From DuoMingo to Decker: Baylor Basketball’s Most Exciting Pieces for Next Season

SicEm365’s Ashley Hodge and Grayson Grundhoefer evaluate what head coach Scott Drew has done through the transfer portal and share their opinions on Baylor men’s basketball 2026-2027 roster.

When you look ahead, Baylor men’s basketball has one key returner (Isaac Williams IV), several returning players that redshirted (Juslin Bodo Bodo, Maikcol Perez, Mayo Soyoye, Andre Iguodala II), two talented incoming freshmen (Elijah Williams, Dylan Mingo) and four transfers (Kayden Mingo, Brett Decker, Isaac Celiscar, Evan Chatman). Name two players that you’re most excited about next year, whether that be because of their scoring ability or impact on the court.

Ashley: Since Grayson will pick the Mingo brothers, I’ll go with Brett Decker and Isaac Celiscar. I think these guys are going to be two of the most efficient offensive players in the Big 12. They are stepping up in competition level, but their skill sets should translate to a high-major conference. Decker reminds me of Adam Flagler in his ability to score. Celiscar gives me Royce O’Neale vibes in his versatility.

Grayson: DuoMingo. I really like Isaac Celiscar, and he would certainly be in my top three guys I am excited about, but this DuoMingo thing is too good to pass up. This combination is going to be a lot of fun to watch.

Let me start with Kayden, I think he is going to be the best player on this team and is the most important to establishing a floor for this upcoming season. This is the kind of player we have all been hoping for at Baylor. A highly rated prospect who was legit as a freshman but decided to stay in college for his second season. He was a top 35 guy in the 2025 recruiting class, then went to Penn State and averaged 13.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals as a true freshman in the Big 10. That is very exciting. His combination of toughness, physicality, strength, talent and poise is going to be the reason he is an All-Big 12 type player next season.

As for Dylan, he is the key to controlling the ceiling for this team heading into next year. He is projected to be a top 10 pick in next year’s NBA Draft, and if that happens, it likely means great things for Baylor. The Bears have five top 10 picks in their history. One took home a National Championship, another made the Elite Eight, and another earned a number one seed. Those are pretty good odds to be a very good team if he achieves that. Dylan’s athleticism, size, pace and confidence are going to add a ton to this team. The upside here is incredible, but what I love most is how he has competed against the best on the EYBL circuit and at NBA Top 100 camps. The dude has been terrific against elite competition and seems to thrive in those environments. That will be very important this season, as games become increasingly competitive and Baylor faces strong teams on the schedule.