2020–21 Baylor Bears basketball team

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2020–21 Baylor Bears basketball
Baylor Athletics logo.svg
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 3
2020–21 record28–2 (13–1 Big 12)
Head coach
Associate head coachJerome Tang (18th season)
Assistant coaches
  • Alvin Brooks III (5th season)
  • John Jakus (4th season)
Offensive schemeMotion
Base defenseNo-Middle
Home arenaFerrell Center
Seasons
2020–21 Big 12 men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 3 Baylor 13 – 1   .929 28 – 2   .933
No. 12 Kansas 12 – 6   .667 21 – 9   .700
No. 9 Texas † 11 – 6   .647 19 – 8   .704
No. 13 West Virginia 11 – 6   .647 19 – 10   .655
No. 11 Oklahoma State 11 – 7   .611 21 – 9   .700
No. 21 Texas Tech 9 – 8   .529 18 – 11   .621
Oklahoma 9 – 8   .529 16 – 11   .593
TCU 5 – 11   .313 12 – 14   .462
Kansas State 4 – 14   .222 9 – 20   .310
Iowa State 0 – 18   .000 2 – 22   .083
† 2021 Big 12 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

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.

The 2020–21 season was arguably 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[]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Devonte Bandoo 2 G 6'3" 185 Senior Mississauga, ON Graduated
Obim Okeke 15 G 6'0" 225 Senior Las Vegas, NV Graduated
Tristan Clark 25 F 6'10" 245 Junior San Antonio, TX Retired from basketball due to multiple injuries
Freddie Gillespie 33 F 6'9" 245 RS Senior St. Paul, MN Graduated

Incoming transfers[]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Mark Paterson 35 G 6'1" 180 Graduate Student Dallas, TX St. Edwards

Recruiting classes[]

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[]

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)
1 Baylor 79(7)
2 Kansas 73(3)
3 West Virginia 61
4 Texas 58
5 Texas Tech 53
6 Oklahoma 39
7 Oklahoma State 35
8 Iowa State 19
9 TCU 18
10 Kansas State 15

Roster[]

2020–21 Baylor Bears men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
F 0 Flo Thamba 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Mountain Mission Kinshasa, DR Congo
G 4 LJ Cryer 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Morton Ranch Katy, TX
G/F 5 Jordan Turner 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Fr Sunrise Christian Academy Houston, TX
G 10 Adam Flagler 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS So Presbyterian Duluth, GA
G/F 11 Mark Vital 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 250 lb (113 kg) RS Sr Advanced Prep International Lake Charles, LA
G 12 Jared Butler 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Riverside Academy Reserve, LA
G/F 13 Jackson Moffatt (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS So Magnolia Magnolia, TX
F 23 Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 245 lb (111 kg) RS So UNLV Douala, Cameroon
G/F 24 Matthew Mayer 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jr Westlake Austin, TX
G 31 MaCio Teague 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Sr UNC Asheville Cincinnati, OH
F 32 Zach Loveday 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Huntington Prep Gallipolis, OH
G 35 Mark Paterson (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) GS St. Edward's Dallas, TX
F 42 Dain Dainja 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 270 lb (122 kg) Fr Park Center Brooklyn Park, MN
G 45 Davion Mitchell 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Jr Auburn Hinesville, GA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Alvin Brooks III (Idaho State)
  • John Jakus (Trinity International)
  • Jerome Tang (Charter Oak State)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 10, 2020

Depth Chart[]

Pos. Starting 5 Bench
C Flo Thamba Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
PF Mark Vital
SF MaCio Teague Matthew Mayer
SG Jared Butler Adam Flagler
PG Davion Mitchell

[17]

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.[18] The Bears were likewise forced to cancel their game scheduled for November 29 against Seton Hall.[18]

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 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 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
Postponed 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
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 10, 2021
5:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 2 at No. 12 Oklahoma
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Lloyd Noble Center 
Norman, Oklahoma
February 13, 2021
1:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 2 No. 7 Texas Tech
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 15, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 2 at No. 13 West Virginia
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		WVU Coliseum 
Morgantown, West Virginia
February 18, 2021
4:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 2 No. 13 West Virginia
Rescheduled from January 12; Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Ferrell Center 
Waco, Texas
February 20, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 2 Oklahoma State
Postponed 		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 		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: [19]

Rankings[]

See also: 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Final 
AP 2 (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) 3 2 (2) 3 Not released 
Coaches 1 (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) 3 2 3 1 (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 2021-07-22.
  2. ^ "Oklahoma State inches closer to Big 12 Tournament title, but Baylor may benefit from upset loss". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  3. ^ jwerner@wacotrib.com, JOHN WERNER. "Baylor Bears No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament". WacoTrib.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  4. ^ "Hartford vs. Baylor - Game Recap - March 19, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  5. ^ Goldberg, Rob. "No. 1 Baylor Holds Off No. 9 Wisconsin to Advance in 2021 NCAA Tournament". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  6. ^ "NCAA Tournament 2021: No. 1 seed Baylor rallies in second half vs. Villanova to move on to Elite Eight". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  7. ^ "Arkansas vs. Baylor - Box Score - March 29, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  8. ^ "Baylor vs. Arkansas score, takeaways: Bears in first Final Four since 1950 after holding off Razorbacks". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  9. ^ AP (2021-04-03). "University of Houston's men's basketball team ends great season". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  10. ^ "Baylor vs. Houston score: Bears overwhelm Cougars to advance to national title game". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  11. ^ "Baylor vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - April 5, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  12. ^ "Baylor Defeats Gonzaga To Win Its 1st Men's NCAA Basketball Championship". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  13. ^ "2019-20 Baylor Bears Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  14. ^ "2020 Big 12 Tournament canceled Thursday amid coronavirus pandemic concerns". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  15. ^ "NCAA tournaments canceled over coronavirus". ESPN.com. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  16. ^ "Baylor Picked as Big 12 Preseason Favorite for First Time". big12sports.com.
  17. ^ "2020-21 Baylor Bears Starting Lineups". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference CBB. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Gardner, Michelle (23 November 2020). "College basketball COVID updates: No. 1 Baylor stays home; Wichita State must return home after positive tests". Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  19. ^ "2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule". Baylor University. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
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