2021–22 Baylor Bears men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Baylor Bears men's basketball team represents Baylor University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which will be the Bears' 116th basketball season. The Bears, members of the Big 12 Conference, play their home games at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. They are led by 19th-year head coach Scott Drew.

2021–22 Baylor Bears men's basketball
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
2021–22 record9–0 (0–0 Big 12)
Head coach
Associate head coachJerome Tang (19th season)
Assistant coaches
Offensive schemeMotion
Base defenseNo-Middle
Home arenaFerrell Center
2021–22 Big 12 men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 11 Iowa State0–0 –10–0  1.000
No. 1 Baylor0–0 –9–0  1.000
West Virginia0–0 –9–1  .900
No. 7 Kansas0–0 –8–1  .889
TCU0–0 –8–1  .889
No. 25 Texas Tech0–0 –8–1  .889
Oklahoma0–0 –8–2  .800
No. 17 Texas0–0 –7–2  .778
Kansas State0–0 –6–3  .667
Oklahoma State*0–0 –6–3  .667
*Ineligible for both the 2022 Big 12 Tournament and the 2022 NCAA Tournament due to postseason ban imposed by the NCAA.
† 2022 Big 12 Tournament winner
As of December 13, 2021; Rankings from AP Poll

This is the first season in which the terms "men's" and "women's" are needed to distinguish Baylor's basketball teams. Before this season, Baylor women's basketball had used the nickname "Lady Bears", but on September 3, 2021, the school announced that basketball, soccer, and volleyball, the last three Baylor women's sports still using "Lady", would use only "Bears" from that point forward.[1][2]

Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bears finished the 2020–21 season 28–2, 13–1 in Big 12 play to win the regular season championship. In the Big 12 Tournament, they defeated Kansas State in the quarterfinals[3] before losing to Oklahoma State in the semifinals.[4] They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South region.[5] The Bears defeated Hartford[6] and Wisconsin to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.[7] They defeated Villanova[8] and Arkansas to advance to the school's first Final Four since 1950.[9][10] In the Final Four, they defeated Houston to advance to the school's first National Championship Game.[11][12] In the championship, they defeated No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga to win the school's first National Championship.[13][14]

Offseason

Departures

All players listed as "graduated" had the option to return in 2021–22. The NCAA ruled that the 2020–21 season, dramatically impacted by COVID-19, would not count against the eligibility of any basketball player. Also, declaration for the NBA draft does not necessarily lead to loss of college eligibility. Junior guard Mathew Mayer declared for the NBA draft,[15] but withdrew his name from consideration and returned to Baylor.[16]

Baylor Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Mark Vital11F/G6'5"250 SeniorLake Charles, LAGraduated, declared for NBA draft[17]
Jared Butler12G6'3"195JuniorReserve, LADeclared for NBA draft[18]
MaCio Teague31G6'4"195 SeniorCincinnati, OHGraduated, declared for NBA draft[19]
Mark Paterson35G6'1"180Graduate StudentDallas, TXGraduated
Davion Mitchell45G6'2"205 JuniorHinesville, GADeclared for NBA Draft[20]

2021 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Langston Love
SG		 Universal City, TX Montverde Academy (FL) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Jul 15, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 89
Jeremy Sochan
PF		 Milton Keynes, EN OrangeAcademy (GE) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 217 lb (98 kg) Jul 16, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   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: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 14  247Sports: 10
  • 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 April 22, 2021.
  • "2021 Baylor Bears Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

