Thursday proved quite fruitful for Baylor Basketball as Rayj Dennis announced that he would transfer to the Bears for the upcoming season. A 6’2 point guard originally from Oswego, Illinois, Dennis originally played two seasons at Boise State before turning into quite a star these last two years at Toledo. He’ll take advantage of his bonus year from the pandemic and spend his final season of eligibility in the Big 12.
Dennis worked his way into the starting rotation early in his college career but wasn’t a vital scoring weapon for the Broncos. His offensive game has really come to fruition these last two seasons in the MAC with the Rockets. At Toledo, Dennis spent two seasons as the full-time guard and developed into one of the finer backcourt weapons at the mid-major level.
He took a big step forward as a junior in his first year in Toledo, but this past season blew that out of the water. For his senior season, Dennis averaged 19.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, leading the MAC in points and assists on the year. He was named MAC Player of the Year and was by far the best offensive weapon in the conference this past year. He had a career-high 12 points in a win against Oakland this past December and scored a career-high 32 points a few months later at Ball State.
Dennis was phenomenal these last two seasons in the MAC, but now joins a Big 12 lineup that really needed a boost in the backcourt. Last year, Baylor boasted one of the most complete and talented backcourts in the nation, but all three of those weapons are gone, with Keyonte George and Adam Flager in the NBA Draft and LJ Cryer transferring to Houston. Dennis now pairs nicely with 5-star freshman shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter.
A good week continues for Baylor, who received the news that Jalen Bridges was withdrawing from the NBA Draft process, and Scott Drew may just have himself a team that can win in the Big 12 again. This is a backcourt that also added Jayden Nunn from VCU and is hoping for a big sophomore jump from Langston Love. Throwing someone with experience and leadership like Dennis into the mix is a major win for all involved with the Bears on both sides of the ball.
Baylor isn’t going to be the favorites in the Big 12, especially with the talent in Kansas this year, but should still start the year as a Top 25 team. There’s plenty of talent all over the roster, including some young pieces in the frontcourt and the healthy return of Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua. Don’t count the Bears out to surprise some folks this upcoming season, and Dennis should be essential in running the show down in Waco.