Three Top Individual Performances in Baylor's March Madness History
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With the March Madness tournament in full effect, the Bears were unfortunately left on the outside looking in this season after a rough performance from Scott Drew and his team. However, with that being said, that does not diminish the success that the Bears have had in the past under Scott Drew in March with them having won the whole tournament less than 7 years ago.
Each year in March Madness, there are always a couple of standout games from individual players that will go down in the history books. Whether it was last year's Walter Clayton Jr. for Florida, or Jack Goelke's 10 3 point game against Kentucky, these moments are what make the March Madness tournament one of the greatest sporting events in existence.
Below, we take a look back at a couple of the best all-time performances for the Baylor Bears during the March Madness tournament over the last 10-20 years.
1. Jared Butler vs Gonzaga
It is quite difficult to sum up all of the success that Jared Butler had throughout his illustrious career with the Baylor Bears. To list a couple of his accolades, Butler was a consensus First-Team All-American, Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and AP Big 12 Player of the Year in 2021 to name a few.
Butler had many games throughout the 2021 season that justified his accolades but none were more impressive and important than the Bears' matchup against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the National Championship game of March Madness. Butler finished the game with 22 points (which included 4 made 3 point shots), 7 assists and 3 rebounds. Butler led the team in points and was an integral component to the Bears' cumulative success in 2021.
2. V.J. Edgecombe & Rob Wright III vs. Mississippi State
There have been many talented guards who have made their way through the Baylor Basketball program. Under head coach Scott Drew, many Baylor guards who have gone on to the NBA have had a similar playing style. Big, athletic guards who have the ability to step outside the ark and knock down the 3, but are true bruisers inside the ark. That was certainly the case when describing former Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe.
Edgecombe was a steady contributor to Scott Drew in 2025 and his performance against Mississippi State in the round of 32 was needed in order for the Bears to leave that game with a win. Along with Edgecombe is now BYU point guard Robert Wright III. An up and down season, Wright III was very consistent in March and finished with 19 points on 8/15 from the field for Scott Drew. If not for Edgecombe and Wright III, the result of this game could have been very different.
Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.