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Inside The Bears

Instant Takeaways from Baylor's Dominant Win vs. Northwestern State

A few bright spots worth noting, but also a potential issue or two that will need addressed if success on the season is the goal.
Brad Teague|
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Baylor Bears

Even though the Bears are not currently ranked in the AP Top 25, Baylor showed great promise in exhibition wins against both the No. 1 Florida Gators as well as No. 3 Illinois. Exhibition games don't always translate into regular season success, but in Baylor's case against Northwestern State, it was. The Bears showed that they were ready to play this season. Here are our key takeaways from the 87-65 Baylor victory.

Live by the 3-Pointer, Die by the 3-Pointer

Again, it was just an exhibition game against Illinois, but a fun factoid about it: Baylor made 11 three-point shots in the first half, but didn't make a single one in the second half. How that equates into this game? Well, in the first half against Northwestern State, the Bears made 5 on 10 attempts.

In the second half, the Bears would make 4 three-point shots on 19 attempts, a total of 9-29 on the day. If Baylor is going to continue shooting high volume from distance, they are going to have to become substantially more accurate.

All Credit to Them, but Northwestern State Just Doesn't Match Up to Upcoming Big 12 Play

Overmatched, overpowered, and outplayed, the Bears seemed to have this game well in hand from the opening tipoff. Jumping out to an early 10 point lead after a 14-4 run in the game's first four minutes, a lead that Baylor would never relinquish. Baylor would lead 50-32 at the half.

As far as opening games go though, Bears Coach Scott Drew is now 21-3 in them after tonight's win, and is now 6-0 against Northwestern State. Kayden Mingo would score the games first points driving to the bucket, and Elijah Williams would add another quick 3-pointer. Dylan Mingo (younger brother of Kayden) would also add early points as well before the Demons would record their first points.

Isaac Celiscar Seems to Always be Around the Ball

Isaac Celiscar, the 6-foot-6 Forward, served excellent utility in this game. Finishing at the basket off of offensive rebounds, and grabbing 6 total rebounds in the game. Celiscar would also finish with 6 points in 23 minutes played.

Mingo Brothers Could Break Out in a Big Way

Every time that Kayden Mingo (sophomore) touches the ball, he's got an opportunity to score. Whether driving to the basket or pulling up from beyond the arc, Mingo is going to have a good year if he's able to continually take high-percentage shots. Scoring 17 tonight against Northwestern State on 6-14 shooting and 3-5 from the free throw line, Mingo would play 27 minutes.

Dylan Mingo, though a freshman, showed a lot of the same promise that his brother Kayden showed in this game. A couple of inches taller than Kayden (6-foot-3), Dylan (6-foot-5) showed solid rebounding (grabbing 6 total) as well as defensive prowess grabbing 4 steals (all in the first half) and vision being able to spot fellow open Bears for 6 assists. And, oh yeah, did I mention that he also scored 14 points, all in just 22 minutes?

9 Turnovers in the First Half

It's the first game of the season, and Baylor was never in fear of losing this game. However, they'll need to make sure they work out the kinks when it comes to turnovers before getting too much deeper into the season. 9 turnovers in the first half would be the mark for both teams. The second half however would see more discipline by the Bears as they would only turn the ball over 7 times. Another small issue that will be a focus moving forward.

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Brad Teague
BRAD TEAGUE

Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.

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