    Roster
    2021–22 Baylor Bears men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    F 0 Flo Thamba 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) SrMountain Mission (VA) Kinshasa, DR Congo
    F 1 Jeremy Sochan 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)230 lb (104 kg) FrOrangeAcademy (GE) Milton Keynes, EN
    G/F 2 Kendall Brown 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrSunrise Christian Academy (KS) Cottage Grove, MN
    G 3 Dale Bonner 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)170 lb (77 kg) JrShaker Heights
    Fairmont State    		 Shaker Heights, OH
    G 4 LJ Cryer 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoMorton Ranch Katy, TX
    G/F 5 Jordan Turner 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SoSunrise Christian Academy (KS) Houston, TX
    G 10 Adam Flagler 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS JrPresbyterian Duluth, GA
    G 11 James Akinjo 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrArizona Oakland, CA
    G 13 Langston Love   6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrMontverde Academy (FL) Universal City, TX
    G 14 Mitchell Paul (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)175 lb (79 kg) SrKansas City Christian Leawood, KS
    F 20 Austin Sacks (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg) SoOakwood
    Santa Clara    		 Encino, CA
    G 21 Kijana Love (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) SrSt. Edward's Universal City, TX
    F 23 Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)245 lb (111 kg) RS JrUNLV Douala, Cameroon
    G/F 24 Matthew Mayer 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrWestlake Austin, TX
    F 32 Zach Loveday 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoHuntington Prep (WV) Gallipolis, OH
    F 42 Dain Dainja 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)270 lb (122 kg) RS FrPark Center Brooklyn Park, MN
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster
    Last update: November 27, 2021

    Schedule and results

    Baylor played in the early-season Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. The rest of the field included Arizona State, Auburn, UConn, Loyola Chicago, Michigan State, Syracuse, and VCU.[21]

    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular Season
    November 12, 2021*
    7:30 p.m., ESPN+    		 No. 8 Incarnate Word W 87–60  1–0
    		  14 – Mayer  10 – Tchamwa Tchatchoua  6 – Akinjo  Ferrell Center (8,895)
    Waco, TX
    November 15, 2021*
    11:00 a.m., ESPN+    		 No. 9 Nicholls W 89–60  2–0
    		  20 – Cryer  9 – Brown  10 – Brown  Ferrell Center (9,307)
    Waco, TX
    November 17, 2021*
    7:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 No. 9 Central Arkansas W 92–47  3–0
    		  20 – Cryer  12 – Sochan  10 – Akinjo  Ferrell Center (6,667)
    Waco, TX
    November 20, 2021*
    12:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 No. 9 Stanford W 86–48  4–0
    		  21 – Cryer  7 – Tchamwa Tchatchoua  11 – Akinjo  Ferrell Center (7,048)
    Waco, TX
    November 24, 2021*
    6:30 p.m., ESPN2    		 No. 6 vs. Arizona State
    Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinal    		 W 75–63  5–0
    		  15 – Cryer  9 – Sochan  7 – Akinjo  Imperial Arena (843)
    Paradise Island, Bahamas
    November 25, 2021*
    4:00 p.m., ESPN    		 No. 6 vs. VCU
    Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal    		 W 69–61  6–0
    		  15 – Mayer  8 – Tchamwa Tchatchoua  2 – Tied  Imperial Arena (929)
    Paradise Island, Bahamas
    November 26, 2021*
    10:00 a.m., ESPN    		 No. 6 vs. Michigan State
    Battle 4 Atlantis championship    		 W 75–58  7–0
    		  15 – Akinjo  7 – Mayer  5 – Tied  Imperial Arena (1,305)
    Paradise Island, Bahamas
    December 4, 2021*
    4:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 No. 4 Arkansas–Pine Bluff W 99–54  8–0
    		  20 – Cryer  13 – Tchamwa Tchatchoua  3 – Akinjo  Ferrell Center (6,207)
    Waco, TX
    December 12, 2021*
    2:00 p.m., ABC    		 No. 2 No. 6 Villanova
    Big East–Big 12 Battle    		 W 57–36  9–0
    		  16 – Akinjo  10 – Sochan  5 – Tied  Ferrell Center (10,264)
    Waco, TX
    December 18, 2021*
    9:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 No. 1 at Oregon     Matthew Knight Arena 
    Eugene, OR
    December 20, 2021*
    6:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 Alcorn State     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    December 28, 2021*
    7:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 Northwestern State     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    January 1, 2022
    1:00 p.m., ESPNU    		 at Iowa State     Hilton Coliseum 
    Ames, IA
    January 4, 2022
    6:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 Oklahoma     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    January 8, 2022
    4:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 at TCU     Schollmaier Arena 
    Fort Worth, TX
    January 11, 2022
    6:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2    		 Texas Tech     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    January 15, 2022
     ESPN2/ESPNU    		 Oklahoma State     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    January 18, 2022
    4:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 at West Virginia     WVU Coliseum 
    Morgantown, WV
    January 22, 2022
    2:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 at Oklahoma     Lloyd Noble Center 
    Norman, OK
    January 25, 2022
    7:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 Kansas State     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    January 29, 2022*
    3:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2    		 at Alabama
    Big 12/SEC Challenge    		     Coleman Coliseum 
    Tuscaloosa, AL
    January 31, 2022
    8:00 p.m., ESPN    		 West Virginia     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    February 5, 2022
    3:00 p.m., ESPN    		 at Kansas     Allen Fieldhouse 
    Lawrence, KS
    February 9, 2022
    7:00 p.m., ESPN+    		 at Kansas State     Bramlage Coliseum 
    Manhattan, KS
    February 12, 2022
    11:00 a.m., ESPN/ESPN2    		 Texas     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    February 16, 2022
    8:00 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU    		 at Texas Tech     United Supermarkets Arena 
    Lubbock, TX
    February 19, 2022
    1:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU    		 TCU     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    February 21, 2022
    8:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2    		 at Oklahoma State     Gallagher-Iba Arena 
    Stillwater, OK
    February 26, 2022
    7:00 p.m., ESPN    		 Kansas     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    February 28, 2022
    8:00 p.m., ESPN    		 at Texas     Frank Erwin Center 
    Austin, TX
    March 5, 2022
    5:00 p.m., ESPN2    		 Iowa State     Ferrell Center 
    Waco, TX
    Big 12 Tournament
    March 9-10, 2022
    		 vs. TBD
    First round/Quarterfinals    		     T-Mobile Center 
    Kansas City, MO
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Central Time.

