Big 12 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2023-24 season

6. Baylor Bears

In a college basketball landscape that is ever-changing, Baylor’s squad next year may win the award for teams that make you say, “Who’s that?” Scott Drew’s bunch will undergo a total makeover after losing freshman sensation Keyonte George to the NBA and LJ Cryer to the transfer portal. Senior guard Adam Flagler could still come back, but the prevailing rumor is that he, too, will enter the draft.

That means that all three scorers of 15+ points per game would be gone from Waco, leaving an enormous hole for coach Scott Drew to fill. Why, then, do I have Baylor ranked sixth in the best conference in the land?

For one thing, Baylor’s incoming recruits are very exciting, with 6’5″ shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter ranked by many as the top incoming shooting guard in the country. Joining him is 6’4″ point guard Miro Little. UConn just showed everyone how important it is to have length and size, even in the backcourt, and this duo will allow Scott Drew’s team to get back to playing the kind of defense Baylor has traditionally been known for, especially after this past season’s team relied on an electric offense to overcome a subpar defense.

Rising senior Jalen Bridges was often Baylor’s steadiest player this past year, and he can now take on a larger offensive responsibility with George, Cryer, and Flagler likely gone. Many of those minutes will go to Langston Love, who impressed in his freshman year in limited minutes. As evidenced by the emergence of Flagler, Davion Mitchell, and Jared Butler over the course of their college careers, Scott Drew has a history of developing guards.

Baylor will experience a significant talent drain from this year, but next year’s team will still be athletic, and likely better defensively. If the freshmen can shoot anywhere near as well as advertised, Baylor could once again challenge for a spot at the top of the league.