Baylor basketball earns major praise from analyst after opening win
In this story:
After a slow start out of the gate, Baylor men's basketball took down UTRGV on Monday in their home opener, 96-81. The Bears, a team that was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 Conference, as NCAA Tournament hopes once again under head coach Scott Drew.
Despite losing all of their players from last year's NCAA Tournament team, Baylor's new-look roster has top-end talent on it. Five-star Tounde Yessoufou looks the part and could be a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Tennessee transfer Cameron Carr is already receiving NBA Draft buzz after his 28-point outing on Monday.
Recently, college basketball analyst Myron Medcalf named Baylor his most-surprising team of the opening night.
"Baylor lost key players such as Robert Wright III to the transfer portal, was picked to finish seventh in the Big 12's preseason poll and brought in a five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou, who could be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The Bears secured a double-digit win over UT Rio Grande Valley -- a team projected to finish at the bottom of the Southland Conference standings after returning only one starter -- but surrendered 81 points to the Vaqueros, allowing them to score on 56% of their 2-point shots and 41% of 3-point shots.
"Baylor has finished 10th or lower in defensive efficiency in conference play in two of the past three seasons. The Bears might still have questions on that end of the court based on their effort Monday night."
Baylor still without a projected starter
Baylor was efficient in the win over UTRGV. The Bears shot 49% from the field and out-rebounded UTRGV, 42-26. But Baylor did so without a projected starter.
High Point transfer Juslin Bodo Bodo has yet to play for the Bears. He didn't suit up for either exhibition game and didn't play in the opener. The 6-foot-11 center was a top-50 rebounder in the nation last year, averaging 8.4 rebounds. His presence will help Baylor tremendously down low.
Baylor hopes to get him back soon with games against Washington, St. John's, and Creighton coming up. If the Bears can find a way to win two of those games, Baylor really will be a SURPRISING team this year.
More From Baylor On SI:
-c6d300a6cd3bbc37e5025fa0d47bc7a7.jpeg "Trent Knoop")
Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
Follow TrentKnoop