The Baylor Bears will always have their 2021 national champions. But, since then, the program has been unable to get past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Yes, the Bears remain one of the best programs in the country. But, in the transfer portal era there is less continuity, the continuity that helped coach Scott Drew build that winner.
Here is a preview of the 2025-26 season for the Baylor Bears.
Baylor Bears
2024-25: 20-15, 10-10 in Big 12, tied for seventh place. Reached Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals before losing to Texas Tech. Reached second round of NCAA Tournament before losing to Duke.
Head coach: Scott Drew is entering his 23rd season at Baylor, where he is 466-259 all-time and has led the program to its only national championship.
Big 12 history: Baylor was a founding member of the Big 12, which formed in 1996 in a merger with the Southwest Conference and the Big 8 Conference. Baylor won or shared the 2021 and 2022 Big 12 regular season crowns but has never won the Big 12 Tournament.
2025-26 Schedule: Click here for the full Big 12 men’s schedule.
Baylor 2025-26 Roster Review
Gone: Norchad Omier (15.7 PPG), VJ Edgecombe (15.0 PPG), Robert Wright III (11.5 PPG), Jeremy Roach (10.0 PPG), Langston Love (8.9 PPG), Jayden Nunn (8.6 PPG), Josh Ojianwuna (7.4 PPG), Jalen Celestine (7.1 PPG), Jason Asemota (1.6 PPG), Omar Adegbola (1.1 PPG), Marino Dubravcic (0.5 PPG), Yanis Ndjonga.
Returning: None.
Incoming transfers: G Obi Agbim (17.6 PPG at Wyoming), G Michael Rataj (16.9 PPG at Oregon State), G JJ White (13.7 PPG at Omaha), G Isaac Williams IV (10.8 PPG at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi), C Caden Powell (10.4 PPG at Rice), G Dan Skillings Jr. (9.2 PPG at Cincinnati), C Juslin Bodo Bodo (5.3 PPG at High Point), G Cameron Carr (4.8 PPG at Tennessee), G Will Kuykendall (0.0 PPG at Arizona), G James Goodis (did not play at Indiana).
Incoming freshmen: G Tounde Yessoufou (No. 9 in ESPN 100), G/F Andre Iguodala Jr. (four-star), C Ramon Soyoye (NR), F Maikcol Perez (international), G Drew Perry.
Projected Starting Lineup
G Tounde Yessoufou: Every five-star player Scott Drew has brought in the past few years has played right away.
G Obi Agbim: His experience as a pure scorer while at Wyoming will be invaluable.
G Michael Rataj: Averaged nearly 17 points per game for a solid Oregon State program.
G Dan Skillings Jr.: His experience at Cincinnati will be a great fit for the Bears.
C Caden Powell: He put up nice numbers at Rice and has the most experience of the centers on the roster.
Starting Lineup Crashers
G Isaac Williams IV: He has the talent to push for starting time.
C Juslin Bodo Bodo: at 6-foot-11, Drew will find ways to get him on the court.
Lineup Competition
This is a brand-new team. Not a single holdover from last year. So, Drew gets to start from scratch and mold a team. He bought into guard talent in the transfer portal and in the recruiting class and that combination should carry the Bears early. There are seven guards on this team that could start and only four spots. The rest will get some run early. As for the centers, Drew is used to having functional, but not highly productive big men. That’s what makes Powell intriguing as a starter. He has scorer potential.
Early Prediction
Baylor won’t screw around in non-conference. The Bears will host Washington, face Creighton, St. John’s and another top opponent at the Players Era Festival, face Memphis on the road and catch Louisville in Fort Worth in February. The Bears will be tested and likely have a few losses on the ledger entering Big 12 play. The question is whether Drew has whipped up the chemistry by the. What they choose to do defensively (man or the 1-3-1 zone) will be key.
