13. Baylor (2-1)
If we’re talking about making a first impression on the season, then Baylor did a really lousy job. Their entire performance on opening night was flat against Gonzaga in a 38-point defeat in Spokane, but one game alone cannot ruin a season. The Bears have legitimate talent to be a force in a deep Big 12 and proved it by beating Arkansas and bouncing back even further this week.
After two rigorous matchups in the opening week, the Bears were more at ease this week, welcoming Sam Houston State to town back on Tuesday night. Baylor sent the Bearkats packing with a 104-67 victory, featuring a sensational offensive performance. Seven different Bears scored in double figures, led by 18 points from Jayden Nunn. Both Norchad Omier and VJ Edgecombe had double-doubles in a win where Baylor shot nearly 59% from outside the arc.
Baylor can beat up on mid-majors all they want, but the sour taste from opening night is definitely going to linger. The performance against Gonzaga certainly isn’t indicative of what we can expect from these Bears this season and they’ll look to continue exorcizing those early demons. There’s only a couple more tricky games on the nonconference slate for Baylor, with the first coming against St. John’s in the Bahamas, giving them quite the opportunity to make a statement.