3. Baylor Bears
Baylor quietly still has just one loss on the year, and is back in the top three following the chaotic week.
Scott Drew’s team didn’t play particularly well this week in narrow win over Texas Tech that included a controversial call at the end before earning a comeback victory against Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford. Still, the Bears avoided an upset to remain tied with Kansas atop the Big 12 at 7-1, and own an impressive overall resume at 20-1 with wins over Oregon and Louisville.
The Bears shot 35 percent from the field against the Red Raiders, but managed to pull through behind another strong defensive effort. Jo Acuil helped the offense bounce back with 16 points against Ole Miss in one of his best performances of the season.
KenPom ranks Baylor eighth nationally in adjusted efficiency behind a defense that is allowing opponents to shoot just 38.3 percent from the field. If Acuil can deliver more scoring in addition to Jonathan Motley and Manu Lecomete, the Bears will have enough offense to make a Final Four run.
Baylor will make its case for the Big 12 title with a huge matchup against Kansas on Wednesday night at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears will turn around and host a decent Kansas State team on Saturday, so this could be a huge week for their overall profile.