The Baylor Bears entered March without much fanfare, despite entering the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed. Yet when Georgia State shocked Scott Drew’s team, the world took notice.
Drew and company look to come back stronger next season, despite some uncertainties in the backcourt due to the losses of Kenny Cherry and Royce O’Neale.
Key Losses: Kenny Cherry (graduation), Royce O’Neale (graduation)
Possible Losses: No announcements made
Key Returners: Taurean Prince, Rico Gathers
Key Newcomers: Wendell Mitchell (three-star, shooting guard), Joseph Acuil (three-star, center), King McClure (four-star, shooting guard), Manu Lecomte (transfer, sit-out)
Breakdown: Losing Cherry and O’Neale to graduation made nabbing impact players for the perimeter a vital part of Scott Drew’s offseason. Well, he accomplished just that. Mitchell and McClure had offers from many of the top regional, and national programs in college basketball, with McClure picking the Bears over the likes of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and others. Still, even the most highly-ranked freshmen take time to acclimate to college basketball, and that’s why the development of Lester Medford and Al Freeman will be so important for Drew. In the frontcourt, Baylor looks to be set up quite nicely, per usual. Johnathon Motley looks to build on an impressive freshman season alongside program staples, Prince and Gathers. Prince is one of the best two-way forwards in the Big 12, and Gathers has a shot to lead the country in rebounds per game, after finishing fourth with 11.6 per game last season. As is always the case with Baylor, the question will be whether or not they can compete at the level of their immense talent, because 11-7 in the Big 12 (no matter how tough the schedule is) will not continue to pass off as a successful season in Waco, especially when it comes with a one-and-done appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
