The Baylor Bears have proven themselves to be one of the best teams in college basketball this season. However, that standing has been hurt after they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks.
After dueling with the Gonzaga Bulldogs for an undefeated record all season, Baylor lost their last game to Kansas after coming off a long COVID layoff.
ESPN NCAA analyst Seth Greenberg believes that the team getting COVID was the main reason behind the loss for the NCAA powerhouse.
“He’s concerned, because all head coaches are concerned. But he’s not very concerned. You’re talking about a Baylor team that got destroyed by the virus. They didn’t have contact tracing, they had a good majority of the team out with the virus.”
Greenberg elaborated on what went wrong for Baylor. “That wasn’t the Baylor team we’ve seen all season long. You’re talking about them being 6 for 16 from three-point line.
“They’re a 42% 3 point shooting team. They weren’t efficient offensively, they aren’t connected defensively, and they weren’t as assertive as they usually are and they didn’t compete as they usually do.”
Baylor Bears: Does this loss affect their season?
The Baylor Bears are still going to be looked at as one of the best teams in the country. However, they were looked at as either #1 or #2 ahead of their loss to Kansas. The Jayhawks are re-establishing themselves as a team that should be in the NCAA.
The Bears will have no problem making the tournament, but winning it is always a challenge. They will now be looked at as inferior to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and maybe it is for the best.
However, are the Bears inferior to teams like the Michigan Wolverines who face tougher competition in the Big 10 Conference? This loss won’t affect the Bears season, but everyone will wonder if this team is as legitimate as they seem.
The talent is all there, and the coaching is also great. The Jayhawks’ loss was a direct result of poor conditioning. Hopefully, Baylor can play themselves back into shape ahead of the tournament, or this may be a disappointing season for the program.
