14. Baylor (22-9)
A lot has changed since Baylor cut down the nets and won the national title three years ago. The Big 12 has expanded, with Houston looking like an absolute juggernaut, beating the Bears in overtime just a few weeks ago. The Bears replaced their entire starting backcourt from last year’s squad, but Scott Drew found some gems in the offseason and has this team right in the thick of things yet again.
Monday night was a dramatic affair, with Baylor trailing big early, but the Bears rallied back to claim a 93-85 win over Texas. Jalen Bridges had 32 points and 9 rebounds in the Bears’ final home game while RayJ Dennis added 16 points and 8 assists. The regular season ended tough for Baylor, as they dropped Saturday’s game 78-68 at Texas Tech. JaKobe Walter scored 15 points but the Red Raiders outplayed them, ending a nice three-game winning streak.
Winning at Texas Tech would’ve been nice, but there’s no denying that the Bears have been playing inspired basketball down the stretch. Their metrics are fantastic on the offensive side and they’ve hung around in nearly every game they’ve played this season. Baylor and this new look backcourt will be a tough out both in the Big 12 Tournament and in March Madness beyond that.