    Rankings
    See also: 2021–22 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 17 18 19 Final 
    AP 8 9 6 4 2 1 (61) Not released 
    Coaches 8 8^ 5 4 (1) 2 (3) 1 (30)

    *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings.
    ^Coaches did not release a week 1 poll.

    References
    1. Quillen, Kurtis (September 3, 2021). "Baylor University to drop 'Lady Bears' nickname from women's teams". Temple, TX: KCEN-TV. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
    2. Voepel, Mechelle (September 4, 2021). "Baylor women's hoops drops 'Lady' from team name, to be known as Bears". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
    3. "Kansas State vs. Baylor - Game Recap - March 11, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    4. "Oklahoma State inches closer to Big 12 Tournament title, but Baylor may benefit from upset loss". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    5. jwerner@wacotrib.com, JOHN WERNER. "Baylor Bears No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament". WacoTrib.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    6. "Hartford vs. Baylor - Game Recap - March 19, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    7. Goldberg, Rob. "No. 1 Baylor Holds Off No. 9 Wisconsin to Advance in 2021 NCAA Tournament". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    8. "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.
    9. "Arkansas vs. Baylor - Box Score - March 29, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    10. "Baylor vs. Arkansas score, takeaways: Bears in first Final Four since 1950 after holding off Razorbacks". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    11. AP (2021-04-03). "University of Houston's men's basketball team ends great season". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    12. "Baylor vs. Houston score: Bears overwhelm Cougars to advance to national title game". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    13. "Baylor vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - April 5, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    14. Treisman, Rachel; McCallister, Doreen (6 April 2021). "Baylor Defeats Gonzaga To Win Its 1st Men's NCAA Basketball Championship". NPR. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
    15. "Baylor guard Matthew Mayer declares for 2021 NBA draft, retains college eligibility". dallasnews.com. The Dallas Morning News. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
    16. "Source: Matthew Mayer to withdraw from NBA draft, return to Baylor for senior season". espn.com. ESPN. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
    17. "Baylor senior Mark Vital declares for the NBA Draft". kwtx.com. KWTX. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
    18. "Baylor's Jared Butler declares for NBA Draft".
    19. "MaCio Teague, Baylor Bears guard from Walnut Hills HS, declares for 2021 NBA Draft".
    20. "2021 NBA Draft: Baylor star Davion Mitchell declares after helping lead Bears to first national championship". CBS Sports. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
    21. "2021-22 Men's College Basketball Exempt Multi-Team Events". bloggingthebracket.com. SB Nation. April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
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