# 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.
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 before losing to Oklahoma State in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South region. The Bears defeated Hartford and Wisconsin to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They defeated Villanova and Arkansas to advance to the school's first Final Four since 1950. In the Final Four, they defeated Houston to advance to the school's second national championship game. In the championship, they defeated No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga to win the school's first national championship.

## Previous season

The Bears finished the season 2019–20 season 26–4 and 15–3 in Big 12 play to finish in second place. 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. The NCAA tournament was also canceled due to the pandemic.

## 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: 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: "Baylor 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020. "2021 Baylor Bears Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020. |||||||

## 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 :
| 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 |

## 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. The Bears were likewise forced to cancel their game scheduled for November 29 against Seton Hall.
| 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:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | 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.