By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Head coach Scott Drew has gained notoriety in the past decade for beginning seasons with a high level of national attention.
But the Bears started this new season with an entirely new lineup that contained zero returners. The national public eye was anywhere but focused on Waco, and the Bears started the season unranked for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Baylor (6-2) is off to a better start through eight games than the memorably dichotomous 2024-25 season, which saw the Bears begin 5-3.
Drew’s squad is quickly finding its footing and an identity that is bringing national attention back to the heart of Texas program.
“We don’t really give that much thought towards much attention,” senior forward Michael Rataj said after the Bears’ 110-88 win over Sacramento State on Tuesday. “Whether if people want to respect us or disrespect us, we know what we got, we know what we want to head to, and that’s all that matters.”
The Bears took the nation by storm during Feast Week, the week of Thanksgiving that consists of a multitude of round-robin tournaments featuring competitive teams across the country. Baylor went 2-1 at the second annual Players’ Era Festival in Las Vegas, with two quality wins over previously ranked Creighton as well as San Diego State, which had two pre-season mid-major All-Americans on their roster.
Offensive masterclasses from Drew’s squad caught the eye of pundits across the country, as the Bears rose the spreadsheets to become the No. 7 offense in the country, according to KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric. (They’ve since dropped to No. 12.)
The highly-regarded offense is averaging 87.8 points per game and shooting 47.1% from the field. At the helm is redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Carr.
Carr has been a magnet for media attention since the season opener, when the Tennessee transfer notched a season-best 28 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. The captain of Drew’s prolific offense is now averaging 21.8 points, eighth-most of any player in the country.
“I just want to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” Carr said after a 21-point performance in the Bears’ win over Creighton. “I’m thankful for my teammates and the people I’m around that all push me to be better. When I’m going through a rough time, they tell me just, ‘Hey, keep your head up and keep going,’ so I’m thankful for the people around me that got me here.”
Carr is now populating watchlists for both National Player of the Year and All-American honors. On3 gave the son of former NBA player Chris Carr the eighth-best odds for the National Player of the Year award.
While Carr is on pace to become Waco’s first All-American since 2022, the 6-foot-5 guard isn’t the only player drawing eyes from the national media.
Freshman Tounde Yessoufou is quickly climbing his way up draft boards. The five-star phenom is coming off back-to-back 20-plus point performances and earning the attention expected of a potential lottery pick.
“I’m just trying to stay in the moment,” Yessoufou said. “I know what we’ve got in this group, and we want to win together as a team.”
The Bears, still unranked, are looking to bounce back from a road loss to Memphis by finishing strong against a collection of mid-major teams in the final four games of non-conference play.
Baylor’s will return to action at 11 a.m. Wednesday against Norfolk State at Foster Pavilion. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
