Baylor Has a Chance to Turn Heads at the Players Era Tournament This November

Baylor heads to Las Vegas with a chance to prove it belongs among the nation’s elite, facing top competition in a defining early-season tournament test.

via @BaylorMBB on X

The Players Era tournament will take place the week of November 23rd in Las Vegas, and it will be a great chance for the Baylor Bears to jump back onto the national radar as legitimate Final Four contenders in March. Baylor had the opportunity to play in the tournament last year, where they went 2-1 in their three games. The Bears beat Creighton 81-74 in their first game, fell to St. John's 81-96 in their second game, and beat San Diego State 91-81 in their final game in an overall positive trip to Las Vegas last year.

Here are the Players Era 16 teams for the week of Nov. 23 👀 pic.twitter.com/7GDWrD06cY

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 7, 2026

Baylor once again joins a stacked slate in Las Vegas with a mix of blue bloods and new bloods. While the Bears won't match up against their conference foes in Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, or TCU, they will have the opportunity to battle it out against some of the strongest programs in the country. Let's go through some of the most enticing matchups for Scott Drew's team at the Players' Era tournament.

A Matchup with the Reigning National Champions, Michigan

Michigan will be at the Players' Era tournament in Las Vegas, and what a matchup it would be if Baylor got to play the reigning National Champions. It is not often that National Champions of the last few years get to play each other, especially those from out-of-conference games, but it could happen in Vegas, and it would be a massive win for Baylor if they were able to pull out a win.

Head coach Scott Drew has rebuilt his team to compete this season. | Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Michigan's roster for next season will look a little different as the Wolverines stars Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson Jr. move on to the NBA. Nonetheless, Michigan will once again be a contender next year, as ESPN ranks them third in the Way-too-Early Top 25 they recently put out.  

A chance for revenge, Louisville or St. John's

Louisville and St. John's both got the better of Baylor during the 2025-2026 season. Louisville beat Baylor in a neutral-site battle, where Baylor lost 82-71. Baylor held on for most of that game and at moments had chances to take the lead in the second half, but they let it slip away towards the end as they did many times last season. A chance at revenge in Las Vegas will be on the mind of many of the returners, and Scott Drew, who turned down the Louisville job two offseasons ago.

Isaac Williams with the lay-up, he will be a key returner for Scott Drew this season. | Via @BaylorMBB on X

St. John's got the better of Baylor in this very tournament last year. They beat the Bears 96-81 in a game where St. John's was clearly the better, more physical team. The many returners on this team will also want another chance at Rick Pitino's squad, as a win against them will bolster Baylor into some second weekend in the NCAA tournament conversation.

A rematch of the National Championship, Gonzaga

Another matchup that could happen is another Mark Few vs. Scott Drew battle against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The last time Baylor played against Gonzaga, it was a blood bath. Gonzaga handled Baylor with ease in Spokane in a forgettable night for Scott Drew.  Baylor fans did get to witness a VJ Edgecombe poster on Mark Few's son, which seems to circulate near the start of the season every year.

Dunk of the year already?? 🤔 VJ Edgecombe took flight on Gonzaga HC Mark Few’s son 😤 @vj_edgecombe pic.twitter.com/7SgBqJ46Fs

— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) November 5, 2024

Since the national championship in 2021, Baylor and Gonzaga have played twice. Once in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Baylor came out victorious in a close game, and again in Spokane, Washington, where the Bears were completely outmatched. It would be very cool if the Player's era tournament were able to rekindle the Baylor and Gonzaga rivalry with a game in Las Vegas.