2020–21 Baylor Bears basketball team

The 2020–21 Baylor Bears basketball team represented Baylor University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bears, members of the Big 12 Conference, played their home games at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. They were led by 18th-year head coach Scott Drew.

2020–21 Baylor Bears basketball
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 3
Record28–2 (13–1 Big 12)
Head coach
Associate head coachJerome Tang (18th season)
Assistant coaches
Offensive schemeMotion
Base defenseNo-Middle
Home arenaFerrell Center
2020–21 Big 12 men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 1 Baylor131 .929282  .933
No. 16 Kansas126 .667219  .700
No. 21 Texas116 .647198  .704
No. 18 West Virginia116 .6471910  .655
No. 19 Oklahoma State117 .611219  .700
No. 22 Texas Tech98 .5291811  .621
Oklahoma98 .5291611  .593
TCU511 .3131214  .462
Kansas State414 .222920  .310
Iowa State018 .000222  .083
2021 Big 12 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2020–21 season was the greatest season in Baylor's 115-year basketball history. They finished the season 28–2, 13–1 in Big 12 play to win their first regular season championship of any sort since 1950. In the Big 12 tournament, they defeated Kansas State in the quarterfinals[1] before losing to Oklahoma State in the semifinals.[2] They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South region.[3] The Bears defeated Hartford[4] and Wisconsin to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.[5] They defeated Villanova[6] and Arkansas to advance to the school's first Final Four since 1950.[7][8] In the Final Four, they defeated Houston to advance to the school's second national championship game.[9][10] In the championship, they defeated No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga to win the school's first national championship.[11][12]

Previous season

The Bears finished the season 2019–20 season 26–4 and 15–3 in Big 12 play to finish in second place.[13] The team was scheduled to play Kansas State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament before the tournament was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The NCAA tournament was also canceled due to the pandemic.[15]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Devonte Bandoo2G6'3"185SeniorMississauga, ONGraduated
Obim Okeke15G6'0"225SeniorLas Vegas, NVGraduated
Tristan Clark25F6'10"245JuniorSan Antonio, TXRetired from basketball due to multiple injuries
Freddie Gillespie33F6'9"245RS SeniorSt. Paul, MNGraduated

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Mark Paterson35G6'1"180Graduate StudentDallas, TXSt. Edwards

2020 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
LJ Cryer
PG
Katy, TX Morton Ranch (TX) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jun 11, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 84
Dain Dainja
C
Brooklyn Park, MN Park Center (MN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 260 lb (120 kg) Jun 22, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 86
Zach Loveday
C
Gallipolis, OH Huntington Prep (WV) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sep 25, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 42  247Sports: 28  ESPN: 22
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Baylor 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  • "2020 Baylor Bears Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.

2021 Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2021 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Langston Love
SG
San Antonio, TX Montverde Academy (FL) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jul 15, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Jeremy Sochan
PF
Southampton, UK OrangeAcademy (GE) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jul 16, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 75
Kendall Brown
SF
Cottage Grove, MN Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jul 20, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 8  247Sports: 5  ESPN:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Preseason

Big 12 coaches' poll

The Big 12 preseason coaches' poll was released on October 29, 2020. Baylor was predicted to come in first place.

Big 12 coaches' poll[16]
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Baylor79(7)
2Kansas73(3)
3West Virginia61
4Texas58
5Texas Tech53
6Oklahoma39
7Oklahoma State35
8Iowa State19
9TCU18
10Kansas State15

Roster

2020–21 Baylor Bears men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 0 Flo Thamba 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) JrMountain Mission Kinshasa, DR Congo
G 4 LJ Cryer 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrMorton Ranch Katy, TX
G/F 5 Jordan Turner 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS FrSunrise Christian Academy Houston, TX
G 10 Adam Flagler 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS SoPresbyterian Duluth, GA
G/F 11 Mark Vital 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)250 lb (113 kg) RS SrAdvanced Prep International Lake Charles, LA
G 12 Jared Butler 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrRiverside Academy Reserve, LA
G/F 13 Jackson Moffatt (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg) RS SoMagnolia Magnolia, TX
F 23 Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS SoUNLV Douala, Cameroon
G/F 24 Matthew Mayer 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)225 lb (102 kg) JrWestlake Austin, TX
G 31 MaCio Teague 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SrUNC Asheville Cincinnati, OH
F 32 Zach Loveday 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrHuntington Prep Gallipolis, OH
G 35 Mark Paterson (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg) GSSt. Edward's Dallas, TX
F 42 Dain Dainja 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)270 lb (122 kg) FrPark Center Brooklyn Park, MN
G 45 Davion Mitchell 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS JrAuburn Hinesville, GA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 10, 2020

