The Baylor Bears have been one of the best teams in the country and in the Big 12 for the past several years under head Scott Drew.
One of the few teams to be able to break the stranglehold of Kansas on the conference, the Bears won the 2021 national title and finished first or tied for first in the final regular season standings in two of the last four seasons.
Baylor is coming off a season in which it went 24-11 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In fact, since that run to the title in the 2021 “Bubble” tournament the Bears haven’t gotten past the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend.
Drew briefly flirted with the Kentucky job this offseason. But, ultimately, he stayed in Waco. One has to think it’s for life at this point. If the Wildcats can’t lure him away, how will any other school do it?
Here’s a preview of the Baylor Bears’ upcoming season.
Odds
BetOnline’s opening odds gave the Bears +1800 odds to win the national title. The Big 12 coaches picked Baylor to finish fourth in the preseason poll. The Bears were the highest-ranked team to not receive a first-place vote. Baylor was ranked No. 8 in the AP preseason Top 25.
Three Players to Watch
G Jeremy Roach: Drew pulled one of the top players on the transfer market when he lured Roach away from Duke, where he was a four-year star and averaged 14 points and 3.3 assists last season. He’s a 42% 3-point shooter, a top-level defender and should give the Bears a level of toughness on the perimeter it missed last season.
F Norchad Omier: The Bears pulled him out of the transfer portal late in the process and after Jalen Bridges opted for the NBA. It was a huge get for Baylor. Last year he averaged 17.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.2 assists and 0.8 blocks for Miami and has Final Four experience.
F VJ Edgecome: Drew is pulling at least one top-shelf recruit every cycle now. This year it’s Edgecome, voted the Big 12 preseason freshman of the year and a five-star recruit. He could start immediately for the Bears. At minimum, he’s a heavy rotation player right away.
Biggest Strength
High-level talent. Roach and Omier (voted All-Big 12 preseason second team) give the Bears some real experience and juice. Both have well-rounded games. Both can score and defend. Between the pair they could average 40 points per game in Baylor’s system. Add to that Edgecome, who was one of the most hotly-pursued players in the country, and holdover sixth man Langston Love, and the Bears have a roster brimming with talent at every position.
Biggest Weakness
The Bench. Aside from Love, the rest of the rotation players are a bit of an unknown. Love could, ultimately, start if he’s healthy. Guard Jayden Nunn and forward Josh Ojianwua are going to have to take a step forward this season. Drew lured two other Top 50 recruits that could play heavy minutes — Montverde (FL) Academy guard Rob Wright (No. 25) and Hillcrest Prep (AZ) forward Jason Asemota (No. 47). Baylor finished last season with a short bench, in part due to Love’s injury. In a rigorous Big 12 the Bears can’t afford it for a second straight season.
Season Prediction
Drew has built a factory at Baylor, using his access to five-star recruits to complement a team that usually is brimming with experience. For a coach that taps the transfer portal selectively, he did a masterful job of getting both Roach and Omier to commit. Baylor’s starting five is as good as any in the conference and they can be projected from 21 to 24 wins before the Bears get to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
