By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer
As the seasons for different sports continue, teams across Baylor Athletics experience ups and downs, and it’s easy to overreact to them. I will break down narratives for the teams and give my opinion on whether these judgements are overreactions or not.
Not an overreaction: Baylor football has a legit chance to win the Big 12.
Matthew Ellett | Roundup
After their 27-14 victory over the University of Oklahoma, the Bears launched themselves into Big 12 Championship contention. They are 8-2 and if things play out right they will make an appearance in the Big 12 Championship game and will have a legit chance to win. With their lockdown defense and a pair of great running backs behind one of the best offensive lines in the nation, they will put up a fight against anyone they would potentially play.
Not an overreaction: Baylor volleyball is a national title contender.
Matthew Ellett | Roundup
At the beginning of the season, the team expressed their goal of winning a championship and they are very much on track to do so. Baylor volleyball is currently No. 3 in the RPI rankings and No. 7 in the coaches poll. The Bears are 16-5 and have had one of the toughest schedules. They played multiple top-10 teams early on and had back-to-back matches against, at the time, the No. 1 University of Texas and was able to dethrone them in their second match. As the season winds down, I believe with senior outside hitters Yossiana Pressley and Avery Skinner, along with the rest of their talented roster, the team will be contending for that national title.
Overreaction: Baylor women’s basketball is done for.
Brittany Tankersley | Photographer
After the Bears blew a big lead and only beat Texas State University by seven points, people once again began to question how good new head coach Nicki Collen is compared to Kim Mulkey. However, this is very premature. Collen is a great coach on and off the court and since that game — in which they led by more than 20 at one point — they have gone back to blowing out everyone they should be, including a 27-point win over UT Arlington and a 39-point victory over the University of New Orleans. The No. 6 Bears are in more than capable hands and will still be an elite team as the year goes on. Don’t forget, they still have one ot the best players in the nation in senior forward NaLyssa Smith.
Not an overreaction: Freshman forward Kendall Brown will be a great player for Baylor men’s basketball.
Matthew Ellett | Roundup
Brown’s stats through the first two games are very solid, as he is averaging 13 points, five and a half assists, five rebounds, one and a half steals and one block on 73% field goal percentage and 100% from three. Brown has shown he is a strong all-around player and was close to a triple double in his last outing. With his IQ and athleticism, Brown will become Baylor’s best player and, alongside the rest of the underclassmen, will keep Baylor as a contender for as long as he’s here.
