Baylor MBB Picked Second in Big 12 Preseason Poll
IRVING, Texas – Baylor men’s basketball has been picked second in the 2020 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Baylor’s second-place projection matches the 2013 preseason poll for best in program history.
Baylor received 71 points in the preseason poll, trailing only Kansas with 80 points. KU was picked first on eight of nine potential ballots, with Baylor and Texas Tech receiving one first-place vote apiece. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Texas Tech (62) was picked third, followed by Texas (57), West Virginia (45), Oklahoma State (42), Iowa State (30), Oklahoma (29), Kansas State (23) and TCU (11). The maximum point total a team can receive is 81 points, while the minimum is nine.
This marks the ninth time in the last 12 seasons BU has been picked to finish in the top half of the league. The Bears were picked in the lower half of the league in each of the conference’s first 12 seasons.
Baylor was projected to finish ninth in last season’s preseason poll, but the Bears overcame injuries to four potential starters to finish fourth and advance to the NCAA Tournament second round.
Head coach Scott Drew enters his 17th season at Baylor in 2019-20. He holds a 336-220 career record over 17 years as a Division I coach, including a 316-209 mark at BU. Drew’s teams have combined to post a 280-140 record over the last 12 seasons, recording a 21-10 record over 11 postseason appearances in that span.
BU returns eight letterwinners from last season’s team, including All-Big 12 players Jared Butler, Mark Vital and Tristan Clark. Additional returners include Devonte Bandoo, Matthew Mayer, Freddie Gillespie, Flo Thamba and Obim Okeke. The Bears welcome a pair of newcomer guards who sat out as transfers last season, with MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell joining the rotation, as well as freshman Jordan Turner and redshirt freshman Jackson Moffatt.
Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Media Day is scheduled for Oct. 23 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., site of the 2020 Phillips 66 Men’s Basketball Championship.
Baylor opens the 2019-20 season at 11 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 5 against Central Arkansas at the Ferrell Center. The Bears then head to Alaska to face Washington in the Armed Forces Classic at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 8, before returning to Waco to host Texas State at 8 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 15.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 or online atwww.BaylorBears.com/tickets. Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.
2019-20 BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
- Kansas (8) 80
- Baylor (1) 71
- Texas Tech (1) 62
- Texas 57
- West Virginia 45
- Oklahoma State 42
- Iowa State 30
- Oklahoma 29
- Kansas State 23
- TCU 11
BAYLOR IN BIG 12 PRESEASON POLLS (First-Place Votes)
1997 – 12th
1998 – 10th
1999 – t-11th
2000 – 12th
2001 – 11th
2002 – 9th
2003 – 8th
2004 – 12th
2005 – 12th
2006 – 12th
2007 – 7th
2008 – 9th
2009 – t-3rd
2010 – 10th
2011 – 4th
2012 – 3rd
2013 – 2nd (1)
2014 – 3rd
2015 – t-6th
2016 – 5th
2017 – 5th
2018 – 5th
2019 – 9th
2020 – 2nd (1)
