Kansas State has been selected to finish fourth in the preseason 2014-15 Big 12 Conference coaches’ poll released by the league office.

The Wildcats received 53 points to earn the nod in fourth place, just two point ahead of fifth-place Iowa State ( 51 ).

Kansas was picked as the conference favorite with 78 points and six first-place votes by the league coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own teams. Texas is a close second with 74 points and three first-place votes, while Oklahoma was third with 67 points and the final first-place vote. Baylor and West Virginia tied for sixth with 36 points each, followed by Oklahoma State ( 27 ), TCU ( 15 ), and Texas Tech ( 13 ).

Kansas State returns nine lettermen for the 2014-15 season. The group is headlined by Preseason All-Big 12 selection Marcus Foster and senior Thomas Gipson. Overall the team returns more than 70 percent of its scoring and 65 percent of its rebounding.

In addition to the returners, the Wildcats will also have Division I transfers Justin Edwards and Brandon Bolden, who sat out the 2013-14 season, along with four newcomers including community college transfer and 2012-13 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year Stephen Hurt and highly-regarded freshmen Tre Harris and Malek Harris.