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Baylor Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Bears

By Dave Ackert

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 11: Mark Vital #11 and Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears congratulate MaCio Teague #31 after a basket during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on January 11, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 11: Mark Vital #11 and Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears congratulate MaCio Teague #31 after a basket during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on January 11, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Baylor Basketball Jared Butle  (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Projected starting lineup

Baylor is one of few teams this year that will be returning 4/5 of its starters from 2019-20.

A team that had so much success last year, setting itself up to be a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is also returning some of the most talent in the country. That usually bodes well for teams in college and correlates with success. Hence, why they are unarguably a Top 3 team in the country according to preseason polls.

The first guard or player that usually comes to mind is Jared Butler, as he led the team in scoring last season. He was a unanimous All-Big 12 player last year and is on the Watch List for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.

MaCio Teague was the second-leading scorer for the Bears and had no problem taking the leading crown when Butler was off the court. This trend will likely continue as both are set to start this year. The third point guard and why Baylor was so well known for its guard play is Davion Mitchell. He was a semi-finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award and also led the team in assists.

Mark Vital will likely again start for the Bears as he is one of the favorites to be the best defensive player in the entire country. His hustle and grit is like no other. He was the first questionable player to announce he would be returning to Baylor for another season and is all-in on bringing both a Big 12 Title and a National Championship to Waco.

The only position where the Bears are losing a starter is replacing Freddie Gillespie, who was Tristan Clark’s replacement. There has been no official word on who will be the 5th starter for the Bears squad but I believe it will be 6’9” Mathew Mayer. This kid isn’t afraid of anything! He would come off the bench and go on 6-8 point scoring sprees for Baylor by himself. He is an offensive weapon that could really help the defensively dominant team.

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