The national championship won by the Bears back in 2021 was a sensational victory for Baylor athletics as a whole, especially as Scott Drew brought this program back from the dead over the course of those last two decades. Unfortunately, Baylor hasn’t quite been able to build on that success, with four straight quick exists in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
This past season took that struggle a step further, as the Bears tied for 13th place in the Big 12 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Their 17-17 record was the worst under Drew’s leadership since the program was still dealing with sanction almost twenty years ago. A brand new lineup built in the offseason just didn’t live up to expectations and couldn’t cut it in the Big 12 last season.
Turnover happens in Waco
Perhaps unsurprisingly in this day and age, a lot of those pieces won’t be back this season for the Bears. Cameron Carr is onto bigger things in the NBA while other players like Obi Agbim, Michael Rataj, and Dan Skillings have all left town as well. Fortunately, this isn’t as graphic of a roster turnover, as the Bears actually have half a dozen returning pieces even if just a couple saw meaningful time on the court last year.
The program hasn’t been trending in the best direction over recent years, but Drew and his staff are confident that some of these recent moves have resulted in a roster that can again contend at the national level. We can’t begin answering some of those questions until the games start getting played, but we’ll at least peek at those new pieces and see just why there’s renewed confidence in Waco.
Projected Starters
Guard – Kayden Mingo (Sophomore)
Baylor’s top transfer addition comes in Mingo, a former Top 40 prospect who showed great strides as the starting point guard at Penn State last season. His freshman year saw him put up 13.7 points, 4.3 assists, and a Big Ten-best 2.1 steals a game. The New York native looks like the real deal running the point and will have a familiar face alongside him in this new-look backcourt.
Guard – Dylan Mingo (Freshman)
A five-star prospect and one of the most prominent recruits to ever land at Baylor, Mingo is a talented combo guard who joins his brother as an impact piece for the Bears. He’s got great size and can still be reliable at both backcourt positions. Much like his brother he’s a great defender as well and gives the Bears quite the potential on both sides of the ball.
Guard – Brett Decker Jr. (Junior)
Adding an elite shooter into the mix is never a bad thing and that’s exactly what Decker brings to the Bears for this upcoming season. He spent a pair of seasons with Liberty and really exploded onto the scene last season, averaging 16.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while making 47% of his 3-pointers. He earned First Team All-CUSA honors and was one of the most reliable 3-point shooters in the nation.
Forward – Isaac Celiscar (Junior)
Another intriguing mid-major transfer addition, Celiscar spent the last two seasons at Yale and will now hope to have a similar impact with the Bears in the Big 12. His sophomore season saw him become a starting forward and average 13.2 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs. With limited chances, he was also very solid outside the arc and provides versatility in the frontcourt.
Center – Juslin Bodo Bodo (Senior)
An arm injury cost Bodo Bodo all of last season, meaning we’ll finally see his Baylor debut here in the upcoming weeks. The 7-footer from Cameroon was an important piece of the puzzle during some great seasons at High Point. His numbers took a step back as a sophomore, but it’s hard to ignore a freshman campaign where he averaged 7.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks a game; even if that was three seasons ago now.
Key Reserves
Forward – Elijah Williams (Freshman)
Williams is a 4-star recruit from Scottsdale, Arizona and another important piece of this incoming freshmen class. The son of former NBA player and coach Monty Williams, he’s got a great basketball IQ alongside great size and playmaking ability. We’ll see just what role Williams carves out as a freshman, but he’s got all the potential to be a rotation piece here sometime very soon.
Guard/Forward – Andre Iguodala II (Sophomore)
Another son of a prominent NBA player, Iguodala enters year two with the Bears hoping to finally make an impact for this program. He was with Baylor last season but didn’t play at all. The former 3-star recruit didn’t exactly jump off the page at the high school level but he’s a versatile athlete who definitely has a chance to play meaningful minutes at the wing, especially if he can develop into a more reliable scorer.
