Key Baylor Basketball Players the Bears Must Retain for Next Season
In this story:
The Bears suffered a 4-point loss to Arizona State, ending their season. Barring an NIT appearance, Baylor basketball will look very different next time they take the floor.
Scott Drew's squad will again have a lot of turnover going into next season; top prospects like Dylan Mingo have slipped through the fingers of Baylor hoops, and the program is faced with another hard rebuild.
Breaking: Dylan Mingo, the No. 9 ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2026, has committed to North Carolina, he told Stephen A. Smith on @FirstTake. pic.twitter.com/UyUyVFJZaN
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) February 17, 2026
Baylor has some talent that they can build off of from within.
Must keep - Isaac Williams IV
Williams has been the bright spot for this team during a turbulent stretch of basketball for the Bears.
Over the last nine games (four of which were against ranked opponents), he has averaged 13.5 points and 5.2 assists with efficient shooting. This season, his effective field goal % was a stellar 62%
The sophomore should be a Bear through and through; if new athletic director Doug McNamee has to throw some cash at Isaac to keep him around, so be it.
A great aspect of Williams' game is how hard he drives the basketball. Granted, he could use some touch and polish around the rim, but he is the most aggressive ball handler on the team.
He has also been one of the scrappiest defenders for the Bears of late. Again, it's not perfect, but he is the type of guard that works well in Scott Drew's defensive schemes.
Hope and pray - Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr
I am putting these two in the same boat for now; they are both projected to be mid-late first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft and will be tough to keep in the fold.
The two stars have made a rather disappointing season incredibly entertaining to watch.
Yessoufou's 37-point duel with AJ Dybantsa and BYU at the Foster was incredible; Carr's combo of highlight dunks and 3-point range is unmatched.
The duo were recognized by their conference, receiving All-Big 12 Team honors as the season has wound down.
If either Yessoufou or Carr could return for next season, it would help keep an amazing foundation in Waco.
For this to happen, they would likely have to fall off of the first-round draft board, which would result in a huge pay cut and signing a two-way contract if they were to be drafted.
Chances are, they would make much more money signing with Baylor (or some other school) compared to a one-year NBA deal.
While slim, this is the best chance to keep Yessoufou or Carr playing in Waco.
Bennett is an undergrad student at Baylor University, studying journalism on the sports track. He is from the DFW area and grew up playing and watching sports, which inspired him to pursue sports writing.
Follow bennettparker22