens today for every team except Kansas and Iowa State, two of the six conference teams ranked in the Top 25. Undefeated TCU was first among other schools receiving votes.

So far, the Big 12 has looked like a conference loaded with good players but shy of great ones, a factor that adds to the parity.

Here’s a crack at predicting in reverse order how the Big 12 teams will finish:

10. Texas Tech: The three losses have come to LSU, in overtime, Loyola of Chicago, Houston. Auburn, ranked 139th in the country by kenpom.com, is the best team the Red Raiders have defeated, and that was a two-point game.

9. Kansas State: Any team that can go from leading a game by four points with 3.8 seconds left to losing it by two points in regulation can find a way to lose enough games to finish in ninth.

8. TCU: Horned Frogs made a smart hire in choosing Trent Johnson. In Johnson’s third season, it’s already paying off. TCU (13-0) crashes the offensive boards hard and defends the paint with passion. The Frogs have a quick point guard in Kay Anderson (.918 from the line) and a pair of shot-blockers in Chris Washburn Jr. (1.7 blocks a game) and Kenrich Williams (1.2). By the way, Washburn’s father was the third pick in the 1986 NBA Draft.

7. Oklahoma State: Senior Le’Bryan Nash averages 17.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. If he decides he needs to show NBA scouts he can handle the ball and shoot from long distance well enough to play on the perimeter, he’s a threat to turn the Cowboys into a last-place team. He averages 3.3 turnovers per game. So far, he has shown pretty good restraint in the hoisting-threes department. He’s 1-of-10. For his career, Nash has attempted 134 threes, which is a high volume for a guy with a .216 accuracy rate.

6. Baylor: An indication of how hard the Bears are playing for Scott Drew: They have rebounded 44.7 percent of their misses, third-best in nation, according to Kenpom.com.

5. West Virginia: Opponents of the Mountaineers turn it over on 32.5 percent of their possessions, highest in the nation. West Virginia also ranks sixth nationally in rebounding its own misses. Translation: Bob Huggins has his team playing Bob Huggins basketball. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, ugliness and all.

4. Oklahoma: Sneaky-good Sooners limit foes to .276 three-point shooting and .405 two-point accuracy. They play a tougher brand of basketball than Kansas has shown so far.

3. Kansas: Fearless Frank Mason has been the team’s only consistent performer, although Kelly Oubre has shown recent signs that he’ll bring consistency and excellence.

2. Iowa State: Cyclones run such good offense that they rank third in the nation with a .609 two-point shooting percentage. So many of their players are equally comfortable on the perimeter and close to the basket. And the latest batch of transfers has played well, most notably starter Bryce Dejean-Johnson and reserve Jameel McKay.

1. Texas: Longhorns have played as well as any team in the conference, and hard-driving point guard Isaiah Taylor has played in just three games because of a wrist injury from which he returns today. They have the most size and decent experience.