NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 10 matchups for 2022 Big 12 vs SEC Challenge
By Andrew Tineo
3. Baylor at Alabama
Nate Oats vs. Scott Drew
Just three seasons ago, these two teams collided. It was a different storyline that day, as freshman Jared Butler was playing against the team that he planned on spending his collegiate career with. It was also the final season of Avery Johnson and a team, that had depth along the backcourt.
Both programs are off their best seasons in decades and are among the best matchups of the Big 12/SEC Challenge in 2022.
Baylor’s success in the Challenge has been well documented, going 7-1, with their lone loss coming in 2018 against Florida.
Alabama last season played their opponent at the wrong time a season ago, as they fell to Oklahoma, while the Sooners were defeating every top 25 team in their path.
The Crimson Tide landed some big-time off-season acquisitions, with Top 10 recruit JD Davidson, alongside former five-star Texas Tech guard, Nimari Burnett joining the program.
Baylor did some off-season work of their own, grabbing Arizona guard James Akinjo, who is expected to get his waiver granted, due to a coaching departure. Alongside Akinjo, the Bears brought in D-II standout Dale Bonner, alongside five-star forward Kendall Brown.
The Bears also got some big news in the return of forward Matthew Mayer for his senior season, who is expected to be in the starting rotation, after being a bench piece the previous three seasons.
The job Oats has done in Tuscaloosa has been nothing short of masterful. The last time Alabama made it past the first weekend was 2004, in the thick of the Mark Gottfried era.
Even more impressive has been the Scott Drew rebuild in Waco, as two of the youngest coaches in the Power Six collide, with a chance to make this contest, the best one of the 2022 challenge.