Takeaways After Oklahoma Ends Baylor Basketball's Season
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The Baylor Bears fall short against the Oklahoma Sooners in the semifinal game of the College Basketball Crown Tournament.
After routing Minnesota in the first round, the Sooners conquer the old Big 12 rivalry behind Xzayvier Brown (21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and 40 minutes of solid defense.
Final from Las Vegas#SicEm | #CultureofJOY | @premiererplus pic.twitter.com/itc9uNlrjw
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) April 4, 2026
Yessoufou proves he needs more time
Tounde Yessoufou has been a projected first-round pick for most of the season but has recently proved that he might benefit from another year of collegiate ball to develop.
This afternoon, Yessoufou had 15 points on 12 shots (1-5 from deep). While this alone isn't a terrible outing, it was the four turnovers that hurt the freshman's stock today, who recently fell out of the first round.
If the Bears can keep the talented Yessoufou around, he would greatly improve the outlook for Baylor's season, along with being an almost guaranteed first-rounder in the 2027 NBA draft.
While you never want your own players to underperform, this could benefit Baylor hoops in the future.
Bright spots
Early on the Bears could not wake up the offense, but it was Isaac Williams IV and Dan Skillings Jr. that got the ball rolling in Las Vegas. The role players combined for 27 points, making 10 of their 18 shots.
Williams IV looked sharp throughout the whole game, which is a great sign for Baylor fans as the sophomore just signed a 2-year deal to finish his career as a Bear.
The guard continues to drive the ball with a vengeance, getting fouled or dishing it out to a big man in the paint. It will be intriguing to see how his game develops in the Baylor offense in the coming years.
Skillings Jr. finishes his basketball career with one of his best games of the season, playing 20 minutes while being the Bears' most efficient shooter, giving life to the often flat offense.
The Baylor Bears will not look the same
Like it or not, Baylor Basketball will have a very new look next year, as Cameron Carr is sure to be drafted, and a handful of seniors will be leaving the program behind.
It was a disappointing season for fans; finishing 17-17 is never the goal for a Baylor team as long as Scott Drew is around. It certainly felt like the Bears were close to putting it together at many different times, but fans will have to turn their attention to next year.
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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