Baylor basketball has a new team, new rotation, new scoring
Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears found themselves in a situation that just a few years ago would seem unimaginable for a college basketball program: a period of time where there were zero returning players on their roster. Baylor lost all of their players, whether it be to the NBA, graduation, or the transfer portal, an occurrence we are likely going to see more and more in the modern era of collegiate athletics. With that being said, Scott Drew scoured the transfer portal for the right pieces that he would then mix with his incoming freshmen to field a team that has aspirations of making a deep run in March.
When looking at the new and improved Baylor Bears roster, 3 names stand out in my eyes as the potential star/alpha of the team: Tounde Yessoufou, Obi Agbim, and Michael Rataj.
Starting with Yessoufou, the story writes itself. Scott Drew and his staff highlighted Yessoufou's ability early on in his recruiting process, citing his ability to be a physical, downhill guard/forward who can also spread the floor when needed. Although Yessoufou is fresh out of high school, his polish and feel for the game are far beyond his years. Since signing with the Bears, Yessoufou has shown his ability to work on developing his three-point shot. If that shot falls at or above ~35%, Yessoufou could be in for a big scoring season, following in the footsteps of Davion Mitchell, Ja'Kobe Walter, and VJ Edgecomb.
The next of the three options who could serve as Baylor's primary point scorer is incoming transfer guard Obi Agbim. A transfer from the University of Wyoming, at its core, Agbim is a true bucket getter. While at Wyoming, he was highly efficient in the competition that he played. In the photo above, Agbim was playing against the Colorado State Rams, an eventual tournament team that was home to NBA first-round draft pick Nique Clifford. Regardless of the star talent he was playing against, Agbim still dropped an efficient 26 points, similar to his production throughout the rest of the 2025 season. The only major question I have regarding Agbim is whether his skills will transfer to a much stronger schedule. However, if they do, Agbim could be one of the better scorers in the Big 12 this upcoming season.
The final player who I could see being the true alpha for this Baylor Bears team is transfer guard/forward Michael Rataj. A distinguished player in his own right, Rataj was one of the better players in the West Coast Conference and has shown himself to be a very versatile player. He can defend all positions, but can also knock down a jumper and stretch the floor. An experienced player, the question with Rataj is the same as Agbim: Will his skills transfer over to a much stronger strength of schedule?
Only time will tell, and someone not even on this list could step up and surprise us all. However, if history plans to repeat itself, Scott Drew will have this team in peak shape come March and will look to make another deep tournament run.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.