Months after claiming their first-ever NCAA National Championship behind one of the greatest teams in collegiate basketball history, Baylor Basketball will look to become just the eighth program to repeat as title winners – all the while adopting a new identity on the frontline.
The Bears – resurrected from the basketball purgatory that plagued their program since the early 2000s – topped the college landscape last season behind a dominant 28-2 overall record, their lone losses coming on the road to Kansas – just days after coming off a near-month-long COVID-19 pause – and to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament.
Baylor’s loss to the Cowboys kickstarted one of the most dominant March Madness showings in recent history, with Baylor coasting to five double-digit wins – out of six games – with an average margin of victory of 15.3 points, which included a 16-point thrashing of then-undefeated Gonzaga in the National Championship.
SWAT. SPLASH.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 6, 2021
Baylor opens back up a COMMANDING lead. pic.twitter.com/1F6NSXdxX1
The key cogs of Scott Drew‘s ascension to the summit have since departed, however – Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, and Davion Mitchell all opted for professional waters in the NBA, whereas glue guy Mark Vital, after a short stint in the NBA Summer League, has found himself with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. With Flo Thamba as the lone remaining leftover starter, Baylor’s future will be reliably carried by those who supplied significant time off the bench during the Bears’ commanding 2020-21 season.
Adam Flagler and Matthew Mayer – both of whom ranked fourth and fifth on the team in scoring at 9.1 points and 8.1 points, respectively – should be expected to carry much of the offensive load outside, whereas Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua should be expected to contribute near double-double performances every night.
In addition, Arizona transfer James Akinjo – who made double-digit contributions at both Georgetown and Arizona – and five-star recruit Kendall Brown will both be counted upon to support Baylor’s repeat bid.
Projections for the Bears are not nearly as high as last season’s team, which makes sense, considering Baylor remained in the top three for the entirety of the year – but most national outlets maintain that Baylor will float around the top ten, including our own preseason top 25 that slotted Drew’s crew at ninth.
With the Big 12 expected to own two of the most dominant teams in the country in Kansas and Texas, the Bears will have their work cut out for them in order to remain within the upper echelons of the league.