Baylor Basketball: 5 teams that can beat the Bears in 2020-21 season

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 16: Guards Mark Vital #11 and Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears high five during the first half of the college basketball game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena on January 16, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

6 of 6

NCAA March Madness (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

1. Someone in the NCAA Tournament

Although the NCAA Tournament is not a team, it’s the most likely place for Baylor to get their first and only loss.

The most elite teams over the past five years have struggled with finishing their season, raising a national championship. The most notable, coming from the 2018-2019 Duke Blue Devils. They were led by three consensus top 10 draft picks and could not make the Final Four.

The 2021 Final Four in Indianapolis:

Gonzaga
Baylor
_________
_________
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 4, 2021

I feel that. There’s Gonzaga and Baylor and then depending on the day a good dozen that can round out the Final Four.
— Patrick Schmidt (@PatrickASchmidt) February 5, 2021

The consensus around the country has been that Baylor and Gonzaga are virtual locks to make the Final Four. History has shown that some 1 seeds have struggled to make the final weekend of the entire season.

Since 2014, 41 percent of No. 1 seeds have made the final four, and seven have made the national championship game. Even with the dominance of Baylor and Gonzaga to good competition, it is March and anything can happen to either team.

Apart from the obvious Gonzaga, one team that can give the Bears some fits is Villanova. These two faced off last year and was among one of the best non-conference games last year. It was a game where the best players showed up, with Colin Gillespie scoring 27 points and Butler going for 22 in the contest.

Gillespie returns from last year’s team, alongside Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Villanova can score and has five people that are averaging double figures on the season. The Wildcats are an older team, with the majority of their starting lineup, being upperclassmen.

A team that can sneak up on the Bears is Houston. The Cougars haven’t played a gauntlet of a schedule, but took care of Texas Tech earlier in the year and have a 20 point win over South Carolina.

Former Kansas transfer Quentin Grimes has transformed into an All-Conference player for the Cougars. Although not an elite three-point shooter, he is a volume shooter, that at 6-5, can rebound the ball well. His free throw efficiency has climbed from 66 to 80 percent from last year.

dark. Next. Latest Big 12 power rankings

Other teams that can give the Bears some trouble include Michigan, Virginia, and USC.

Home/Baylor Bears