Predicting Baylor's Final Six Games of the Regular Season
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We’ve reached the home stretch of the season, and the Baylor Bears are a desperate basketball team as we get to the end of February and the early portion of March.
We recently talked about the path for Baylor to get into the tournament, and it’s going to take their best stretch of the season.
There are just six games to go, and here is one man’s take about how the Bears will fare in the final stretch of the year.
@ Kansas State
Baylor has played poorly for most of the year, and therefore cannot take anyone lightly, but if there were ever a winnable game left on the schedule, this would be one.
Kansas State is tied for the worst record in conference play at 1-11, and recently fired their Head Coach. In return, their coach is potentially going to pursue litigation against the school for wrongful termination.
It’s hard to imagine the Wildcats will be overly focused on getting a win with all the distractions surrounding the program.
Prediction: Win
Vs Arizona State
Arizona State is a potential big game for the Bears, as it’s the first true challenge coming out of what should be a win against Kansas State.
It’s also a return to their home floor for a big game. Baylor has been able to put together some big wins in Waco this season, even if they struggled recently against BYU.
This feels like a game where the role players like Obi Agbim and Michael Rataj will play well enough to get them back in the win column, setting up a showdown against Arizona, for another chance at a big boost for their season.
Prediction: Win
Vs Arizona
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The Bears have been in this position a bunch this season. They put together a two-game winning streak before getting blown out by the Kansas Jayhawks in January.
They put together another two-game winning streak before falling behind significantly against Iowa State before rallying late for a three-point loss.
Baylor simply hasn’t proven enough to have confidence in them being able to score a big win against a premier team this season.
Prediction: Loss
@ UCF
If the Bears are going to make the NCAA Tournament, they’re going to need a big win against a program like Arizona or Houston, while also stacking wins against the other teams on their schedule. UCF is far from a layup this season as they’re in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 with a 6-6 record. Average has been better than what Baylor has put on the floor this year, and this game will be played on the road.
After a deflating loss against Arizona, this feels like a game that Baylor could still be reeling from their previous contest.
Prediction: Loss
@ Houston
Again, fool me once… You know the rest from there. Houston has been dominant again this season after last year’s appearance in the national championship game.
Baylor has given no reason to believe they can knock off a team like that on the road.
Prediction: Loss
Vs Utah
Houston is a tough team to beat. Utah has not been that so far this season. Those are the types of games Baylor has won this season. This should be a good final performance in Waco for stars like Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou before they likely head to the NBA.
Prediction: Win
More from Baylor on SI
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Jacob Westendorf is a contributing writer for Baylor Bears on SI. He is also a writer covering the Green Bay Packers for Packers on SI. Westendorf graduated from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism and mass media. He worked in newspapers in Green Bay and Rockford, Illinois. He also interned at Packer Report for Bill Huber while earning his degree. In 2018, he became a staff writer for PackerReport.com, and a regular contributor on Packer Report's "Pack A Day Podcast." In 2020, he founded the media company Game On Wisconsin. In 2023, he rejoined Packer Central, which is part of Sports Illustrated Media Group.