Chardonae Fuqua’
Height: 6-0

Freshman forward Chardonae Fuqua’ brings an athletic edge to the already loaded Baylor squad. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Fuqua’ excelled in track and field, winning three state championships in the high jump, as well as leading her basketball squad to two state championships.
She chose Baylor over LSU and Georgia because of its friendly atmosphere and the dedicated basketball program.

The word “defense” has become taboo around Waco because of the Bears’ football woes. But the football teams’s defense isn’t the only squad under the microscope. The No. 18 Baylor basketball team is undergoing some fundamental changes on the defensive side of the floor.

After bringing home major national awards last season one after the other, senior post Brittney Griner is back in the green and gold for her final season as a Lady Bear. Averaging 23.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocks a game, Griner has both dominated and changed the game of women’s basketball. Even though Griner is a force of nature on the hardwood, she doesn’t stop improving her game.

Baylor fell to the eventual National Champion, Kentucky, last year in the Elite Eight 82-70. A big reason for Kentucky’s success was its 6-foot-10-inch freshman Anthony Davis.

Davis torched the Bears that game for 18 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. Baylor had no answer for the Associated Press Player of the Year and eventual first overall pick in the NBA Draft.

So what did Baylor head coach Scott Drew do about it? He went to Arlington and got an Anthony Davis of his own, minus the unibrow. This one goes by the name of Isaiah Austin.