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5. Baylor Bears – 21-8 (10-6 Big 12)

After a four-game win streak, Baylor found some difficulties in the state of Kansas. After losing to the Jayhawks last weekend, the Bears then went to Kansas State, where they suffered the same fate. The final score was 75-65 against Baylor, despite 23 points from Keyonte George. LJ Cryer had 16 points and six assists, while Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua had 11 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

The good news for the Bears was that they were heading home on the weekend. But the bad news was that they were taking on another top team in Texas. Not only was there Big 12 positioning on the line but both of these teams were 2 seeds in the prior bracket reveal and if the conference were to get another bid for the 1 seed, it would come from one of these two teams.

It was a game that started slow but heated up in the second half between both sides in an entertaining game. But Baylor was able to halt the recent skid, getting the 81-72 victory. What makes it more impressive is that they did it without George, who suffered an ankle injury early on and didn’t return. Jalen Bridges led the team with 17 points, Flo Thamba had a double-double but guards Dale Bonner and Langston Love combined for 24 points off the bench to make the difference.

The schedule gets a little easier for the Bears in the final week, taking on Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Of course, the storyline to watch is the health of George and how long he’s potentially out for.