Guard – Isaac Williams IV (Junior)
We certainly haven’t forgotten about Williams, who is the top returning scorer from last season’s team. He transferred last year after spending his freshman year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and didn’t disappoint, putting up 10.4 points and 3.3 assists in his first season in Waco. The Mingo brothers certainly grab the attention in the backcourt but you’ll still see plenty of run out of Williams, especially if his shooting numbers hold up.
Forward – Evan Chatman (Senior)
After solid work at the JUCO level, Chatman spent last season at UAB before committing to the Bears during the offseason. With the Blazers he averaged 8.8 points and 8.8 rebounds and was a reliable starter in UAB’s frontcourt. Chatman likely won’t match that level of production but becomes a major bench piece who just might get starting minutes as the season progresses.
Forward – Maikcol Perez (Sophomore)
Last season might have looked a bit different had Perez not missed the entire year with an injury, but the Italian forward is finally ready to leave it all on the court. He’s not just a strong athlete; Perez can do the little things around the rim and also has great playmaking ability. His international experience was extensive, though we’ll see how this all translates onto the collegiate court, especially after missing last year.
Center – Caden Powell (Senior)
Powell is another notable returning talent for the Bears, though he comes with a slight caveat. He did solid work at Wyoming and Rice before joining Baylor last year, putting up 6.9 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. The Waco native has been involved in one of the lawsuits and seems eligible, but that could always change in the coming weeks. Having his veteran experience would certainly be a win for a frontcourt with a few question marks.
Center – Mayo Soyoye (Sophomore)
Yet another intriguing piece that we didn’t see last season, Soyoye is a 6-10 big man originally from Nigeria. He did great things at the high school level in New Jersey before redshirting last season with the Bears. It’ll be interesting to see just what he provides on the court, but he projects as a hardworking frontcourt weapon that can rebound, defend, and make little plays for the Bears.
Schedule Outlook
Three early home games give Drew and company a chance to figure out their rotations before a September 15th matchup with Texas as part of the San Antonio Hoops Showdown. One more relatively easy home game awaits before the Bears head to Vegas for an important tournament event.
They’ll spend the holiday week playing in the Players Era Sixteen, facing Alabama, then Gonzaga or Kansas State, and at least a third opponent during their time at that event. It’s a major opportunity for the Bears to prove that last year was a fluke and to see how this new-look rotation compares to other national contenders.
That event is what really jumps out in the nonconference schedule, but Baylor does have a couple more notable games in December. They’ll be hosting Memphis on December 5th and play a road game at Washington two weeks later before Big 12 play begins later that month. It’s also important to note that a rare nonconference matchup comes in Indianapolis against Louisville on January 23rd.
Life in the Big 12 is never easy and this schedule proves that. The Bears get two looks at Colorado, Kansas, and UCF but their only contests with Arizona, BYU, and Texas Tech come on the road. There’s a relatively easier stretch in early February, but the regular season ends with that trip to the Arizona schools before Senior Night against the Jayhawks on March 6th.
Season Outlook
The availability of Powell remains a big question mark in the weeks to come, but with or without him it’s easy to get excited about the new talent in Waco. The Mingo brothers are a very welcomed addition but are far from the only good news of the offseason. Throw in the expansion of the NCAA Tournament and it’s easy to see the Bears getting back into the field right?
Both Mingo’s can play meaningful minutes at the point, while Williams can’t exactly be forgotten either. Throw in Decker’s sharpshooting potential and there truly is a lot to be excited about in this backcourt, but these players alone won’t get the job done for the Bears.
A lot will rest on how some of these returning pieces look when finally on the court. Bodo Bodo was outstanding two years ago at High Point but how does he fare in the Big 12 especially coming back from a major injury? Do those other pieces like Iguodala, Perez, and Soyoye play major roles this season?
There’s truly a lot for this coaching staff to figure out in the weeks ahead and even after the games begin. With Powell in the lineup, there’s security and experience in that frontcourt to go alongside the scoring potential from the guards. Without him, Baylor is leaning very heavily on new and inexperienced pieces. If everything comes together, this team could finally make another meaningful NCAA Tournament run. If it doesn’t, could this season be just as disappointing as their last?
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