No. 8 Baylor adds 2 Final Four players and Bahamas-born freshman guard after losing 4 starters
Baylor (24-11, 11-7 Big 12)
Scott Drew is going into his 22nd season at No. 8 Baylor, having stayed in Waco after being linked to Kentucky's coaching vacancy last April. The Bears lost four starters, including one-and-done freshmen Ja'Kobe Walter and center Yves Missi both being first-round NBA draft picks. The nine newcomers include major conference transfers guard Jeremy Roach (Duke), double-double averaging forward Norchad Omier (Miami) and versatile Jalen Celestine (California). Roach and Omier have both been to a Final Four. Five-star recruit VJ Edgecombe, a Bahamas-born shooting guard, is the headliner of a standout freshman group.
Players to watch
Roach (5th-year senior G, 6-2, 14.0 ppg and 3.3 apg). Roach started 108 of his 130 games at Duke the past four seasons. He first became a starter for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final team at Duke that reached the Final Four in 2022.
Omier (5th-year senior, PF, 6-7, 17.0 ppg and 10 rpg). Omier averaged 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 120 games over the past four seasons — two with Arkansas State before the two with Miami, where he was in the Final Four in 2023.
Edgecombe (True freshman G, 6-4). Edgecombe could be another one-and-done player for the Bears, but the speedy and athletic guard should have a huge impact in the short time he is expected to be in the Big 12. He can score from the perimeter and play strong around the rim.
Departures and arrivals
Walter was expected to be a one-and-done, and was Baylor's leading scorer (14.5 ppg). The Bears had six players who averaged in double-figure scoring last season. They were the four departed starters plus guards junior Langston Love (11.0 ppg) and senior Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg), the only returning starters. Edgecombe is among five true freshmen, and Omier is one of three graduate transfers.
Top games
The Bears will get tested right away, with its season opener Nov. 4 at sixth-ranked Gonzaga, the team they beat in the national championship game in 2021. Five days later, they play No. 16 Arkansas with its new coach John Calipari at the home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. The Bears also play at third-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn on Dec. 4, and could face No. 12 Tennessee in a Bahamas tournament before that. Baylor's Big 12 opener is New Year's Eve at home against Utah, and its first league road game is at No. 5 Iowa State.
Facts and figures
Drew is 444-244 at Baylor. ... With a 128-35 record since 2019, the Bears are the winningest major conference program in that span. ... This will be the first full season at Foster Pavilion on the edge of the Brazos River. The Bears moved into the new arena last January and went 8-2 there. ... Baylor is the only school to win 11 or more Big 12 games each of the past five seasons. .
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