Who are the best Baylor Basketball players since 2000?
Baylor Basketball is certainly a program that is in rare company right now, as they have been one of the most consistent programs in College Basketball over the past 12 seasons. The Bears have won 18 or more games in every season since 2008. The only Power 5 teams that can also say that are Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Kansas.
The peak years of Baylor Basketball have been 2016-2017 and 2019-2020 when both teams were featured at the #1 spot in the country during the season. 2016-2017’s team was headlined by a guard and forward dominant duo of Manu Lecomte and Johnathon Motley. That team reached the Sweet 16. Last year’s team may have been its best, with amazing guard play and stifling defense.
It hasn’t always been this way, however, as the Bears started the 21st century as the laughing stock of the Big 12 and made news headlines off the court as well. The first few years for the Bears were headed by Dave Bliss as he was fired in 2003 for covering up the killing of a team member, by one of his own teammates.
Current head coach Scott Drew would be hired and have the ultimate task of building an entirely brand new roster and had their growing pains through the first three seasons. With Drew going 8-40 in his first three seasons of Big 12 conference play, there was doubt that Drew could do it. Since the Bears’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008, the Bears have had six seasons with 25+ wins.
The Bears have had some of their best players come through and the Top 5 have something in common. They’re all guys that have developed and become First Team All-Big 12 through multiple years at Baylor.
There were too many notable players, that there will be some that missed the initial cut. Here are the Top 20 players from Baylor since 2000. This list has a combination of team success, individual success, and overall athleticism.
Barely missed the cut: Mark Vital PF, Makai Mason PG, Aaron Bruce PG, Jo Lual-Acuil C, Lester Medford PG, Terry Black SF, Davion Mitchell PG.