Schedule and results

The Bears' initial schedule included participation in the Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, where they would have played Arizona State on November 25, followed by either Villanova or Boston College on November 26; however, the Bears were forced to withdraw after Scott Drew announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.[17] The Bears were likewise forced to cancel their game scheduled for November 29 against Seton Hall.[17]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular Season
November 28, 2020*
7:00 p.m., FloHoops
No. 2 vs. Louisiana
Men's Vegas Bubble
W 112–82  1–0
 21  Teague  7  Teague  7  Mitchell  T-Mobile Arena (0)
Paradise, NV
November 29, 2020*
5:00 p.m., FloHoops
No. 2 vs. Washington
Men's Vegas Bubble
W 86–52  2–0
 20  Butler  15  Vital  7  Mitchell  T-Mobile Arena (0)
Paradise, NV
December 2, 2020*
9:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 vs. No. 5 Illinois
Jimmy V Classic
W 82–69  3–0
 18  Flagler  8  Tchatchoua  7  Mitchell  Bankers Life Fieldhouse (0)
Indianapolis, Indiana
December 5, 2020*
12:00 p.m., CBS
No. 2 vs. No. 1 Gonzaga
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, Indiana
December 9, 2020*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Stephen F. Austin
Replaced game against Nicholls scheduled for December 8
W 83–52  4–0
 14  Flagler  6  Tie  7  Tie  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
December 13, 2020
2:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 No. 13 Texas
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
December 15, 2020*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Tarleton State
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
December 19, 2020
3:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 at Kansas State W 100–69  5–0
(1–0)
 23  Teague  10  Teague  13  Butler  Bramlage Coliseum (848)
Manhattan, Kansas
December 21, 2020*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Arkansas–Pine Bluff W 99–42  6–0
 15  Cryer  8  Tied  7  Butler  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
December 29, 2020*
3:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Central Arkansas W 93–56  7–0
 20  Teague  11  Tchatchoua  12  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (0)
Waco, Texas
December 30, 2020*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Alcorn State W 105–76  8–0
 18  Teague  8  Tchatchoua  10  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
January 2, 2021
12:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 at Iowa State W 76–65  9–0
(2–0)
 21  Butler  10  Tchatchoua  5  Butler  Hilton Coliseum (1,318)
Ames, Iowa
January 6, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 Oklahoma W 76–61  10–0
(3–0)
 17  Teague  8  Vital  4  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
January 9, 2021
1:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at TCU W 67–49  11–0
(4–0)
 28  Butler  8  Butler  6  Mitchell  Schollmaier Arena (1,891)
Fort Worth, Texas
January 16, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at No. 15 Texas Tech W 68–60  12–0
(5–0)
 19  Mitchell  5  Tie  3  Butler  United Supermarkets Arena (4,250)
Lubbock, Texas
January 18, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 No. 9 Kansas W 77–69  13–0
(6–0)
 30  Butler  10  Vital  8  Butler  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
January 23, 2021
1:00 p.m., CBS
No. 2 at Oklahoma State W 81–66  14–0
(7–0)
 22  Butler  7  Mayer  9  Mitchell  Gallagher-Iba Arena (3,350)
Stillwater, Oklahoma
January 27, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 Kansas State W 107–59  15–0
(8–0)
 31  Mitchell  7  Butler  5  Tied  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
January 30, 2021*
3:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Auburn
Big 12/SEC Challenge
W 84–72  16–0
 19  Flagler  11  Thamba  7  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
February 2, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at No. 6 Texas W 83–69  17–0
(9–0)
 27  Mitchell  6  Tied  4  Mitchell  Frank Erwin Center (2,532)
Austin, Texas
February 6, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 TCU
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 10, 2021
5:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 at No. 12 Oklahoma
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
Lloyd Noble Center 
Norman, Oklahoma
February 13, 2021
1:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 No. 7 Texas Tech
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 15, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at No. 13 West Virginia
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
WVU Coliseum 
Morgantown, West Virginia
February 18, 2021
4:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 No. 13 West Virginia
Rescheduled from January 12;
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 20, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Oklahoma State
Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within Baylor
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 23, 2021
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 2 Iowa State W 77–72  18–0
(10–0)
 22  Flagler  15  Vital  4  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
February 25, 2021
4:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 2 No. 10 West Virginia
Rescheduled from February 18,
Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within West Virginia
Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 27, 2021
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at No. 17 Kansas L 58–71  18–1
(10–1)
 18  Teague  8  Teague  3  Tied  Allen Fieldhouse (2,600)
Lawrence, Kansas
March 2, 2021
4:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 at No. 6 West Virginia
Rescheduled from February 15
W 94–89 OT 19–1
(11–1)
 25  Butler  8  Vital  6  Butler  WVU Coliseum (2,800)
Morgantown, West Virginia
March 4, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 No. 17 Oklahoma State
Rescheduled from February 20
W 81–70  20–1
(12–1)
 22  Butler  7  Mayer  7  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
March 7, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 No. 18 Texas Tech
Rescheduled from February 13
W 88–73  21–1
(13–1)
 35  Teague  15  Vital  7  Mitchell  Ferrell Center (2,350)
Waco, Texas
Big 12 Tournament
March 11, 2021
1:30 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 2 vs. (9) Kansas State
Quarterfinals
W 74–68  22–1
 24  Teague  10  Vital  6  Vital  T-Mobile Center (3,491)
Kansas City, MO
March 12, 2021
5:30 pm, ESPN
(1) No. 2 vs. (5) No. 12 Oklahoma State
Semifinals
L 74–83  22–2
 17  Teague  10  Vital  3  Mitchell  T-Mobile Center (3,298)
Kansas City, MO
NCAA tournament
March 19, 2021
2:30 pm, truTV
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (16 S) Hartford
First Round
W 79–55  23–2
 22  Teague  9  Mayer  9  Butler  Lucas Oil Stadium (5,837)
Indianapolis, IN
March 21, 2021
1:40 pm, CBS
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (9 S) Wisconsin
Second Round
W 76–63  24–2
 17  Mayer  7  Vital  8  Mitchell  Hinkle Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 27, 2021
4:15 pm, CBS
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (5 S) No. 18 Villanova
Sweet Sixteen
W 62–51  25–2
 16  Flagler  9  Vital  3  Butler  Hinkle Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 29, 2021
8:57 pm, CBS
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (3 S) No. 10 Arkansas
Elite Eight
W 81–72  26–2
 22  Teague  6  Tchatchoua  6  Mitchell  Lucas Oil Stadium (7,519)
Indianapolis, IN
April 3, 2021
4:14 pm, CBS
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (2 MW) No. 6 Houston
Final Four
W 78–59  27–2
 17  Butler  6  Tchatchoua  11  Mitchell  Lucas Oil Stadium (8,131)
Indianapolis, IN
April 5, 2021
8:20 pm, CBS
(1 S) No. 3 vs. (1 W) No. 1 Gonzaga
National championship
W 86–70  28–2
 22  Butler  11  Vital  7  Butler  Lucas Oil Stadium 
Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

