NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

The Bears were given fair odds at bringing home the national title ahead of a heavyweight battle against Gonzaga in March. However, Baylor’s demolishing of said squad truly highlighted the level this team was at last season. Head coach Scott Drew has elevated this program to a completely different level and turned them from Big 12 competitors into national title favorites during his tenure in Waco. In fact, last season was the first year Drew helped wrestle the Big 12 title away from Kansas since he took the job.

Guard play for the Bears was huge in producing that outcome and the triumvirate of Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, and MaCio Teague were incredibly vital to bringing those results to fruition. With all three players gone this offseason to the NBA, many would be quick to write off Baylor’s chances of hanging tough in both the Big-12 and national pictures. However, Coach Drew positioned himself well in the 2020 and 2021 off-season to combat these losses.

Signing 4-star guard LJ Cryer last off-season was a big addition for the Bears, not only because of Cryer’s talent but also because of the opportunity to learn under experienced stars like Butler and Mitchell. The “season of learning” under their guidance, as well as Drew’s, should pay big dividends for Baylor this season with such ample opportunities in the rotation. Cryer will be fighting to join experienced guard Adam Flagler in the starting lineup next season and establishing a strong 1-2 punch for the program.

However, Cryer’s primary competition is with the arrival of former Arizona and Georgetown guard James Akinjo to the program. Akinjo has proven himself to be a strong asset at every stop he’s found himself at. His only knock has been subpar shooting consistency, which is bound to be rectified with the best supporting cast he’s had in any college uniform. Akinjo is likely the favorite to take a starting spot alongside Flagler, but his arrival certainly provides a comforting depth to next year’s team.

Coach Drew also managed to sign a pair of top-40 prospects this summer. Former Montverde Academy Langston Love arrives in Waco with plenty of experience at the highest levels of prep basketball. He’ll likely find himself in the rotation next season, despite the plethora of guards to contend with, however, the crown jewel of this year’s recruiting class is Kendall Brown. The 5-star wing from Sunrise Christian brings immediate size and a physical frame to increase the dynamics and flexibility of this roster.

Brown will likely become a household name by the end of the 2021 season and he makes this year’s backcourt significantly bigger than the 2020 version. At 6’8”, he will consistently be mentioned in one-and-done conversations due to his combination of measurables and consistency scoring from all three levels on the court. With a hungry group assembled in Waco, this backcourt cannot collectively be counted out from leading the Bears to a conference title or better.