Baylor's Late Rally Falls Short as Bears Fall to TCU for Second Time This Season
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Despite losing to TCU in Fort Worth earlier this season, Baylor entered the game as the favorite. The Horned Frogs were without their best player, forward David Punch, who had to miss the game due to the flu. But it didn't matter.
TCU proved to be the better team and the Horned Frogs' strong second half propelled TCU to a 97-90 win over the Bears
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Baylor falls to 11-8 (1-6) with two away games coming up against Cincinnati and Colorado. At this time, Baylor can't afford to lose many more games, or the Bears will be watching the Big Dance from their couch.
Here are some takeaways from Baylor's loss.
Baylor's NCAA Tournament hopes are shrinking
Being at home, Baylor was already supposed to win the game against TCU, and then it was announced that the Horned Frogs' best player, David Punch, wouldn't play against the Bears due to the flu. But instead of Baylor coming out and winning the game, the Bears continue to look like a shell of what they once were.
It's the same issues that constantly hurt Baylor: turnovers, dry spells, and a lack of depth. The Bears have too many careless passes that result in turnovers. For a team that struggles to hit shots and threes, they can't afford to just toss away the ball — but that's what Baylor does. The Bears finished the game with 17 turnovers and TCU capitalized with 19 points off turnovers.
To make matters worse, point guard Obi Agbim exited the game midway through the second half after landing awkwardly following a shot. He would come back with just a couple of minutes left in the game, but it's still going to be something to monitor.
As of now, it feels like Baylor has hit rock bottom. With a 1-6 record in conference play, the Bears' tournament hopes are on life support.
Role players step up
Baylor has had several issues on the court in recent games, but one big issue has been the fact the Bears haven't had consistent help for Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou. But on Saturday, both Obi Agbim and Isaac Williams stepped up and made big-time plays for Baylor.
Agbim had scored in double figures just once since Big 12 play began, but he was on a different level on Saturday night. Abgim was in touch with his shooting, scoring 15 points and hitting three deep shots. The Bears' starting point guard looked like the player Baylor thought it was getting from Wyoming, but the injury midway through the second half put a major wrench on things. Hopefully, the Bears can get him back soon and miss minimal time.
Williams was the key in the first half for the Bears. Williams led all scorers with 12 points in the first 20 minutes of play, coming off the bench and knocking down all three of his three-point attempts. Williams played good defense and brought energy to the lineup. He ended the game with 21 points, but fouled out late in the second half.
We know that Carr and Yessoufou are going to be good in just about every game, and if the Bears can continue to get solid production from one or two more players — they have a chance to win some games.
Is it time to try a new lineup?
Michael Rataj was one of the bigger transfer portal finds for Baylor. The veteran averaged nearly 17 points last season for Oregon State and started all 32 games for the Beavers, but Rataj has been a shell of his junior season.
Scott Drew has Rataj playing the '4' since moving Caden Powell to the starting lineup, but it hasn't helped Rataj's scoring ability. Entering the game on Saturday, Rataj was averaging a career-low 43.5% from the field, and a career-low 25% from deep.
Things didn't improve against the Horned Frogs. He scored just one point, and shot 0% from the field. After a poor first half, Drew opted to start Dan Skillings Jr. in his place to start the second half, and he wasn't the first player in off the bench.
It might be time to try something different — maybe inserting Skillings Jr. back into the lineup or going small by placing Isaac Williams into the starting five. But until Rataj gains confidence back and some sort of rhythm, he is hurting the Bears' offensive flow.
Tounde Yessoufou , Issac Williams tried to will Baylor to a win
Despite being in foul trouble — picking up four fouls early in the first half — both Yessoufou and Williams did all they could to propel the Bears down the stretch. The McDonald's All-American was active on the glass, played defense, and drove the basketball with authority. While Williams came off the bench and poured energy into the Bears' lineup — both would foul out of the game.
Williams and Yessoufou scored 21 each to lead Baylor, and Yessoufou's eight rebounds led the Bears.
While Baylor is in full-struggle mode on the hardwood, it's good to see that Yessoufou continues to shine, while seeing Williams emerge.
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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.
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