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Baylor basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 early preview

By Mike Phillips

WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears in the first half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears in the first half at Ferrell Center on February 22, 2020 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 10: Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears stands on the court during the game with the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on February 10, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 10: Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears stands on the court during the game with the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on February 10, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

How did Baylor do this season?

If you want to judge Baylor in comparison to their preseason expectations this season was a massive success. The Bears put together a 23-game winning streak, spent a significant chunk of time atop the polls, and earned the school’s first-ever win at Kansas to boot.

This team was very impressive because it was a true sum of its parts. Baylor did have a bona fide star in Jared Butler but the Bears’ strength was its depth, including a rotation that featured various players who offered specialization in areas like shot-blocking, three-point shooting, and rebounding.

The problem with evaluating Baylor is that their early-season performance raised expectations for the program significantly. People began looking at the Bears as a national title contender, which was certainly a possibility given the lack of a truly dominant team in college basketball.

The pressure clearly began to affect the Bears as well since Baylor began playing much tighter games in the month of February. The end of the month was particularly discouraging since the Bears dropped three of their final five games, handing the Big 12 title back to Kansas.

It is entirely possible that the rigors of Big 12 play were taking a toll on Baylor and that the Bears would have put together a great performance in the NCAA Tournament. It is important to consider momentum, however, and the Bears’ poor play was more likely to lead to an early exit than a Final Four run.