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Baylor Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Bears

By Chris Kern

TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Head coach Scott Drew of the Baylor Bears reacts in the second half against the New Mexico State Aggies during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Head coach Scott Drew of the Baylor Bears reacts in the second half against the New Mexico State Aggies during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 4: King McClure #22 of the Baylor Bears drives around Andrew Jones #1 of the Texas Longhorns at the Frank Erwin Center on March 4, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 4: King McClure #22 of the Baylor Bears drives around Andrew Jones #1 of the Texas Longhorns at the Frank Erwin Center on March 4, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

 Starters

The Baylor Bears are gonna have a different look about them this season. They’ve still got a lot of talented guys who could potentially start games this season. Here are the five guys that could make up their starting lineup next season.

Makai Mason

Makai Mason is a very talented guard. He spent the first three years of his career at Yale where he was phenomenal. He was a star during the 2015-16 season but has missed the past two seasons due to injury.

Strangely enough, Mason dropped 31 points against Baylor in the NCAA tournament that season to pull off the 5-12 upset. That tournament was Mason’s last time playing in an actual college basketball game

His health does have to be a big concern as he has missed pretty much all of the last two seasons. He does seem to be healthy though which is big for this Baylor team.

Mason can really score the basketball. He is the guy who’s gonna need to step up and fill that scoring role left by the departure of Manu Lecomte.

King McClure

King McClure has been a good role player for the Bears the past three seasons. His role has continued to increase and makes him one of the leaders on this team.

He isn’t a guy who is gonna fill up the stat sheet but he will still have a big impact on this team. His toughness is something that will hopefully rub off on his teammates.

He’s not known for his offense but if he can continue to improve his shooting and become a double-digit scorer that’ll be all they need out of him on that end.

Mario Kegler

Mario Kegler had a good freshmen season at Mississippi State. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as he started 31 of the 32 games he played in.

For whatever reason, he decided it wasn’t a good fit, and now he is a member of the Baylor Bears. After sitting out last season due to transferring he is expected to be a key player this season.

He’s got good size for a wing player compared to many Big 12 teams that go small ball. He isn’t a for sure starter but after playing in a big role at Mississippi State I’d expect him to earn a starting spot here as he continues to grow as a basketball player.

Matthew Mayer

Matthew Mayer might be the most surprising name on this list. The four-star forward has good size and a lot of talent.

He can score the ball in a variety of ways which will help this team spread the floor and help the offense. He may struggle to guard stronger posts inside but he will continue to get stronger.

Mayer might not start at the beginning of the season. The Bears will realize they need him out there offensively. He will be a starter by the time conference play comes around.

Tristan Clark

Tristan Clark was a starter last season but he will need to do even more this season. They don’t have a lot of size inside so they’ll need him to be their go-to big man.

He’s learned a lot from playing with guys like Terry Matson and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. Those two guys meant so much to this team and we’ll see if Clark can follow in their footsteps.

They had a lot of depth inside last season but that doesn’t seem to be the case this season. He has to step up and be a guy that they can rely on each and every night.

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