NCAA Basketball: Buy or Sell Arizona, Baylor, and Houston as 2024 national title contenders?

Baylor Bears

The way the NCAA Basketball schedule worked out to open the season, Baylor vs Auburn was the true premier matchup we all watched. In a close battle, the Bears won, 88-82. Freshman Ja'Kobe Walter had 28 pts to get on the national stage. He's remained one of the best true freshmen in the sport ever since.

Other players have stepped up for the Bears since. Five others to be exact, as the team currently has a whopping six players averaging in double figures. That includes Toledo transfer Rayj Dennis, who is producing 14.2 ppg and 6.6 apg. VCU transfer Jayden Nunn has given them a two-way impact, while Jalen Bridges and freshman Yves Missi have provided the needed balance on both ends.

To this point, Baylor's resume consists of wins over Auburn, Florida, and Seton Hall. They averaged over 80 ppg scored in those games so expect the offense to not take a dip by the time they enter Big 12 play.

We'd get a more clear picture of this team in the next 10 days, as Baylor takes on both Duke and Michigan State coming up. But right now, I'm confident that national champion head coach Scott Drew has another roster capable of making a deep run in March. If Walter keeps up his scoring, there's no reason why they can't compete against anyone.

Buy