By Tyler White | Sports Writer
With the new year underway, we are just a couple of months away from the chaos of the NCAA Tournament. As we get closer to college basketball’s prized March Madness, both of Baylor’s basketball teams are setting themselves up for success — the women’s team in particular.
Looking at the games played so far this year, head coach Nicki Collen and the No. 12-ranked Bears have been a dominant force. On both sides of the ball, the Bears have been able to outperform their competition in nearly all statistical categories.
They have been able to maintain a +23.6 point differential with a +11 3-point percentage differential, which is one of the highest in the country. Additionally, the team has managed a +10.8 assist differential, which sits behind No. 7 Kansas State as the highest in the country. However, where the team has been lacking is its turnover differential, giving up five more turnovers per game compared to its opponents.
Looking specifically at the performance of the teams, it’s worth highlighting some key statistics. According to an ESPN article from Jan. 5, seven players on Baylor were averaging at least eight points per game, indicating extreme efficiency and depth on the offensive side. Senior guard Sarah Andrews and sophomore guard Bella Fontleroy are both shooting 42% beyond the arc this year, also putting up 12.6 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Meanwhile, graduate student forwards Aijha Blackwell and Dre’Una Edwards as well as sophomore forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs are all averaging over seven rebounds per game.
Where I think Baylor truly excels is that the entire squad is able to work cohesively for an effective and dominant game. No. 2 Iowa has senior guard Caitlin Clark, No. 10 LSU has junior forward Angel Reese and No. 5 UCLA has sophomore center Lauren Betts, but Baylor has a number of players who can attack from all areas of the court. Whether it’s from the 3-point arc with Andrews and Fontleroy or in the post with Edwards and Littlepage-Buggs, the Bears are efficient all around.
However, it can’t go without mentioning that Baylor has dropped its last two Big 12 conference games. Although it’s never great to see a team lose some games, I don’t think it’s something to freak out about at this point in the season.
The Bears have lost to the Kansas Jayhawks and the Iowa State Cyclones — both unranked teams when the matchups took place. The Jayhawks have managed near upsets over then-No. 6 UConn and then-No. 9 Virginia Tech this year, and KU center Taiyanna Jackson had a huge game with 27 points and 19 rebounds against the Bears, which propelled her group to victory. Additionally, the Cyclones have only lost one of their first seven Big 12 conference games, making them one of the hottest teams in the league.
Nonetheless, these two setbacks don’t erase the dominance of the Bears’ wins this year. The team — before it lost — was in the midst of the best start to a year in school history since the 40-0 national championship team. Baylor also has four wins over ranked opponents and a massive 80-point victory early in the season that showcased how consistent the Bears can be.
While it might be too early to decide who will make a deep run in the tournament this year, I truly do think this women’s team is something special. There’s still a lot of time left until Selection Sunday for March Madness — and a lot can change, for better or for worse — but I think the Bears are poised to make a deep run.
