As the season gets underway, the Bears are beginning to find national eyes glance towards Waco in response to a prolific offense.

Michael Rataj is listed as a guard, but has shifted up the lineup to play center due to injuries. He’s been an indispensable Swiss Army knife for the shorthanded Bears, leading the team in offensive rebounds while chipping in 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

The Bears found second-half dominance to put together their first 20-plus point win of the season Tuesday night. Freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou led the way for the Bears with 27 points and four steals.

The Bears dropped the second game of the Players Era Festival at the hands of Rick Pitino’s Red Storm. Baylor will play one more game in the tournament before returning to Waco.

Michael Rataj, a senior Oregon State transfer, scored six points Friday to cross the millennium mark. Rataj has filled in at center for the Bears while presumed starter Juslin Bodo Bodo recovers from an injury.

The Bears replaced every scholarship player this offseason. They’ll face their first major test Sunday against Washington.

The first 17 years of head coach Scott Drew’s career at Baylor saw one season-ending knee injury. The past five years have seen five.

Baylor’s roster saw complete turnover this offseason, returning zero players from last year’s team. After competing together in the FISU World University Games, though, the Bears’ new faces have gelled quickly.

The Bears took to Germany this summer to represent the United States in the World University Games, hosted by International University Sports Federation (FISU).

The 6-foot-10 Midway High School graduate is a fluid athlete with a high motor. He led the Owls in scoring during AAC play.

JJ White is a strong passer and finisher, leading the Summit League with 4.0 assists per game and shooting 53.9% from inside the arc, the highest mark among Omaha’s top six scorers. He’ll likely play a similar off-ball offensive role to Jayden Nunn, but with much stronger playmaking chops. He can navigate both pick-and-roll and set play settings.

For the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, Baylor men’s basketball finished with an offense ranked outside the top 100. Head coach Scott Drew isn’t about to let that happen again.

The 7-foot big man started in all 71 games his first two seasons at High Point, averaging 6.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

The sixth-year guard will become the Bears’ No. 1 scoring option after averaging 17.6 points per game for the Cowboys.

The move “surprised” Baylor’s coaching staff, according to ESPN. The five-star freshman made the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 11.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-9 forward earned First Team All-West Coast Conference honors after leading the Beavers in points and rebounds.