Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Baylor on the road
Opponent Intel: Baylor Bears
One of the most well-rounded teams in the entire country, the Baylor Bears will enter this contest ranked at No. 11 in the AP poll while holding down the same spot in my national power rankings. With head coach Scott Drew roaming the sidelines and an experienced roster on the court, this is a very tough team for anyone to match up against. The Bears boast tremendous guard play while also utilizing their bigs exceptionally well. Baylor ranks near the tops of the nation in offensive rebounding rate as they are capable of consistently creating second-chance opportunities. Baylor’s adjusted offensive efficiency current sits at 21st nationally.
On the defensive end of the floor, Baylor mixes up their scheming with varying looks throughout games. They will play man-to-man for extended stretches but also deploy a couple of different zones. Most notably, Coach Drew loves to utilize a 1-3-1 set to potentially force turnovers and difficult shots. To this point in the year, Baylor ranks 15th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. This is largely due to the fact that teams are committing turnovers on 24.2% of their possessions against the Bears while also being limited to just 43.5% shooting inside the arc.
It is no secret that Baylor is one of the best teams in the country and they have earned their national rankings. With regard to their results to this point in the year, the Bears hold a 7-1 record that includes wins over Villanova and Arizona. Their lone loss came against Washington at a neutral site. This meeting with Butler should be Baylor’s last non-conference test as their following two games are both against sub-300 opponents.
With regard to individual performers, Baylor’s offense starts in the backcourt. Jared Butler and MaCio Teague man the starting guard spots for this team and together they form one of the most dangerous scoring backcourts in the country. Even with Baylor playing at a relatively average tempo, these two are combining to average 34.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 47-for-110 (42.7%) from 3-point range. They are highly-capable scorers in transition as well as in the halfcourt. Butler, most notably, can be dynamic with the ball in his hands.
Joining them in the backcourt is also 6-foot-1 sophomore Davion Mitchell, who is averaging nearly 30 minutes per game. Mitchell is not in the same league as Butler/Teague as a scorer but he is a hard-nosed defender that really fits Baylor’s defensive scheme quite well. He makes a high-level impact on that end of the floor.
Moving into the frontcourt, the key player to know is Freddie Gillespie. A 6-foot-9 senior forward, Gillespie has emerged as a legitimate star so far this season. Arguably the best offensive rebounder in the entire country, he is exceptionally difficult to box-out underneath. Through the first eight contests of this season, Gillespie is averaging 9.3 total rebounds per game (3.9 offensive). He is also averaging 9.4 points per game while doing a nice job taking advantage of those second-chance opportunities. On the defensive end of the floor, Gillespie is Baylor’s anchor. He moves his feet well and uses his athleticism/timing to swat shots – averaging 1.6 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Tristan Clark starts alongside him in the frontcourt as another strong rebounder but a better scorer. Clark, though, has underwhelmed to begin this season after being pegged as potentially the best power forward in the country over the offseason. He is only posting 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on 33.3% shooting this season after averaging 14.6 points and 6.3 boards on 73.7% in 14 contests last season.
Baylor’s bench is also worth discussing as Coach Drew turns to Devonte Bandoo, Mark Vital, and Matthew Mayer in just about every game. Bandoo and Mayer are both capable shooters from the perimeter while Vital is an offensive rebounder and finisher that was a full-time starter last season.