Way-Too-Early Rankings: Baylor in Top 5?
The Baylor Bears had some of the nation's highest expectations entering the NCAA Tournament this past March.
So when the team entered March Madness as a No. 1 seed for the second-straight season, it came as a surprise when Baylor was sent home early in the second round after falling 93-86 in overtime to eventual runner-up and No. 8 seed, North Carolina.
But despite coach Scott Drew being set to lose most of his core contributors from a season ago, ESPN still has Baylor slated to be one of the top teams in the country with the latest release of its Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2022-23 season
Baylor comes in at No. 8 in the rankings. Here's what ESPN had to say:
While Baylor was without several of its key players for its trip to Toronto for the Globl Jam, it was easy to see why there's so much offseason hype for Keyonte George -- and why he was considered one of the best guards in the 2022 class. He had 32 points on 18 shots against Italy to open the tournament and proved it wasn't an anomaly, consistently leading the Bears on the offensive end. He also had 37 points on 21 shots in a win over Canada in the semifinals. George showed an advanced scoring package at the high school level, and after some inconsistency during his senior season, he began to hit his stride toward the end of the campaign and carried that over to the summer. He can get his own shot off the bounce, he shoots from the perimeter and his body allows him to make plays in traffic.
And ESPN's projected starting five:
-Keyonte George
-Adam Flagler
-LJ Cryer
-Jalen Bridges
-Flo Thamba
The addition of George along with both Cryer and Langston Love returning from injury gives the Bears a major boost to the backcourt after being a team that was plagued with injury last season.
Drew and staff have proven that Baylor is one of the country's best programs, as the team will look to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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