In most seasons a 14-4 or 13-5 record would be more than good enough to secure a conference championship. But for this year’s Baylor squad to win its first ever Big 12 title, it will likely have to go 16-2.
Or better.
The Bears are a perfect 12-0 in league play thus far, but Kansas is lurking right behind them at 11-1, and the Jayhawks aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. That means every remaining game on Baylor’s Big 12 slate is crucial if Scott Drew’s squad hopes to hoist a trophy at the end of the regular season.
Here’s a ranking—toughest to easiest—of those six contests.
1. Kansas, Feb. 22 in Waco: This is a no-brainer, as the third-ranked Jayhawks are 10-0 since falling to Baylor on Jan. 11 in Lawrence. Not that they haven't had a few close calls. KU trailed Texas 31-30 at halftime at home on Feb. 3 before pulling away for a 69-58 win. Two days earlier they narrowly escaped with a 78-75 win over Texas Tech at Allen Fieldhouse.
2. West Virginia, March 7 in Morgantown: It would be great it BU could enter this game having already clinched the Big 12 title, as winning at West Virginia is never easy. Mountaineers fans are as loud and as ruthless as they come, and officials tend to be more lax when it comes to calling fouls against Bob Huggins' squad at home, which allows it to play even more physical. Still, simply put, West Virginia—which has lost three straight—isn't that good. Or at least not as good as it has been.
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Baylor plays four of their final six games of the regular season in Waco with two of those four coming against ranked opponents.
3. Texas Tech, March 2 in Waco: I debated putting this game at No. 2, and perhaps I should've. This isn't a great Texas Tech team, but the Red Raiders compete their tails off. They almost won at Allen Fieldhouse and nearly beat Kentucky and Baylor in Lubbock. I know, I know. Lots of "almosts." And, yes, there are a pair of ugly road losses to TCU (seriously, how the heck did that happen?) and Oklahoma State (this one didn't bother me as much). Still, I think Baylor will have to play at a high level to win this game. Hopefully Freddie Gillespie and Devonte Bandoo bring their A-game on Senior Night.
4. Oklahoma, Feb. 18 in Norman: This game scares the bejesus out of me. The Sooners are a solid team and have improved drastically since Baylor squeaked by with a 61-57 win over Lon Kruger's squad back on Jan. 18. Hopefully Scott Drew will have his team focused and not looking ahead to Saturday's College GameDay showdown against Kansas in Waco. The Bears should have plenty of motivation to win this game, Along with maintaining their lead in the conference title race, the Bears could set a new Big 12 record for consecutive wins with 23. They are currently tied with KU's 1996-97 squad with 22 straight.
5. Kansas State, Feb. 25 in Waco: Even though they are in last place, Kansas State worries me more than TCU. Bruce Weber is a excellent coach/tactician who always seems to game plan well for Baylor. And overall I think K-State has better players (Xavier Sneed, Cartier Diarra, Makol Mawien) than TCU, which is pretty limited beyond Desmond Bane. Baylor can't overlook the Wildcats.
6. at TCU, Feb. 29 in Fort Worth: A week ago, after an 88-42 loss at Texas Tech, I was convinced TCU was the worst team in the Big 12. But then Tyrese Halliburton (Iowa State) and Jericho Sims (Texas) got hurt so now I'm not so sure how I'd rank the bottom tier. Still, I'm confident the Bears will win this game in Ft. Worth. Keystones on me after the victory.
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