On November 10, 2016, the eve of college basketball held an excitement so thick you could cut it with a knife. The next evening, a new season would start and slates would be wiped clean. Hype was at an all-time high, and rightly so - the most recent college basketball game played had resulted in one of the greatest endings to a national championship the sport had ever seen. After seven months of waiting, the craving was satisfied with two top-15 matchups on opening night in the Armed Forces Classic. Yet, not every team entered the new season with a joyous demeanor.
Baylor basketball finished the 2016 NCAA Tournament with a gut-wrenching loss to 12th seeded Yale in the opening round. That game wasn't the only thing the Bears lost that day, as three starters exhausted their eligibility and graduated. One went on to become a first round draft pick, while another ended up getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. All three held a major role in their senior season, and the voids left behind brought up questions. Consequently, Scott Drew's squad took the court on November 11 vs Oral Roberts with no ranking next to their name - not even a single vote.
22 days later, thousands of fans poured into the Ferrell Center to witness 9th ranked Baylor beat #7 Xavier.
The narrative was the same as the other games this season: Bears find themselves down at the half to a good team, then dominate the last 20 minutes. In the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Scott Drew's team displayed great resolve, coming back from first half deficits of 8, 6, and 22. The rally vs Louisville in the tournament championship was especially noteworthy, as Baylor outscored the nation's top-ranked defense by 18 in the second half en route to their third top-25 win of the early season.
The Bears kept up their momentum on December 3, outscoring the 7th ranked Musketeers by 18 in the second half on their way to a 76-61 win in Waco. The atmosphere was electric, as the Ferrell Center drew a near-capacity crowd for the first time in years. Over 1,500 students were turned away at the doors after waiting 15 minutes into the game because the student section was overflowing into other sections. Xavier's fanbase, as usual, traveled well - a good 350 or so made the trip down to central Texas. Even Musketeers fanatic Bill Murray was in attendance, taking in one of the better matchups of the college basketball season.
The first half was a back and forth affair, with Xavier stretching their lead to 9 before heading to the locker room up 34-31. The Bears and Musketeers fought evenly through the first 9 minutes of the second half, with Edmond Sumner hitting a three to put the visiting team up 51-50 with 11:15 to play. Unfortunately for Sumner and Co., Baylor did what they have done all this season and kicked it into another gear. A 21-2 run put Baylor way out in front, and they never looked back.
In the next AP Poll, Scott Drew's boys moved up to 4th with six first-place votes. Baylor is in the midst of a remarkable run, and it brings up the question as to how experts never saw this coming. In the current RPI rankings, it is the Bears who boast the top spot. They have wins over four top 25 teams, including three in the top 10. If it's any indication, Drew's coaching and Baylor's depth have been the catalysts during their current 8-0 start to the season. Scott Drew has garnered a lot of hate in the past for his "inability to coach" in big games. Admittedly, he has had a lot of talent and at times failed to get out of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament (2015, 2016). Yet, Drew has brought Baylor to a Sweet Sixteen appearance (2014) and two Elite Eights (2010, 2012). All three of those years the Bears lost to the eventual champion or runner-up. Even in years when Baylor did not make the Big Dance, Drew earned postseason success. The Bears went to the NIT in 2009 and 2013, making it all the way to the championship both times and winning it the second go-around. Drew continues to become a better coach, and he is in what might be his finest hour yet. His roster currently lacks pure star talent, but that has not stopped the 13th year coach from molding his players into a formidable group.
Baylor's depth has been key this season. None of the guys in the rotation had a lot of hype coming out of high school, and at first glance it seems like a rather rag-tag team. Starting PG Manu Lecomte transferred from Miami after losing the position battle to Angel Rodriguez. Al Freeman de-committed from UCLA after a coaching change and promptly came to Waco. Ishmael Wainright had a similar experience with Missouri. Jo Lual-Acuil came from Melbourne, Australia. No one has a big ego, and they all know their role on the team. The chemistry has flourished in the first month of the season. Lecomte provides much needed offense at the point guard position, something Baylor sorely lacked last year. Freeman can score from the perimeter and take it to the rim. Acuil has blossomed into an elite shot-blocker. Johnathan Motley, thought of as an inconsistent backup big man, leads the team in scoring and rebounding. The most underrated in the starting lineup, Wainright serves as the perfect glue guy; the lone senior has phenomenal intangibles, and he passes and rebounds at a high rate. Off the bench, Jake Lindsey - son of the Utah Jazz GM - has matured as a ball handler and game manager. TJ Maston backs up both Acuil and Motley, and he brings a very good high post offense to the table. King McClure can score from anywhere on the court. Chuck Mitchell's game is much like King's. Everyone plays their part, and the results are clear. Scott Drew has something special going on at Baylor.
The Bears have four nonconference tune-ups before starting Big 12 play December 30 at Oklahoma. Preseason predictions had Baylor at anywhere from 4-7 in conference standings, but there is a high likelihood the team from Waco will be threatening Kansas' championship streak that has stood for more than a decade.
