Baylor MBB Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Coaches’ Poll

[Kaye, David]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Nov. 12, 2020

Baylor MBB Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Seventh time in program history Bears have been voted into top spot
For more information contact: David Kaye, 254-709-5147, David_Kaye at baylor.edu<mailto:David_Kaye at baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor men’s basketball is ranked No. 1 in the 2020-21 preseason USA Today coaches’ poll released Thursday, marking the first time Baylor has received a No. 1 preseason ranking.

This is the seventh time Baylor has received a No. 1 national ranking. The Bears were No. 1 for the first time on Jan. 9, 2017, then spent five consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 from Jan. 20 through Feb. 17 last season. Baylor has now been top-5 ranked in 12 consecutive polls, spanning the entire 2020 calendar year.

With its No. 1 ranking, Baylor joins Gonzaga, Kansas and Duke as the nation’s only programs to be ranked No. 1 at some point in three out of the last five seasons. Kentucky, Villanova and Michigan State are the only other programs to earn No. 1 rankings in multiple seasons since 2017, while Louisville, Tennessee and Virginia have all been ranked No. 1 in one of the last five seasons.

Baylor tips off the 2020-21 season Nov. 25-26 with the 2K Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun. The Bears open against No. 17 Arizona State, then face either No. 3 Villanova or Boston College. The Bears then play at Seton Hall in the Big 12/Big East Battle, before heading to Indianapolis for a pair of games against potential top-10 opponents. BU could face No. 10 Illinois in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 2, then takes on No. 2 Gonzaga on Dec. 5.

No. 1 Baylor received 12 of 32 first-place votes, two more than No. 2 Gonzaga’s 10 first-place votes. No. 3 Villanova received eight first-place votes, while No. 6 Iowa and No. 8 Duke each received one first-place vote.

Baylor’s previous-best preseason ranking was No. 12 prior to the 2011-12 year, a season in which the Bears started 17-0 and reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Baylor was No. 18 in last year’s preseason coaches’ poll, and BU climbed to No. 1 for five consecutive weeks and was projected to be an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed for the first time before the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended the season.

Previous Baylor preseason coaches’ poll rankings were No. 14 in 2010-11, No. 12 in 2011-12, No. 18 in 2012-13, No. 21 in 2015-16, No. 24 in 2017-18 and No. 18 in 2019-20.

The Bears were projected atop the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll for the first time in program history, garnering seven of nine potential first-place votes. BU’s Jared Butler was named preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and a preseason AP All-American, while Mark Vital and MaCio Teague were honorable mention Preseason All-Big 12.

Baylor returns four players who earned All-Big 12 honors last season. Butler was a unanimous First-Team choice, while Teague was All-Big 12 Second Team, and Davion Mitchell and Mark Vital were All-Big 12 Third Team, with Mitchell named the league’s Newcomer of the Year.

Additional returners include juniors Flo Thamba and Matthew Mayer, senior Tristan Clark and sophomore Jackson Moffatt. The Bears add three players who redshirted last season with freshman Jordan Turner and sophomores Adam Flagler and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. BU also welcomes three top-100 incoming freshmen in LJ Cryer, Dain Dainja and Zach Loveday, as well as walk-on grad transfer Mark Paterson.

Head coach Scott Drew enters his 18th season at Baylor in 2020-21. He holds a 362-224 career record over 18 years as a Division I coach, including a 340-213 mark at BU. Drew’s teams have combined to post a 306-144 record over the last 13 seasons, recording a 21-10 mark over 11 postseason appearances in that span.


Baylor Athletics expects to open the season with 25 percent capacity in the Ferrell Center, and renewed season ticket holders will have exclusive priority. Additional information on the adjusted ticketing process has been provided by the Baylor Bear Foundation here<https://baylorbears.com/news/2020/10/28/mens-basketball-baylor-athletics-announces-2020-21-basketball-ticketing-plan.aspx>. Follow @BaylorMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates throughout the year.

2020-21 PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
1. BAYLOR (12) – 764
2. Gonzaga (10) – 762
3. Villanova (8) – 755
4. Virginia – 666
5. Kansas – 1,221
6. Iowa (1) – 1,273
7. Wisconsin – 1,150
8. Duke (1) – 1,073
9. Kentucky – 1,038
10. Illinois – 1,105
11. Creighton – 922
12. Michigan State – 820
13. Texas Tech – 790
14. Tennessee – 919
15. West Virginia – 651
16. North Carolina – 465
17. Arizona State – 402
18. Houston – 438
19. Florida State – 351
20. Oregon – 375
21. UCLA – 336
22. Texas – 380
23. Rutgers – 190
24. Ohio State – 270
25. Alabama – 62

Others receiving votes: Louisville 55; Florida 52; Michigan 38; Louisiana State 27; San Diego St. 23; Dayton 23; Richmond 21; Maryland 15; Indiana 14; Seton Hall 12; Memphis 12; Connecticut 11; Stanford 10; Oklahoma State 9; Northern Iowa 8; Brigham Young 8; Syracuse 4; Providence 4; Purdue 3; Arkansas 2; Western Kentucky 1; Stephen F. Austin 1; Saint Mary's 1; Loyola-Chicago 1; Georgia Tech 1.

* - Potential 2020-21 regular-season opponents in bold

BAYLOR ALL-TIME PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL RANKINGS
2010-11 – 14th
2011-12 – 12th
2012-13 – 18th
2015-16 – 21st
2017-18 – 24th
2019-20 – 18th

2020-21 – 1st



BAYLOR MBB No. 1 NATIONAL RANKINGS

Jan. 9, 2017 (AP & Coaches)

Jan. 20, 2020 (AP)

Jan. 27, 2020 (AP & Coaches)

Feb. 3, 2020 (AP & Coaches)

Feb. 10, 2020 (AP & Coaches)

Feb. 17, 2020 (AP & Coaches)

Nov. 12, 2020 (Coaches)


2020-21 BAYLOR MBB PRESEASON HONORS
Jared Butler
Preseason All-America Team (Associated Press)
Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
Preseason All-Big 12 Team (unanimous)
Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List
No. 5 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball

Davion Mitchell
No. 67 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball

MaCio Teague
Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Watch List
No. 24 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball

Mark Vital
Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention
Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List
No. 71 on CBS Sports Top 101 Players in College Basketball



www.BaylorBears.com






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David Kaye | Assistant AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-709-5147

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