NCAA basketball: Top 15 appointment-worthy teams to watch this season

2. Baylor Bears

One of the most surprising developments during last season was the emergence of Baylor as one of the nation’s top teams. The Bears racked up an impressive 23-game winning streak before losing three of their final five games.

The vast majority of Baylor’s core from that team is back, including Jared Butler, a contender for the Big 12’s Player of the Year award. The Bears’ incredible depth will make them a serious threat for a Big 12 title as well as the national championship.

This season will be a very important one for Scott Drew, who can really build a runway to establish Baylor as a powerhouse program. The Bears also figure to be one of the nation’s best defensive teams, a quality that will pay big dividends in March.

Baylor’s biggest non-conference test is a matchup with Gonzaga that could pit two of the top teams from the preseason polls against one another. Whoever wins that matchup could seriously boost their resume with the selection committee.