Scott Drew achieved one of college basketball’s greatest comeback stories by taking a broken Baylor program and turning the Bears into national contenders. Beyond that, all dreams came true when the Bears cut down the nets as national champions back in 2021, a marvelous statement on the job that Drew has done in Waco. However, it’s now been four years since that title and Baylor hasn’t come close to matching that success.
Last year saw Baylor barely scratch 20 wins and finish just tied for 7th in the Big 12 standings, the program’s lowest finish in over a decade. While the Bears were in the NCAA Tournament again, it was the fourth year in a row that the program was knocked out in the second round, failing to even reach the Sweet Sixteen since that title run.
The atmosphere in college basketball has greatly changed even in the last four years and this Baylor program is certainly an example of that. Despite those shortcomings, this was a very talented bunch last season, with notable performances from V. J. Edgecombe, Norchad Omier, Robert Wright, and others. However, nobody is back, with Baylor losing everyone to graduation, transfer, and other methods, meaning Drew and his staff had quite the assignment this offseason.
Baylor has high hopes and looks to continue to be a contender in the Big 12 but this team is clearly very different than recent units. We’ll run through all of the important new names in the rotation and look a bit at what Drew has added to the program. After a quick peek at the schedule, we’ll make a few conclusions and try to figure out if this new-look team can be a contender in one of the nation’s best basketball leagues.
Projected Starters
Guard – JJ White (Senior)
White comes to Waco after being a major part of the breakthrough success at Omaha, having spent three years leading the Mavericks’ offense. He put up 13.7 points and 4.0 assists per game as the best point guard in the Summit League and helped lead Omaha to the Big Dance. White is a solid facilitator who can make shots and brings something defensively as well and now steps into a major role running the show for the Bears.
Guard – Obi Agbim (Senior)
Following success at the JUCO level, Agbim spent his junior year at Wyoming and showcased his potential in a major way. He averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for the Cowboys in a major role while also leading the Mountain West in 3-point shooting, knocking down nearly 44% of those shots. That sharpshooting ability is a major asset for the Bears, who will certainly ask the Colorado native to be a facilitator as well.
Guard – Tounde Yessoufou (Freshman)
A 6-5 wing originally from Benin, Yessoufou is a 5-star prospect and certainly the most intriguing piece of this recruiting class. He’s known for his physicality and shot making ability, showcasing excellence inside the arc. He’s got a great mid-range approach, solid athleticism, and should grow into a major role in this Baylor attack, perhaps even becoming a high-level defender.
Guard – Michael Rataj (Senior)
Year three for Rataj became the breakthrough as he did brilliant work during his time out at Oregon State. The transfer forward averaged 16.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in a major role for the Beavers during a 20-win campaign. He earned First Team All-WCC honors as one of that league’s best scorers and rebounders and comes to Baylor looking to continue that breakthrough success.
Center – Juslin Bodo Bodo (Junior)
We’ve seen impressive strides from Bodo Bodo in his first two collegiate seasons at High Point and now he hopes to be a menace in the paint for the Bears. He was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons and just put up 5.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game for the Panthers. He’s an excellent rebounder with a solid feel for the game around the basket, though we’ll see how he deals with Big 12 offenses now as an upperclassman.
Key Reserves
Guard – Dan Skillings Jr. (Senior)
Skillings is a former Top 100 prospect who chose Cincinnati and played three years with the Bearcats. He put up his best numbers as a sophomore but was still important with 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this past season. The numbers don’t jump off the page but Skillings is a veteran talent who becomes an important piece of this backcourt rotation, though his shooting numbers leave something to be desired.
Guard/Forward – Andre Iguodala II (Freshman)
Hoping to live up to his father’s impressive basketball career, Iguodala is a 6’7 wing out of Missouri who is another piece to watch for the Bears in the near future. There’s still room for physical growth, but he’s been a prospect on the rise and could grow into a role as a lights out shooter.
Guard – Isaac Williams IV (Sophomore)
We only saw Williams play 19 games for Texas A&M Corpus Christi last season, but he showed signs of brilliance and should be the backup point guard for the Bears this season. He averaged 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Islanders last season and is hoping to take the next step in his second collegiate season, especially after some weak shooting numbers outside the arc.
Guard – Cameron Carr (Sophomore)
A second chance comes for Carr after deciding to depart from Tennessee last season. The former Top 60 recruit played in just four games, putting up 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds a game, before an injury and then his own decision to leave the Volunteers. He projects as a skilled athlete with a great jumper and scoring ability, though we’ll have to see what kind of role he can carve out on the court for the Bears.
Center – Caden Powell (Senior)
Another important addition to the frontcourt, Powell comes to town after decent work with Wyoming and Rice in recent years. His lone season with the Owls saw him average 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds as the starting big man, making 56% of his field goal attempts and becoming a solid rebounder. Powell projects as a great player on the offensive boards and has decent shot blocking ability and is an important veteran piece for this bench.
Schedule Outlook
The regular season begins with three straight home games, notably taking on Washington on November 9th, though Baylor could have a 3-0 start before heading to Las Vegas. That trip comes as part of the Players Era Festival, with the Bears getting some high-level matchups against Creighton, St. John’s, and a third team during the week of Thanksgiving.
Outside of that even there really isn’t a ton going on in Baylor’s nonconference schedule, giving this new team plenty of time to gel. There’s a tough trip to Memphis on December 6th, but every other game in that month is at home against a weaker foe. The most notable of the bunch is either Sacramento State or Southern before jumping into Big 12 play in January.
There are no easy nights in conference play but the Bears do truly jump in, heading to TCU before early matchups with Houston and Iowa State. Their only game against Kansas is on the road, but they do get to host strong Arizona and BYU teams in February. In the middle of the chaos of Big 12 play, the Bears have a matchup in Fort Worth against Louisville on Valentine’s Day before the final weeks of the regular season. They host Utah to finish that off on March 7th.
Season Outlook
Baylor has a brand new feel on this roster and it’s an unavoidable consequence of the current state of college basketball. The Bears built last year’s success on a few valuable transfers and highly-ranked freshmen and are hoping to get back into the Big 12 race largely on the back of a packed transfer class. It’ll certainly be very important how this group of new players gels together.
There’s no telling who stands out this season but Rataj looks like the player who can be very dependable for Drew and this team. He really showed out at Oregon State against some strong opposition and will be expected to carry things for the Bears this season. He’s far from the only new talent in the frontcourt, but he’s certainly someone who’s experience and leadership will be needed for success in 2026. This team isn’t leaning on freshmen as much as last season, but Yessoufou should still be a major weapon for the Bears.
Something apparent on this roster is talent that stood out at the mid-major level, leaving questions on how they’ll handle that transition to the Big 12. White was more than serviceable leading a historic season for Omaha, but can he play at a high level when the opposition is Houston and Kansas instead of Denver and Oral Roberts? The same could be said of Williams, who did good work in the Southland and now hopes to be a major playmaker in this backcourt.
Along the same lines, the frontcourt could be leaning heavily on Bodo Bodo, a great defensive presence who wasn’t exactly known for his scoring while at High Point. He pairs with Powell and Rataj as the major pieces in this new-look frontcourt that might not be as much of a strength for this team. The Bears will really need someone like Agbim or White to pick up the scoring since they don’t have as dominant a two-way player as Omier or Wright from last season.
On paper, Baylor has certainly taken a step back with all the new pieces on this roster. However, there’s no telling how these new players will come together and there actually is a lot of raw potential here. It’s hard to call this team a contender at the top of the Big 12 but they certainly have the ability to get back to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh straight trip. Will it be Agbim, Rataj, or someone else turning into a star this season in Waco?