Busting Brackets
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Baylor Basketball: Grading the Bears roster thus far this season

By Carmine Carcieri

Jan 7, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew calls a play on the sidelines against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second half at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 61-57. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew calls a play on the sidelines against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second half at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 61-57. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 7, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; A young fan in the stand during the second half of a game between the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 61-57. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; A young fan in the stand during the second half of a game between the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 61-57. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Baylor basketball is the number one team in the country for the first time in school history.

The Baylor Bears did not receive a single top 25 vote at the beginning of the season. No one expected them to be a true contender to Kansas and West Virginia at the top of the Big 12, never mind become the number one team in the nation in the latest AP Poll for the first time in school history.

It’s truly remarkable what Scott Drew and company have done this season. Yes, the Bears have a plethora of experience (all five starters are upperclassmen), but they don’t have any true upper-echelon recruits.

The Bears have the best resume in the nation though. They’ve beaten Oregon, VCU, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Oklahoma State already this season. Their only true road win is at Oklahoma (the Sooners aren’t what they were last year), but the Bears have taken care of business against some of the top teams in the country and are a likely challenger to the Jayhawks’ Big 12 title streak.

So what players have helped the Bears thrive this season? Who are the leaders of the roster and how would Busting Brackets grade the key contributors this year?

Does Johnathan Motley deserve an A+ for his consistency? Does Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. deserve a big time grade because of his defensive energy? And where do the bench players stand? Busting Brackets will break down the new number one team and their roster.

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