The Baylor basketball team has quietly been one of the better programs in college basketball for the past decade or so. Since 2008, the Bears have made 11 NCAA Tournaments, advanced to three Elite Eights and won a championship. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like that 2021 championship does not get talked about much, when in reality that Baylor Bears squad was probably the best champion since that 2018 Villanova team.
With players like Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler, L.J. Cryer, Keyonte George and Ja’Kobe Walter coming through in recent years, Baylor is in their golden era of basketball. With head coach Scott Drew at the helm, the Bears will look to continue that recent success as they are currently one of the best teams in the country. Baylor is currently ranked 15th in the AP Poll and 14th in the Coaches Poll while ranking as high as sixth. With a 20-8 record and 9-6 conference record, the Bears sit third in the conference. With how good the Big 12 is this year, Baylor will need to win its final three games of the regular season and get some help from Houston to take home the top spot in the conference.
Can Baylor Basketball Win the National Championship?
Duo of Baylor Freshman Projected to be NBA Prospects
As it stands right now, the Bears score 81.6 points per game, which ranks 25th in the country. While George and Cryer are no longer in Waco, the Bears are headlined by two freshmen, who should probably hear their names called in the upcoming NBA Draft. First is No. 8 recruit Ja’Kobe Walter. A consensus five-star recruit out of Link Academy, Walter was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American, as well as a participant for the Team USA in the Nike Hoops Summit. He leads the Bears this season scoring 14.8 points per game (PPG) on 38.8% shooting from the field and 33.5% from the field. While one would like to see those shooting percentages rise, there is no denying Walter’s talent. In fact, many experts expect him to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Partnering with Walter is another freshman, Yves Missi. The 7-0 center from Cameroon, by way of Belgium, has quickly become one of the biggest risers on draft boards due to his play this season. Averaging 11 PPG on 64% from the field, Missi makes his name on the defensive side of the ball. He averages 5.6 rebounds per game and an astounding 1.6 blocks per game. Missi’s length and athleticism not only have him shooting up draft boards but also causing mischief for opposing teams. As it stands, Missi is currently projected to be a late first-round draft pick in this upcoming NBA Draft.
Experience Rounds Out Great Starting Five
While the two freshmen are the stars for Baylor this season, what really makes the team cook is the rounded-out experience in the starting lineup. First is fifth-year senior and Boise State/Toledo transfer RayJ Dennis. While Dennis’ best seasons statistically came in Toledo, there is no doubt that he is playing the best basketball of his career right now. After averaging 19.5 PPG last season on 48.4% shooting last season, his points have dropped to 13.3 PPG, but his shooting percentages have bumped up to 48.6% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point line.
Jalen Bridges is the other senior in this starting lineup. Bridges was a part of Baylor’s three-headed guard monster last year, with Cryer and George. With more of a scoring role this season, Bridges’ numbers have increased from 10.3 PPG to 11.3. Finishing the starting five is junior Jayden Nunn. Nunn spent each of the last two seasons at VCU. Those years did not produce much production, so coming to Baylor has certainly boosted his production. After averaging under 10 points in his first two seasons, those numbers have now increased to 10.6 PPG on 44.6% shooting from the three-point line.
How Far Can Baylor Basketball Go?
KenPom currently has the Bears ranked 14th in the country. That includes a fifth overall ranking in offense. As I stated before, the Bears are a top-25 scoring team in the country this season. Based on who have they played, that ranking moves up to fifth. The Bears have scored 80 or more points in 12 games this season. The problem with the Bears though has been their defense. KenPom has the Bears’ defense ranked as the 58th-best in the country. The Bears have given up 75 or more points in 10 games this season.
With how good the Big 12 is this season, it makes sense that the defense is not ranked as the greatest. The thing with Baylor basketball is that they are battle-tested. The Bears started their season out on a nine-game win streak that included victories over Auburn, Florida and Seton Hall. Since then, the Bears have taken down BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. While those wins are great, Baylor could still use one more signature victory to really stake their claim as one of the best teams in the country. Luckily for them, they have Kansas on tap for this weekend. With a three-game deficit in the conference, there are three games to go, so they will need some help from Houston losing if they want to get to the top of the Big 12.
With a senior-led team and NBA talent roster along with one of the best coaches in the game, this Baylor basketball team can make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. I think that the Bears are a big team to watch when it comes to conference tournaments. If they can put together a strong Big 12 showing, there is no doubt in my mind that Baylor can see another Elite Eight
