8/8 Baylor Bears (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Location: Waco, Texas
Conference/Affiliation: Big 12
Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler, 1993)
List | Statistics | Game Notes (PDF) 8/8 Baylor (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. 6/7 Gonzaga (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
November 4, 2024 • 10:30 PM Central
Spokane, Washington • Veterans Memorial Plaza (12,000)
Live Statistics: Statistical broadcast
Watch: ESPN 2
Talent: Roxy Bernstein (pxp), Jay Williams (analyst)
LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via ESPN 1660 AM/92.3 FM in Central Texas and worldwide on Centexsportsfan.com
Talent: John Morris (PBP), Pat Nunnelly (analyst)
SIRIUS XM: SiriusXM 199 or on the SXM app
6/7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
Location: Spokane, Washington.
Conference/Affiliation: World Council of Churches
Head coach: Mark Few (Oregon, 1987)
List | Statistics | Game Notes (PDF) Media Materials Folder
Written by Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas — Jokingly, Baylor coach Scott Drew asks: “What was the coach thinking in scheduling that?”
The 22-year-old Baylor coach was referring to the season-opening schedule in which the eighth-ranked Bears play No. 6 Gonzaga at 10:30 p.m. CT Monday in Spokane, Wash., followed by a neutral-site game against No. 16. Arkansas five days later at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
“(Gonzaga coach Mark) and I have talked a few, and it’s great for the game to have matchups like this after Monday Night Football, to get people talking about college basketball,” said Drew, who has just one starter among 24 players. The No. 11 team lost to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
“The good thing about the NCAA is that there are no losers when you play games like this, because it won’t hurt your NET ranking if you lose. That’s just something that can help you get a positive win if you’re the team that wins, so “It’s a great opportunity for us to see where we are as a team.”
While Baylor had four players off last year’s team on Opening Day NBA rosters and brought in nine new players, Gonzaga returns six of its top seven scorers, 81% of its scoring and 71% of its rebounding from last year’s 27-8 team that debuted Ninth straight Sweet 16.
The Bulldogs have added transfers Khalif Battle (Arkansas) and Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine) to a veteran staff led by point guard Ryan Nembhard (12.6 ppg, 6.9 rebounds) and 6-9 center Graham Icke (16.5 ppg, 7.4 rebounds).
“If you want to look at challenges, they’re easy to find from a team that returns seven of the top eight,” Drew said. “Especially early in the year, that’s a big disadvantage compared to teams that have a lot of new players, where you’re still trying to develop chemistry and what’s best in each player, what offense, what defense to run, and when. And at the same level at the same time.” “This team lost last year to Bordeaux and was giving its best at the end of the year.”
Junior guard Jayden Nunn, who transferred from VCU a year ago, is the Bears’ lone returning starter and is averaging 10.7 points while shooting 45.0% from 3-point range. Also back are 6-10 junior forward Josh Ogiannona (5.0 ppg, 3.4 rebounds) and 6-5 junior guard Langston Love, a Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year candidate who averaged 11.0 points per game before missing 11 of the last 13 games. . Due to an ankle injury.
Baylor replaced 71% of its points, reloading with transfer additions Jeremy Roach from Duke, Norchad Omer from Miami, and Jalen Celestin from Calif., along with freshmen VJ Edgecombe, Rob Wright III, and Jason Acimuta.
“I think our identity is to play fast and play defense. I think defense is the biggest part,” said Roach, the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13.6 points per game last year at Duke. “I feel like everyone is only capable of guarding 1-5. I think the identity of being a defensive team is going to be huge. If you’re in the Big 12, you have to stop.”
With both Roach and Omier reaching Final Fours and “our returning players playing in big games,” Drew said, “at least the new guys can listen to them, because if you’re not prepared in that first road game, it can be tough, as “We saw it last year at Michigan State (88-64 loss).”
Monday’s game is, of course, a rematch of the 2021 national championship game, which Baylor won in dominant fashion, 86-70.
“What a great way to start the season. What a great way to see what your team needs to work on and give your team a chance to have a chance to get a good win and be a part of the best game on opening night,” Drew said. “It’s great national television. People will watch it — more on the West Coast than the East Coast. But they’ll watch it after Monday Night Football, and it’s a great way to start the season.”
Monday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Roxy Bernstein and Jay Williams calling the action.
Story lines
• No. 8 Baylor heads to Spokane to take on No. 6 Gonzaga in the season opener at Veterans Memorial Arena at 10:30 PM CT on ESPN2.
• The Top 10 battle includes two of the four programs that have ranked in the top 10 each year for the past six years.
• This dynamic duo also joins Kansas and Duke as two of the four teams to have been ranked No. 1 in four of the past eight seasons.
• Last season, the Bears joined the Zags, Houston and Kansas as one of four teams to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last five tournaments.
• Gonzaga is the second opponent Baylor has faced in its season opener, and the first since No. 15 BYU opened the season in 1979-80.
• After falling to BYU that night, BU seeks its first-ever win over a ranked opponent in its season opener
• The 10:30 PM CT is Baylor’s latest scheduled tip-off since the 11 PM CT tilt against Memphis on November 27, 2014 as part of the Las Vegas Invitational.
• Baylor is 19-2 in its season opener under Scott Drew, with its last loss lifting the cap in 2018.
• This is the fifth time in the Drew era that the Bears have opened the season on the road, going 3-1 in the previous four games, including last year’s opener, an 88-82 win over Auburn.
• The Bears are the only team in the country to finish third or higher in each of the last four NCAA tournaments.
• The Bears are the only team in the country to have a player selected in the top 19 in each of the last four NBA drafts, and one of only two programs to have a player selected in the top 20 in the fourth straight draft (Duke).
• Baylor welcomes nine new faces to the 2024-25 lineup, aiming to replace four of the five starters from last year’s team, including a pair of first-round picks in Jakobi Walter and Yves Messi
• VJ Edgecombe, a potential top-5 NBA pick, and fellow stars Jason Acimuta and Rob Wright will have to make up for some of those departures.
• Additionally, the Bears brought in experienced transfers Jalen Celestin (California), Norchad Omer (Arkansas State, Miami) and Jeremy Roach (Duke) to help replace 71.4% of the scoring, 68.3% of the rebounds and 78.8% of the assists. Decisive.
• Roach and Omeyer bring Final Four experience, as Roach helped Duke reach the 2022 Final Four, while Omeyer led Miami to its first-ever Final Four in 2023.
• Edgecombe is Baylor’s fourth consecutive Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The Bears and Kansas Jayhawks are the only two teams in league history to have had a preseason conference Freshman of the Year in four straight seasons.
• If Edgecombe is named Freshman of the Year for the postseason, BU will become the first team in conference history to be named Freshman of the Year in the preseason and postseason in three consecutive seasons.
• Roach was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 second team with Omier.
• Picked No. 4 in the Big 12 preseason poll, the only team in the Big 12 with more than 11 Power-5 Conference wins in five straight seasons.
