The Baylor Bears are chasing their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, continuing one of the nation’s most consistent runs under head coach Scott Drew.
Drew’s Program Built on Consistency and Winning Culture
The last time Baylor missed the big dance was in 2017, a season that ended a previous four-year streak. That means the Bears are looking for their 11th tournament berth in the last 12 years, a remarkable stretch of stability for the program.
During this current streak, Baylor has won at least one NCAA Tournament game in all six appearances. While the program hasn’t advanced past the first weekend in four straight seasons, the Bears have collected 11 tournament victories since the streak began, highlighted, of course, by their unforgettable 2021 national championship run.
That 2021 team was one of the best in school history, rolling through Hartford, Wisconsin, Villanova, Arkansas, Houston, and Gonzaga to capture Baylor’s first NCAA title.
New Season, Familiar Expectations in Waco
Baylor is coming off a 20-15 campaign, marking its seventh straight 20-win season. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Bears opened with a win over Mississippi State before falling to top-seeded Duke in the second round of the East Region.
This season, the Bears are projected to finish seventh in a loaded Big 12. The league’s top tier, Houston, BYU, Texas Tech, and Arizona, looks formidable, but Baylor remains in the mix with other power programs like Iowa State, Kansas, and Cincinnati.
The Bears will begin their quest for a seventh straight tournament berth on November 3 at home against UTRGV. Washington visits Waco on November 8, followed by a strong non-conference slate that includes matchups in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas against Creighton and St. John’s, plus a date with Memphis.
Scott Drew’s teams have built a reputation for toughness, depth, and defensive intensity, traits that make them dangerous every March. The mission in Waco is clear: keep the tournament streak alive and prove once again that Baylor belongs among college basketball’s elite.