The Baylor Bears had a rollercoaster ride last season, and it was generally a good one. At first, the Bears dramatically overachieved, gaining the No. 1 ranking and offering a brief suggestion that they could be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Then they came back down to earth and played the inconsistent but still forceful basketball a lot of people expected. They fell behind the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 along with every other team in the conference, and it appeared for a time that they would slide toward a fifth seed in March Madness. However, they regrouped and played well in the final few weeks of the season to get a number three seed. They advanced to the Sweet 16, and while they lost to South Carolina in a regional semifinal, the ultimate result of the season is something few Baylor fans could have complained about. Never as good as the best parts of the season, but never as bad as the worst games the team played, Baylor did better than most analysts thought. Scott Drew continues to get the most out of this program.
Offseason Changes
Jonathan Motley and Ishmail Wainright are gone – these long, muscular, powerful players with explosive athleticism and an excellent work ethic made Baylor a tough defensive team and a generally bothersome team to play. Motley and Wainright did not get outworked for rebounds underneath the basket or loose balls near the perimeter, with Motley focusing on the paint and Wainright being more of a perimeter player. Baylor hounded opposing teams all season and was therefore able to endure many of the scoring droughts it went through on offense. The Bears’ defense was a constant, the team’s anchor. Motley and Wainright weren’t the smoothest and most polished offensive players on the floor, but they were always there on defense, and that’s a big reason why Baylor was so good.
Will Succeed If…
The core three of Manu Lecomte, King McClure and Jo-Lual Acuil all play up to expectations. The Bears got so much out of Motley last season, so in his absence, they are not a complete team, but if Lecomte, the point guard, McClure – an agile scorer – and Acuil, the low-post operator and defender, can all do their part, this will be an NCAA Tournament team without question. If one slips, things could get dicey. If two of these three fail to hold their end of the bargain, the team will be in big NCAA Tournament trouble. As long as everyone stays the course, though, Baylor will play in March Madness.
Won’t Succeed If…
The bench and role players, especially in the frontcourt, can’t make hustle plays or carry the defensive workload. A lot of Baylor’s success last season did not come from dazzling offense or great shotmaking. The Bears were simply tougher and more rugged than most of the teams they played. They were able to shut down offenses for long periods of time. This helped them to make big comebacks in the first part of the season against non-conference opponents. If that same tenacious style of defense is in evidence this season, with the glue guys helping the stars and contributing to the cause, the Bears should get where they want to go. If not, this team could wear out in late January or early February and struggle to regain its confidence.
Roster
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.
Jake Lindsey
Mario Kegler
Tyson Jolly
Mark Vital
Leonard Allen
Manu Lecomte
Nuni Omot
King McClure
Tristan Clark
Jonathan Davis
Terry Maston
Freddie Gillespie
Outlook
The Bears will have a couple of important early-season tests, including a neutral-site affair with Wisconsin on November 20th and a road trip to Xaver on November 28th. Other than that, they should be undefeated through their non-conference schedule.
The Bears have become more solidified and stable as a program as time goes on. The Bears used to be more volatile, but now they expect to make the NCAA Tournament every year. Lecomte, McClure and Acuil should be enough to carry this team into March Madness. The middle of the league is where this team is likely to finish.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
