After a unique season with no fans in college basketball, Baylor is the best team in the NCAA. Baylor wants to go back-to-back after winning the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Baylor lost four starters from last year’s star-studded team, but they do not seem to care. Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler may have moved onto the NBA, but the 9-0 Baylor Bears are doing just fine without them.
The tradition of Baylor basketball is all about defense, as Mitchell shows that on the NBA floor. The mentality of “defense wins championships” really sticks with this team. This idea was shown in yesterday’s dominant win against top-10 team Villanova.
Villanova lost to Baylor 57-36, as Baylor’s defense did their job. The Villanova Wildcats shot 22.2% from the field to go along with their 36 points, which were head coach Jay Wright’s lowest marks in his 20-year coaching career with the team. The Wildcats, led by Collin Gillespie, rank sixth in adjusted offense efficiency, which really shows just how strong this Baylor team is.
“This Baylor team could be just as good as last year.”
Jay Wright
Defense is this teams identity, but they have a stellar offense as well. All nine of their wins this season have come by at least eight points.
“We’ve got a really good team — everybody can score 1 through 5. But the separator is getting those stops. We all take pride in our individual matchups. We compete against each other every day.”
James Akinjo of Baylor
The beauty behind this Baylor team is their balance. They do not have a player who will dominant the box scores every night, and they embrace that. Seven players on the team average at least eight points per game. The team has incredibly balanced scoring, combined with their stellar defense, which makes them scary.
Baylor looks to keep their undefeated record and No. 1 ranking as Big 12 play approaches in January.
