Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: West Virginia falls, Iowa State surprises to start out season

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks dribbles the ball against the Michigan State Spartans during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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LUBBOCK, TX – DECEMBER 29: Head coach Scott Drew of the Baylor Bears talks to his players at a time out during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on December 29, 2017 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 77-53. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

8. Baylor Bears (3-1)

Preseason rank: 8

It was a rough start to the season for Baylor, falling to Texas Southern in the opening game, 72-69. They didn’t have Mario Kegler or Makai Mason for the contest but a team projected to be on the bubble in March, that loss will sting for a while.

With three of the first four opponents being SWAC teams, there’s not much to take away with the Bears when it comes to determining how good they really are. Plus the injuries and Kegler’s suspension have them at less than 100%.

There are some personnel takeaways from the early start including the surprising performance from JUCO transfer Devonte Bandoo. He’s currently leading the team in scoring with 14.5 ppg while shooting 44% from three-point range. He and King McClure shore up a backcourt with many questions coming into the season. Tristan Clark and Mark Vital are playing well in the frontcourt with freshman Flo Thamba providing backup minutes.

It’s clear that the rotations are far from set with the Bears, with eight different players already starting in a game this season. But they’ll have to figure things out in the coming weeks, with Wichita State, Ole Miss and Arizona due up on the schedule. Then we’ll know where Baylor stands in the Big 12.

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