Baylor Basketball: Bears should not be overlooked as top-25 team
Baylor began the season in the top-25, but have fallen completely off the radar. The Bears have a few quality wins and no bad losses so why are they excluded from the rankings?
The Baylor Bears were not included in this week’s AP top-25 poll. In fact, they were hardly even considered. They only received two points in the poll which is a significant decrease from the 163 points and the 24th ranking they received in the preseason.
So why have the voter’s opinions of Baylor shifted so much? The Bears have not taken a bad loss and have a neutral court victory over No. 25 Creighton and a win over Texas at home.
Baylor has four losses, but those losses have come at Xavier, at Texas Tech, vs. Wichita State, and vs. TCU. Those four teams are all in the top 16 of the AP Poll and TCU is the only one of the four outside the top-10. The Big 12 is an absolute gauntlet so teams will have extremely difficult games every night. Losses in league play should be expected, especially away from home, and Big 12 teams should not be penalized for having more losses than comparable teams from other conferences.
Injuries have hampered the Bears
The game against Texas Tech was a blowout, but Jo Lual-Acuil did not play in the game. Lual-Acuil is Baylor’s best player and is one of the best rim protectors in the country. He is also a featured offensive player who can score with his soft touch in the post or can step out and hit a mid-range jumper. This mix of size and skill makes him very difficult to defend.
In Baylor’s recent game against TCU, Lual-Acuil showcased his tremendous defensive abilities by dominating his matchup with Vladimir Brodziansky. Brodziansky is a very skilled big man, but Lual-Acuil’s length and shot-altering abilities forced Brodziansky to miss or rush many close-range shots. Offensively, Lual Acuil made quite an impact as he scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Related Story: Latest Big 12 Power Rankings
This shows Lual-Acuil’s immense impact and shows why Baylor absolutely needs him in the lineup to reach their full potential, but he is not the only key player to miss time due to injury. Terry Maston missed six games with a hand injury and just recently returned to the court. Maston comes off the bench, but plays almost 25 minutes per game and scores in double figures. His ability to score inside and his physical style of play perfectly compliments Lual-Acuil inside.
Who could Baylor move ahead of?
Baylor’s early-season victory over Creighton may be forgotten by some, but its value has increased since November. The Bluejays are playing extremely well and deserve to be ranked, but should they be ranked over Baylor?
Creighton’s best win is over UCLA on a neutral court. They also have home wins over Providence, Nebraska, and St. John’s and have no bad losses, but none of these schools are surefire tournament teams. Baylor has the head-to-head win over Creighton, a win over Texas which may end up being better than Creighton’s UCLA win, and comparable losses. So I ask again, should Creighton really be ranked over Baylor?
In fact, Auburn, Cincinnati, and Kentucky also have two quality wins (the same as Baylor) and have lost to worse teams. Miami is probably the least deserving top-25 team as their best wins are over Florida State at home (23rd in AP Poll) and a Minnesota team that is plummeting down the rankings. They also have a neutral court loss to New Mexico State and a sub-100 loss at Georgia Tech. There is no reason for all these teams to be ranked while Baylor is barely considered.
The most convincing argument against Baylor’s inclusion in the top 25 can be found with analytics, specifically KenPom. Baylor ranks 36th in the KenPom rankings while the teams mentioned above (Creighton, Auburn, Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Miami) are all in the top 27. Cincinnati is even ranked No. 8 in KenPom which, in many people’s eyes, cements their spot in the poll.
For the record, I think all of those teams could be ranked and probably should be ranked (besides Miami), but Baylor should too. Their resume is good enough, but their analytics are dragging them down. Hopefully, with Maston and Lual-Acuil in the lineup, Baylor can prove that they are worthy.
Next: Bracketology: Newest projected bracket as of 1/8
Baylor’s upcoming schedule does not get any easier as they travel to No. 2 West Virginia for their next game. If Baylor can pull off the upset, they will start to garner more national attention, but even with a loss, they should be ranked. Teams should not be penalized for losing to good teams and Baylor is a prime example of that. Expect the Bears to re-enter the top 25 at some point this season since their talented veteran roster will lead them to multiple quality victories.