By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Baylor fans were blessed Sunday afternoon with hope for their emotional well-being.
Following another disappointing outing from the Bears’ football team, fans of the green and gold got a taste of the Culture of JOY as the Bears took on Indiana in an exhibition match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
In a 76-74 loss to the Hoosiers, head coach Scott Drew’s team got the opportunity to see some unweighted competition ahead of the start of the college basketball season on November 4th.
As Baylor fans look forward to basketball season, here are three takeaways for the green and gold from Sunday’s exhibition.
1. Caden Powell is much better than expected
Ever since Baylor competed in the FISU World University Games this summer, I had been low on Caden Powell. Difficulty finishing around the rim and an inconsistency following rebounds led to my concerns with the senior Rice transfer. I viewed Powell as a capable backup center that would be able to provide solid minutes whenever junior High Point transfer Juslin Bodo Bodo would need a rest.
That all changed today.
Powell, posting only four points and four rebounds on the afternoon, shone outside of the stat sheet for the Bears. Coming off a season where post play was a large concern, Powell is doing his part to eliminate weak links in the paint.
Throughout most of the first half, Drew ran a 3-2 zone with Powell as the anchor in the post. The Waco native’s ability to transition defensively between double teams and hold down an individual dominance in the frontcourt brought an inner defensive presence that hasn’t been seen for the Bears since Yves Missi donned a Baylor jersey.
What Powell lacks offensively in scoring ability is not necessarily a concern, as his footwork and basketball IQ create a post presence that will be more than fine for the Bears until Bodo Bodo’s return.
2. Cameron Carr will be an NBA Draft pick this season
The redshirt sophomore Tennessee transfer is nothing short of a good ball player. Thirteen points and eight rebounds at halftime of the exhibition stand out on the stat sheet, but watching Carr play in a Baylor jersey is something electric.
The combo guard demonstrated a higher level of on-court maturity than most players his age. He found the right cuts, created turnovers defensively and attacked the rim with ferocity.
Not only will Carr be one of, if not the best, player for the Bears this season, but he will hear his name called in the NBA Draft in June.
Leading the team with 18 points and nine rebounds, Carr showed a prolific scoring ability accompanied by an all-around comfort on the court that should be a constant presence for the Bears this year.
3. There is no point guard on this team — and that is a concern
While there were many positives seen in the afternoon matchup, one of the largest negatives was little to no ball movement by the Bears.
The team leader in assists was five-star freshman shooting guard Tounde Yessoufou with only three dimes in the outing. With facilitators such as Adam Flagler, RayJ Dennis and Robert O. Wright III, ball movement hasn’t been a concern for Drew’s teams since before the 2020 season.
While other factors, such as defense, post play and perimeter scoring, should see a vast improvement this year, a true facilitator needs to be established for the green and gold.
Without a point guard, a potentially electric offense appeared stagnant at times. Cuts were missed, turnovers were allowed and points were left on the board. Drew needs to establish a player to facilitate the offense and create scoring possibilities for others.
In a perfect world, senior Oregon State transfer Michael Rataj could serve as a point forward, similar to Draymond Green’s role on the 2015 Golden State Warriors. After demonstrating poor ball-handling Sunday afternoon, though, Drew may lean toward making Yessoufou or fifth-year Wyoming transfer Obi Agbim the Bears’ primary ball-handler.
The Bears’ regular-season opener against UTRGV is set for Nov. 3 at Foster Pavilion. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and be streamed on ESPN+.
