NCAA Basketball: Top 25 offseason winners entering 2024-25 season

No. 3 Baylor Bears: Scott Drew turns down Kentucky

As the dominoes began to fall in the coaching carousel, one of the biggest, most prestigious jobs in the country opened: the mighty Kentucky Wildcats. To no surprise, Baylor head coach Scott Drew was near the top of the list for AD Mitch Barnhart.

Drew, who pioneered a Baylor basketball program marred in sanctions and scandals to a national championship in 2021, is the face of college basketball’s most impressive rebuilding jobs in history. 

Despite the allure of leading the historic blue-blood program, Drew decided to pass on Kentucky, returning to a program he has built and sustained to national relevance over the past 21 years in Waco.

Waco, Texas is home for Scott Drew and his Baylor Bears are rolling. Why mess with happiness? They have a brand new, dazzling arena located alongside the Brazos River and its commitment to basketball, thanks to Drew, is evident. Altogether, Scott Drew has put himself in a superb position to continue to sustain success in the future.

This year’s group -- led by an elite backcourt in Jeremy Roach (Duke), Jayden Nunn and five-star G VJ Edgecombe -- has all the makings to be special and get back into the second weekend for the first time since its national championship team four years ago. And with Scott Drew deciding to stay put in Waco, the Bears have made themselves a big-time offseason winner as November approaches.