NCAA Basketball: Biggest winners from 2020 extended NBA Draft deadline

1. Baylor

Baylor was a top-three team entering the offseason but in order to keep that top three status, they needed to retain the services of Macio Teague and Jared Butler who entered their names in the NBA Draft. Teague, to no one’s surprised, returned last Thursday. Despite being a quality scorer for the Bears (13.9 points per game on 35.5% shooting) Teague was not really being considered by NBA scouts.

Butler on the other hand was another case that seemed 50/50. He had a monster sophomore season, propelling Baylor to a 26-4 record. Butler was named first-team All-Big 12 after averaging 16 points and 3.1 assists per game on 38% shooting from three. As a prospect, Butler really intrigues me. He’s got a fantastic handle and good vision for someone his size. He had a chance to go in the second round, but if he can lead the Bears on a deep tournament run his stock could get even higher.

Butler and Teague join fellow starters Mark Vital and Davion Mitchell, along with role players Tristan Clark, Matthew Mayer, and Flo Thamba to complete arguably the best team in the country. Certainly, it is Scott Drew’s best. The Big 12 will be the best it has been in years with Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Texas all expected to be ranked. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State boasts the No. 1 incoming player in the country.

Baylor has never won a Big 12 title. They were primed to last season before running into a nearly perfectly constructed team in Kansas. But this season, the Big 12 is Baylor’s to lose as they look to make a deep run led by Butler and Teague.