'A lot more size, a lot more length' - Scott Drew previews Baylor's offense
The Baylor Bears have completely rebuilt their roster from scratch. They don't have a single player from last year's team returning in 2025. Despite that, the Bears are still predicted to have one of the best teams in the country this year because of the recruiting work they've put in this offseason.
The Newcomers
The Bears have brought in some elite talent, such as true freshman forward Tounde Yessoufou, the No. 14 overall player in the 2025 class. They also went overseas and got Maikcol Perez, one of the best recruits in Italy, and nabbed guys like Obi Agim and Michael Rataj, who both ranked as top-50 players in the portal.
This team is going to look completely different from the one that lost in the Round of 32 last year, and that may be a good thing. By completely overhauling their roster, it gave the coaching staff a chance to completely change things up. Their offense ranked 111th in scoring a year ago, so changing things up may be for the best.
"It was a chance for us to reset because a lot of times you want to keep carrying over in what you're doing because you have 50 or 75 percent of the team coming back. But this was a good reset for us to change some terminology and things like that as well."
Size and Length Were a Priority This Offseason
Earlier this week, Scott Drew took the podium to talk about the upcoming season. He was asked what he likes about his offense, and he said their size and their length, which he believes will help them be more effective than in years past.
"I can tell you that a lot more size, a lot more length," said Drew. "I think defensively we could take a step forward compared to what we've done the last couple of years. Then offensively, it's an adjustment. I think we've had a lot of smaller guards, explosive guards, and now we've got a bigger team, and we're just putting them in positions to be successful.
"In the last 13 out of 14 years, we've had a top 25 offense," Drew continued. "This will be a different offense, so I think we're going to have to work to make that happen, meaning coaches changing what we do, how we do things to fit our personnel, which we do every year, but this is a little bit more than we've done [in the past]. At the same time, having the summer to blend and get guys used to playing with each other, hopefully, it will be a big benefit."
The Bears' roster consists of 14 players, only one of whom are under 6-feet tall. They have four guards who are 6-foot-5 or taller, and they have three post players who are 6-foot-9 or taller. This team is full of size and length, so they should be able to attack the rim and score much more efficiently than they did a year ago.
If they can get this team to gel by the time the season starts, Baylor is going to be a legitimate threat in the Big 12. They're flying a bit under the radar this offseason, but they have the talent to make a deep run in March.
More From Baylor On SI:
Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.