source:[18]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
( ) = First place votes.
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP2 (24)2 (6)2 (7)2 (7)2 (3)2 (2)2 (1)2 (1)2 (2)2 (3)2 (3)2 (8)2 (5)2 (4)32 (2)3Not released
Coaches1 (12)1 (12)^2 (8)2 (6)2 (5)2 (3)2 (3)2 (3)2 (3)2 (3)2 (4)2 (4)2 (4)2 (4)3231 (32)

^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.

See also

References

  1. "Kansas State vs. Baylor - Game Recap - March 11, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  2. "Oklahoma State inches closer to Big 12 Tournament title, but Baylor may benefit from upset loss". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  3. Werner, John. "Baylor Bears No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament". WacoTrib.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  4. "Hartford vs. Baylor - Game Recap - March 19, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  5. Goldberg, Rob. "No. 1 Baylor Holds Off No. 9 Wisconsin to Advance in 2021 NCAA Tournament". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  6. "NCAA Tournament 2021: No. 1 seed Baylor rallies in second half vs. Villanova to move on to Elite Eight". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  7. "Arkansas vs. Baylor - Box Score - March 29, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  8. "Baylor vs. Arkansas score, takeaways: Bears in first Final Four since 1950 after holding off Razorbacks". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  9. AP (April 3, 2021). "University of Houston's men's basketball team ends great season". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  10. "Baylor vs. Houston score: Bears overwhelm Cougars to advance to national title game". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  11. "Baylor vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - April 5, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  12. "Baylor Defeats Gonzaga To Win Its 1st Men's NCAA Basketball Championship". NPR.org. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  13. "2019-20 Baylor Bears Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  14. "2020 Big 12 Tournament canceled Thursday amid coronavirus pandemic concerns". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  15. "NCAA tournaments canceled over coronavirus". ESPN.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  16. "Baylor Picked as Big 12 Preseason Favorite for First Time". big12sports.com.
  17. Gardner, Michelle (November 23, 2020). "College basketball COVID updates: No. 1 Baylor stays home; Wichita State must return home after positive tests". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  18. "2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule". Baylor University. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
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