NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Houston lead in updated way-too-early top 25 ranking
By Joey Loose
10. Baylor
Just over a year removed from a national championship, Scott Drew is likely still riding that high, but he hasn’t wasted time building Baylor into a perennial contender. Last year’s Bears squad was one of the best in the nation but was knocked out early by North Carolina. After three straight years among the top teams in the country, it’s very possible this could be year number four with the talent in Waco right now.
James Akinjo and Matthew Mayer are both gone, but leading scorer Adam Flagler returns, hoping to add on his 13.8 points per game from last season. Fellow guard LJ Cryer returns from injury and might be Baylor’s best overall player. The Bears get a boost in the frontcourt from former West Virginia forward Jalen Bridges and 5-star freshman Keyontae George, who can play all over the court. The returns of Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchaoua provide much-needed experience and depth on a Baylor team that lost some talent but certainly offset much of that loss.
It’s a rotation without any real weaknesses, especially with those new transfers and freshmen shoring up the forward slots. It’ll be interesting to see if Thamba can take another step forward and how effective this offense can be with a full season of Cryer. If Baylor can avoid the injury bug this season, perhaps this could be another season that ends with happiness in April.