NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Duke, fall in latest top 25 power ranking

7. Baylor (8-0)

The names are different than in past years but Baylor just keeps winning games. They haven’t played the same level of schedule as some of the other top teams, especially at the NIT Season Tip-Off instead of a more prominent holiday tournament. That’s still no reason not to be excited about what the Bears have done already in the first month of the season, battling for close wins over Auburn and Florida.

This past week wasn’t a challenging one and it started with a 108-70 home win over Nicholls State. Langston Love led the team with 23 points off the bench as Baylor shot nearly 57% as a team and 61% from outside the arc. Both offense and defense were dominant on Saturday in a 91-40 drubbing of Northwestern State. All five starters played well, led by Jalen Bridges’ 16-point, 8-rebound effort in their eighth straight win.

Baylor has showed up on the court in all eight of their games and can’t count a loss yet. The bottom line is that new pieces like JaKobe Walter are fitting in nicely with coach Scott Drew’s system and there’s potential here for another great season in Waco. This upcoming week sees just one game on the docket with a home test against Seton Hall. Should the Bears handle the Pirates; and they will be heavy favorites, they can set their sights towards tougher tests against Michigan State and Duke.