NCAA Basketball: Houston rises, Duke, Arizona, UConn and Baylor fall in latest top-25 power rankings

18. Baylor Bears - 19-8 (8-6 Big 12)

It’s hard to see a tougher two-game stretch of any team in NCAA Basketball than Baylor, who started out playing in one of the toughest environments, on the road at BYU. It was a close game throughout but the 3-point barrage by the Cougars proved to be too much, giving Baylor a 78-71 defeat. Jalen Bridges led the way with 15 points, while Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi each chipped in with 13. 

The next game was at home against Houston, a team not only in first place in the Big 12 standings but also in position to rise to first place with in win thanks to UConn and Purdue recently losing games. They were on their way, up by nearly 20 points midway through the first half.

However, the Bears made their run in the second half to come back and tie it to force overtime. Yet despite the efforts, Baylor took its second loss of the week, losing 82-76 to the top team. Walker shined against the elite defense, leading all scorers with 23 points, while Rayj Dennis finished with 21 points and five assists. Bridges went for 17 points and 13 rebounds as well.

Baylor did slide in the polls a bit but remains a threat, both in the Big and in NCAA Basketball as a team that can make a run. They’ll try to bounce back this upcoming week but will have two more tough games, taking on TCU on the road, followed by a home battle with Virginia Tech.