Keys to a Baylor Basketball Must-Win Home Game Against BYU
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Baylor is set to face off against No. 22 BYU on Tuesday night in Waco. The Cougars will be arriving at the Foster Pavilion on the heels of a four-game losing streak.
Baylor has been playing a new brand of basketball lately, losing a nail-biter on the road against Iowa State. Keep an eye on how the Bears execute on these two factors as they look to start a crucial week of basketball on the right foot:
Make someone besides AJ Dybantsa perform
The top-two NBA draft pick is likely going to have 30+ points, and there is not much you can do about it. What cannot happen for Baylor is allowing the likes of Richie Saunders and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III come in and score 50 points combined.
While the Cougars' roster is extremely talented, Scott Drew and the Bears must find a way to contain the secondary BYU scorers. AJ is proven to make the big shot and score in the high 30s if need be. Baylor ought to find a way to get the ball in someone else's hand when the game is on the line.
Control the pace
The Bears are not a team looking to dominate the game through transition points. They are shorthanded, as Dan Skillings Jr. is still questionable to return; expect long possessions and effort to preserve stamina.
The Bears played a very exhausting first 30 minutes of basketball in the loss to the Cyclones on Saturday, and it caught up to them late in the game. Baylor's 'big three' were all stretched to their limits, playing the entire 40 minutes.
The Bears' stat leaders will hopefully get some rest against BYU, which will highlight the performances of Isaac Williams IV and Michael Rataj, who need to have a stronger showing than they did against ISU. If Baylor gets run up and down the court again, it will be a much harder match to win.
Both of these squads are desperate for a win, and it shouldn't be a blowout either way. The Bears have to capitalize on a BYU team that is currently backing out of the AP Top 25, and if Baylor Men's Basketball has truly turned over a new leaf, this home game will fall into the Baylor win column.
More from Baylor on SI
- Dave Aranda Named As a Coach on the Hot Seat Going Into 2026
- Five Key Games For The Remainder of Baylor Basketball's Season
- Takeaways From Baylor's Close Loss to Iowa State
- A New Era at Wide Receiver: Baylor Reloads Through the Portal
- Ranking the Top 5 Baylor Football Acquisitions So Far in the Offseason
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.
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