Predicting Baylor basketball's Big 12 conference record
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Baylor basketball enters conference play with a 10-2 record, with marquee wins over Washington, Creighton, and San Diego State. Baylor dropped games against a strong St. Joseph's squad and a struggling Memphis team. They still have one remaining game in the non-conference against a currently #16-ranked Louisville team. The Big 12 schedule is a difficult task, and the Bears will have to end above .500 if they want a tournament bid come March.
Predicting conference play
WIN @ TCU (1/3) - The Bears have done well at Fort Dixon, Scott Drew has won there five times in his last five visits.
Loss V. #3 Iowa St. (1/7) - Iowa State is a well-oiled machine, it will be tough for Baylor to compete with their size and ability to spread the floor.
Loss V. #8 Houston (1/10) - Baylor has not been able to crack Houston ever since they joined the Big 12. The only way Baylor could win this game is if James Nnaji shows up with no missteps, which will be difficult this early in the season.
Win @ Oklahoma St. (1/13) - Baylor regains their footing with a win against a strong Oklahoma State team. I do not see a Scott Drew team losing three games in a row, and the Bears are far more talented than the Cowboys.
Loss @ #17 Kansas (1/16) - Phog Allen Fieldhouse is cursed, and I do not see a scenario where the Bears can go in there and win. Darryn Peterson is expected to be fully healthy by then as well.
Win V. #15 Texas Tech (1/20) - Baylor will bounce back later that week with a win against Texas Tech. Scott Drew has a strong track record against former assistant Grant McCasland, and he should once again get the better of him.
Loss V. TCU (1/24) - The away team has dominated this series, and I believe that anomaly continues with a TCU win in Foster. It’s a game Baylor should win, but every season has a couple that slip away.
Win @ Cincinnati (1/28) - Dan Skillings will travel back to his former school, and the Bears will comfortably get a win. Cincinnati has been middling for a couple of seasons, and there’s little reason to expect anything different in the Big 12 this year.
Win @ West Virginia (1/31) - West Virginia is in a transition year, and even though the game will be the second game of a road trip on the East Coast, the Bears have more than enough talent to win.
Win V. Colorado (2/4) - Colorado lost to North Colorado in the non-conference. Similar to West Virginia and Cincinnati, there is more than enough talent on the Bears' roster to dominate a team like Colorado.
Loss @ #3 Iowa State (2/7) - Iowa State has a real case as the top team in the country, and its deep roster should continue that dominance. Doing it in Ames will be a tough task for the Bears.
Win V. #10 BYU (2/10) - This is one Baylor fans will have circled, and that energy always shows when BYU comes to Foster. It should be the best atmosphere of the season, and the Bears can will their way to a win.
Win @ Kansas St. (2/17) - Kansas State continues to struggle this season, and the Bears should not have trouble in Manhattan.
He can throw lobs too 👀
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) December 30, 2025
Today's @raisingcanes Assist of the Game: one of Cam's 10 dimes ⤵️#SicEm | #CultureofJOY pic.twitter.com/Jp1Am3azIy
Win V. Arizona St. (2/21) - Arizona State is a lot better than their record shows, but I do not believe they have enough power and talent to win in Foster.
Loss V. #1 Arizona (2/24) - Arizona is incredible. They have mowed through everyone they met in the non-conference with blowout wins against Alabama and Auburn. They are simply the better team.
Win @ UCF (2/28) - This game will be a must-win come late February. The Bears should be in the tournament at this point, and UCF's season may be over.
Loss @ #8 Houston (3/4) - Houston will be pushing for a top-three seed by early March and has historically peaked around this point in the season. Winning in Houston will be a tough task for the Bears.
Win V. Utah (3/7) - Utah will finish bottom four in the Big 12. They had five losses in non-conference and have not shown flashes of being a "dangerous" or "sneaky" team.
This comes out to an 11-7 record in conference, which should be good for fifth or sixth place in the conference and a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament. This will be chalked as a successful season for the Bears if they get through the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.
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Jacob is a contributor for Baylor Bears On SI. A lifelong sports fan, he started writing game reactions and opinion pieces during Baylor football and basketball seasons, turning that hobby into a growing presence in sports media. He brings an authentic, fan-driven voice to his work and is excited to keep building his voice and breaking down the topics Baylor fans are talking about every day.
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