Instant takeaways from Baylor basketball's win vs. Washington

What we learned about Baylor's first game against a power conference opponent this season

Nov 9, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Cameron Carr (43) scores a three-point basket against Washington Huskies guard Quimari Peterson (0) during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Coming off their season-opening win against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, there were a few things that emerged for Scott Drew's Baylor Bears. Tennessee transfer Cameron Carr looked like a potential NBA draft riser, and breakout star, freshman Tounde Yessoufou looks ready to shoulder a heavy load for the Bears, and the Bears are going to have to step up the defensive intensity if they plan to compete in the Big 12.

However, after beating the Washington Huskies 78-69, led by Cameron Carr's 16 points, they've secured a confidence-boosting non-conference win against a Power 4 opponent while many of college basketball's elite are still playing buy games. With the game in a primetime ESPN slot, and with college basketball lifer Fran Fraschilla on the call, let's dive in below what we know about Baylor basketball after the home victory against the Huskies

Carr continues to carry

After scoring just 43 points in his first two seasons at Tennessee, Carr has already surpassed that career total in two regular-season games in Waco. After leading the team with 28 points against UTRGV, Carr carried the Bears' offense in the first half, hitting all three of Baylor's three-pointers, and leading all scorers in the first half with 13 points.

Carr was stuck behind a ton of wing talent in Knoxville, playing NBA draft picks Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier, so it's not necessarily a surprise to see this level of production. But, him being far and away Baylor's best player two games in, which was not expected. If he can continue to score like this, while working to improve his playmaking ability, and continuing to be disruptive defensively, he could work his way to all-conference honors and add to the list of Scott Drew first-round NBA draft picks

Tonight's game between Baylor and Washington in Waco feels like an 8/9 game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears have a burgeoning star in Cameron Carr.

The Huskies should be one of the most improved teams in the country.

And Here. We. Go.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 9, 2025

Another slow start for the Bears

UTRGV came out the gates attacking the Bears' lack of interior defense last game, and the Huskies did the same, getting out to a 9-4 lead, on the back of big man and Rutgers transfer Lathan Sommerville scoring their first five points. The cold shooting extended for most of the first half for Baylor, missing 14 of their 20 shots, and going 3-14 from three-point range.

Five-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou got caught in the cold start for Baylor, missing all four of his three-point attempts in the first half and totaling only four points in the first 20 minutes. He's a powerful athlete, and he's shown the ability to use his body on the defensive end and the glass, but the freshman will have to work on his shot selection and using his chisled frame to get to the rim more often.

Balanced attack for the Bears

With Baylor just one of three power conference teams that lost all 13 players from last year's roster, this roster is still working to figure out the chemistry and roles on the team. Without a definitive alpha dog, the Bears have operated with an equal-opportunity offense, featuring a healthy dose of drive and kick opportunities, and allowing almost all of Baylor's guards to get reps working out of the pick and roll.

That led to six different Bears ending up in six figures, with perhaps the most impactful of those being the double-double, 12-point, 10-rebound performance from Caden Powell. Powell, the Bears' only true big man with the injury to High Point transfer Juslin Bodo Bodo and the first Waco native to be on scholarship, was highly impactful with his energy and defensive rebounding. He'll need to continue

The balance extended to the defensive end, as Yessoufou and Carr led the charge of sliding their feet and pressuring Husky ball-handlers all night, leading to seven steals and just 41 shooting from the field for the Huskies. After two years of middling defensive results from Scott Drew's teams, Frischilla mentioned on the broadcast that new associate head coach Ron Sanchez, who comes to Waco after serving interim head coach at Virginia after Tony Bennett's abrupt retirement last October, brought Bennet's famed pack-line defense to the Bears.

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