By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Zero. That’s how many players Scott Drew’s Bears brought back from last year’s roster. VJ Edgecombe declared for the NBA Draft, Norchad Omier, Jayden Nunn and Jeremy Roach exhausted their eligibility and everyone else hit the transfer portal.
With a complete roster overhaul, Drew and his staff compiled a fresh team that includes transfer portal standouts. Graduate guard Obi Agbim (Wyoming), senior forward Michael Rataj (Oregon State) and senior forward Dan Skillings Jr. (Cincinnati) headline the class. But the level of turnover gave birth to concerns over how such an eclectic team would bond in just one summer.
“The team gets along,” Drew said. “There’s no cliques. You’ve got a lot of guys in similar situations, meaning, a kind of chip on the shoulder … I think [the team] is excited to have a chance to prove some people wrong.”
The Bears journeyed to Germany this summer to represent Team USA at the FISU World University Games. The team took home a silver medal in the tournament, yet the real trophy appears in their newly connected play style.
“It feels like we’ve been together for the past two years,” Skillings said. “Especially going to Germany and playing six to seven games was huge for our development and chemistry as a team. That brought us together even more.”
In the transfer portal era, it has grown increasingly difficult to get new players to buy into a team mentality every year. Drew is anything but a stranger to this challenge and appears to have bonded his new team together before the season has even begun.
“I feel like everyone’s their own character,” redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Carr said. “I think it all goes together very well. Everyone has their own connection.”
Last year’s team saw several individual talents dress for the green and gold, but lacked the chemistry needed to find success on the court. This year, the Bears claim to have found the combination of skill and compatibility needed to bring winning back to Waco.
“That’s definitely not a question anymore,” redshirt sophomore guard Will Kuykendall said. “It’ll all translate onto the court through sacrificing for each other, making unselfish plays, diving onto lose balls for your teammates, being encouraging when you come off the bench, all the small things like that will help lead us to where we want to be.”
The Bears are promoting a return to the defensive prowess of past Drew teams this season. The team is seeking to combine its off-court chemistry with a defensive aggression that hasn’t been seen on a Baylor team since 2022.
“We have a lot more size and a lot more length,” Drew said. “Defensively, we could take a step forward compared to what we’ve done the last couple years.”
Five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou, the No. 14 recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, brings national attention to the banks of the Brazos this season. Yessoufou, a projected lottery pick and the all-time leading scorer in California high school history, is focused less on highlight reels and more on helping the Bears win.
“I want to be the conference Defensive Player of the Year, and I obviously want to win the national championship,” Yessoufou said. “When there’s anything I can contribute to my team to get a win, that’s what I want to do … Every possession, I want to bring my energy on the floor, because my energy is contagious and can benefit our team.”
Drew has sought to bring a team-first mentality back to Waco this year out of hopes of seeing something different from last year’s performance.
“Coach did a great job recruiting high-character guys,” Kuykendall said. “That’s really made a difference both off and on the court for us.”
Baylor will kick off basketball season with an open exhibition game against Grand Canyon at 4 p.m. Oct. 4 at Foster Pavilion. The Bears will officially open their season Nov. 3 with a home game against UTRGV.
