NCAA Basketball: Updated WTE 2022-23 power rankings after transfer deadline

5. Baylor Bears

2021-22 record: 27-7 (14-4 in Big 12)

It’s going to take a while before figuring out which players actually end up on this roster, as a number of key players are entering the NBA Draft process. Based on intel, it’s unlikely that starters, James Akinjo and Matthew Mayer will be back. Same with freshmen Jeremy Sochan and Kendall Brown, who each have a good chance at getting a first-round grade.

Two others in the process are guards LJ Cryer and Adam Flager, the team’s two top leading scorers. As long as both of them come back, Baylor’s backcourt will remain just as imposing as the past couple of years. That’ll be especially true if five-star incoming freshman Keyonte George has a big impact early on next season.

The center position will be solid with Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua coming back but there was a lack of true power forwards on the roster until the past week. The Bears were able to land West Virginia transfer Jalen Bridges and BYU transfer Caleb Lohner, both of whom are highly athletic and can play both the 3 and 4 positions on the court.

The NBA Draft process still has to work out favorably but if things do go right, Baylor will have a top-10 caliber roster with Final Four aspirations. And if Cryer comes back as a national lead guard and takes over, as he did in the middle of last season, then this could end up being the team to beat in 2023.