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NCAA Basketball: Updated 2020-21 power rankings after NBA Draft deadline

By Tristan Freeman

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks the sidelines in the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 05, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks the sidelines in the game against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 05, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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MANHATTAN, KS – FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Scott Drew of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Scott Drew of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

. Bears . 1. team. 460. .

After a historically good campaign, Baylor Basketball had to wait months to find out whether or not its two best returning players will be coming back next season. Jared Butler and MaCio Teague were both All-Big 12 players and could argue that their NBA Draft stocks are at the highest it’ll be after such big seasons.

But their return has cemented the Bears as a consensus top-3 team and favorite to win the Big 12 next season. Along with rising junior guard Davion Mitchell, Baylor can argue that it has the best starting backcourt in the entire country. It may not have future first-round draft picks such as Duke and Kentucky or spectacular numbers night in and night out but few teams possess the kind of consistent shooting and defense Butler, Teague, and Mitchell can do. Add to the trio sit-out transfer Adam Flager and top-100 freshman point guard LJ Cryer and you have a quality backcourt filled with talent and experience.

The only questions that can be asked lies withing the frontcourt, dealing with the absence of leading rebounder and stout defender Freddie Gillespie. Replacing him won’t be easy but having senior forwards Tristan Clark and Mark Vital will help. Clark averaged 14.6 ppg as a sophomore before getting hurt and took a major step back this past season as Gillespie broke out. If he can get anywhere near his sophomore form, Baylor won’t be concerned about frontcourt production. UNLV transfer Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and four-star freshman center Dain Dainja also provide depth as well.

From my point of view, Baylor gets the slightest edge over both Gonzaga and Villanova lies with not only having the advantage of bringing back it’s leading scorer and star player, but the fact that their defense will once again be top-notch. The Bulldogs and Wildcats did have some defensive issues which cost them a bit a year ago, while the Bears were one of the best last season.

Next. Biggest pending waiver decisions. dark

Defense wins championships more than offense and there just aren’t as many questions for this program and the lineups they’ll be presenting. If I had to take a bet amongst the three teams, Baylor is the safest bet to go with for now.

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