The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Sports
One hoops squad surges while the other slumps. Meanwhile, Football continues its offseason makeover.
Here’s a look at The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from the past week in Baylor Athletics.
The Good
The Transfer Portal Giveth — Football continued its roster reshuffling, picking up a pair of commits out of the portal. First, Michigan State freshman kicker Jack Stone announced his move to Waco. The Highland Park alum will be a walk-on which is a bonus as it keeps another scholarship free for needs elsewhere.
Then on Sunday, as the Bears wrapped a pivotal weekend of recruiting visits, Miami cornerback Isaiah Dunson committed, giving a secondary riddled by departures some new life and needed experience. The former four-star has two years of eligibility remaining, too.
Road Warriors — No. 23 WBB had a statement week, earning back-to-back Top 25 road wins for the first time in program history, defeating No. 17 Oklahoma (81-70) and No. 21 Kansas (75-62). Guard Sarah Andrews was a walking bucket, leading the team with 30 points against the Sooners and 27 against the Jayhawks. Andrews and Bears are now 3-0 in conference play and next host Oklahoma State on Wednesday, followed by a weekend trip to Morgantown.
5-Star Moves — It was a rough week on the court for Scott Drew and MBB but off it, they reeled in a colossal pledge with the commitment of five-star 2024 center Yves Missi. He pushes the Bears’ class to No. 2 nationally, joining up with fellow Top 25 five-star Jason Asemota and Top 100 4-star Rob Wright.
Once a Bear, Always a Bear? — In a follow-up, some recent roster departures made decisions on new schools. Defensive backs Al Walcott and Lorando ‘Snaxx’ Johnson will remain teammates after both pledged to Arkansas. Wide receiver Seth Jones heads to Tampa after choosing USF, meaning he’ll be catching passes from Gerry Bohanon and playing alongside Yusuf Terry. Finally, OL Micah Mazzccua will decide between Nebraska, Florida, and Auburn later this week. Bon voyage.
The Bad
Dre’Una Edwards — She will not suit up this season due to transfer rules and expressed her frustration via social media this past week. While explaining her point of view, Edwards was critical of her old coach Kyra Elzy, eventually earning a response from the Kentucky HC when asked about the situation in a presser. Elzy claimed Edwards and Baylor knew full well she would have to sit out this season as a two-time transfer and non-graduate. However, rules are rules, and the comments brought finality to any dim hope Edwards could join the team this year via a signed waiver. Although the delivery left a lot to be desired for a coach talking about a former player.
Following Sunday’s win, Nicki Collen made it clear they’ve since directed their focus on getting Edwards ready to play next year. Meanwhile, Elzy and the Wildcats lost their fourth straight, pushing UK to 8-8 overall and 0-4 in the SEC.
Tang Good Coach — Jerome Tang’s tenure in Manhattan is already paying significant returns for the ‘Cats and an excruciatingly tough Big 12. Tang has quickly become a shooting star in college basketball, and it’s incredible to see, but unfortunately, that recently came at the cost of his old team and Scott Drew. It was an emotional Saturday, even before the dramatics of the actual game and overtime finish. There are still at least one, if not two, encounters awaiting this season. In due time, squaring off with Tang will become normal, and perhaps Baylor vs. K-State will become one of the sports’ best friendly rivalries. A tough loss for Drew from multiple angles.
The Ugly
An 0-3 Start — Baylor MBB has found itself in a hole of quicksand if they’re not careful, thanks to a combo of heartbreakers at home last week. First, the 1-point loss to TCU after the Bears went ice cold and crumbled in the second half. Then, the aforementioned emotional OT defeat against Tang’s red-hot Wildcats. Some of the prevalent concerns only became more glaring in defeats. But there’s no letting up. Now, the Bears head to Morgantown on Wednesday before hosting Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Chris Beard — An ugly private situation led to an ugly and abrupt ending to Beard and UT’s hoop dreams. A total disaster for all involved.
