The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Sports
The summer months have not yet brought about hibernation for the Bears, as men's basketball, football, and baseball all experienced roster changes, plus another Bear is off to the XFL.
Here's a look at The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from the past week in Baylor Athletics.
THE GOOD
Jalen Bridges — A much-anticipated decision for men's hoops arrived last week as Bridges revealed he will return to Waco for one more season. In doing so, he brought the Bears some roster finality, and most importantly, the team returns a potential star that can help bridge the gap to higher aspirations and expectations for next season — a massive return.
New Commit — Football picked up some recruiting steam with the commitment of Arlington Bowie safety Kris "Koko" Wokomah. He chose the Bears over Texas Tech, Houston, Kansas, and Wazzu, among others — a big score for Matt Powledge and the staff on the trail for the 2024 class.
Jacob Gall — Congrats to Gall on his selection in the XFL Rookie Draft by the St. Louis Battlehawks. A two-year starter in Waco, he went undrafted in April before receiving a couple of NFL rookie minicamp invites, which didn't result in any deal. Now, a different opportunity to continue playing the game has emerged for Gall. Former Bears Jordan Williams and Abram Smith each shined in the XFL's return last season.
Baseball Transfer — Let the roster makeover commence. Mitch Thompson's squad added sophomore infielder Jack Little from Wichita State, an AAC All-Freshman selection and Katy native.
USA, USA — Volleyball's Averi Carlson earned one of 20 coveted spots on the USA Collegiate National Team, now training for the next week alongside the U.S. Women's National Team in California. Bears teammate Lauren Briseño also earned a spot as an alternate. Representing your country and participating in a national team competition seems like an extraordinary experience.
THE BAD
A.J. McCarty — Losing an expected major contributor two months before the season is downright puzzling, but that's what happened when McCarty announced he'd entered the transfer portal. It quickly became apparent this was a program decision, which helped soothe the sting, especially in light of last season's major themes and struggles. Aranda deserves the benefit of the doubt and to follow through on the lessons learned from last season's chemistry issues. Best of luck to McCarty, who earned Texas Tech and Texas State offers soon after his decision went public. There's a strong possibility he and the program will cross paths again.
THE UGLY
Bob Huggins — Sheesh. Huggins' sudden demise in Morgantown is far from Baylor's problem, but it's significant conference-wise and nationally. I mostly enjoyed Huggins over the years, and the man can coach, but it's a stunning turn of events to see his career come to an abrupt end over a few days last week. It's a sad way for a Hall of Fame career to end, much less in your birthplace and at your alma mater. But something had to give, and the end result was no shocker. I don't pretend to know his personal situation, but I hope he receives some help if needed.
