Missi was tabbed as the 22nd overall pick in ESPN’s Mock Draft on April 17, while Walter was projected in the lottery at No. 12. Fraschilla said they’re both “prototype NBA players once they physically mature in the next two, three, four [or] five years.”
Browsing: Baylor men’s basketball
With Kentucky being one of the few jobs he might have considered over Baylor, his decision to stay here is clearly impactful. With two opportunities to leave the coaching job and take on roles at either Louisville or Kentucky, I think it’s almost safe to say that Drew is here to stay for the long run.
When Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew posted his dedication to Baylor on Thursday morning to officially take his name out of the hat for the Kentucky job, a subtle roar took over Waco. From murmuring in classes to dancing at Fountain Mall, there were smiles all around that could be traced back to one man’s decision to keep his home base at Baylor.
Kentucky is reportedly targeting Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew as its next head coach, according to Adam Zagoria of njdotcom.
Florida Atlantic announced on Wednesday that it hired Baylor assistant coach John Jakus as its next head coach. Jakus has been on Bears head coach Scott Drew’s staff for the last seven years.
Following a national championship in 2020-21, three straight Baylor men’s basketball seasons have concluded with an underwhelming second-round exit. Whether it be injury-riddled seasons or unthinkably slow starts, each season has found a different way to leave a lasting mark. However, the 2023-24 season will mostly be looked back on fondly due to those close bonds on the team.
There may not have been a team ranked in the preseason AP Top-25 that underwent more overhaul than 2023-24 Baylor men’s basketball. As the only Big 12 team with four brand new starters that also welcomed seven total newcomers, head coach Scott Drew found a way to bring his “Culture of Joy” to new levels.
Ja’Kobe Walter could’ve coasted through his one-and-done season. Baylor could’ve been a pitstop. He didn’t have to care. That’s never been Walter, though — that’s not his style.
In late February, Brownell said on the Tigers’ flagship radio station that Big 12 teams would adjust their nonconference schedules to play softer opponents with the idea that more routs would take place. Thus, those larger-margin victories would boost how Big 12 teams are reflected in metrics like the NET, which is the NCAA Evaluation Tool used by the selection committee.
Inked in familiar territory, head coach Scott Drew takes his Bears (24-10) into the round of 32 for the ninth time in his career, and he holds a 5-3 record in those previous contests. However, Drew’s teams have faced second-round exits in back-to-back seasons. But with all the underlying emotions, Drew said that at the end of the day it’s still basketball at the biggest stage.
As good as No. 3 seed Baylor’s offense was throughout its 92-67 win over No. 14 seed Colgate on Friday afternoon in the FedExForum, the team knows its fate relies on the defensive end.
The only team in the country to be a No. 3 seed or higher in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, three-seeded Baylor men’s basketball did so with four new starters. Now, the Bears roll into a round of 64 matchup against No. 14 seed Colgate, which is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. on Friday at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
Baylor redshirt sophomore guard Langston Love must have picked up pennies on the tails side or walked under ladders growing up. Love is out for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament with a series of ankle injuries, and the setback came after dealing with a torn ACL his freshman year, followed by an eye injury down the stretch of the 2022-23 season.
March Madness feels different when you’ve been there before. For those inexperienced mid-major teams that are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, there’s probably a feeling of “We’re just happy to be here.”
Before head coach Scott Drew took any questions on Wednesday, he addressed redshirt sophomore Langston Love’s status for the NCAA Tournament.
As the lights beamed bright on the opening night of the 2023-24 Baylor men’s basketball season, a freshman from Cameroon sat on the bench with just three years of prior basketball experience. By the season’s end, center Yves Missi had grown exponentially after starting 30 games for the Bears and becoming the first Baylor freshman to ever be named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team.
Baylor basketball has been a threat all season, and heading into March Madness, it’ll continue to be one. Once it passes the first weekend, both teams will be ready to make it deep into the tournament.
As exciting as it may have been for both Baylor basketball teams to hear their names called on Selection Sunday, they know there’s no time to celebrate.
As players and schools continue to search for profitable ways to navigate the ever-changing world of Name, Image and Likeness, the sports card boom has proved to help benefit athletes. On Feb. 14, Baylor men’s and women’s basketball partnered with ONIT Athlete to bring licensed sports cards to the community.
Freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter is different from a typical one-and-done star.
“I really believe that as soon as everything is said and done, I will have left Baylor a better place, so I am definitely proud about that,” Tchamwa Tchatchoua said. “I’m proud of being part of the team that made history and still [is] not done with history.”
The Bears’ hopes of a Big 12 Tournament title were crushed by the Cyclones, who outshot them 50% to 21% from beyond the arc.
It took more than eight minutes for No. 3 seed Baylor men’s basketball to hit its first postseason field goal, and following 20 minutes of play, the Bears had only made six, which was their lowest total in a half all season.
The Bears, who finished 14th in the final regular season AP Top 25 Poll, were one of six Big 12 teams to be ranked in the final installment, which was more than any other conference. Now, they’re hoping to use that fierce level of competition in the Big 12 Tournament to further prepare them for March Madness.
Not everyone’s spring break was spent laying out on the beach, as Baylor Athletics kept its spring slate moving through the time off from class. Here’s everything you may have missed over the annual hiatus.
After freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter knocked down the game’s first shot, No. 11 Baylor men’s basketball only held that lead for 16 seconds, as Texas Tech rattled off a 16-0 run.
On Senior Night, No. 11 Baylor men’s basketball forward Jalen Bridges left a lasting mark with a career-high 32 points en route to a 93-85 comeback victory in the final regular season matchup against Texas on Monday night in the Foster Pavilion.
As No. 15 Baylor men’s basketball put together a 13-2 run in the second half, head coach Scott Drew witnessed his bevy of newcomers stand up in the moment. With time draining off the clock, the Foster Pavilion bellowed the echo of the fourth straight home win over an in-conference powerhouse as the Bears downed No. 7 Kansas 82-74 on Saturday afternoon.
After splashing a corner 3-pointer six minutes into the second half and giving No. 15 Baylor men’s basketball its first double-digit lead of the game, freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter blew a kiss toward the TCU student section.
The Bears only hit two of their last 17 shots from 3-point land.
