No. 8 Baylor adds 2 Final Four players and a Bahamas-born freshman guard after losing 4 starters

Baylor (24-11, 11-7, Big 12)

Scott Drew is entering his 22nd season with No. 8 Baylor after being linked to Kentucky’s coaching vacancy in Waco last April. The Bears lost four starters, including one-time rookie Ja’Kobe Walter and center Yves Missi, who were selected in the first round of the NBA draft. The nine new players include top conference transfer guard Jeremy Roach (Duke), double-double forward Norchad Omier (Miami) and versatile Jalen Celestine (California). Both Roach and Omier played in the Final Four. Five-star recruit VJ Edgecombe, a Bahamas-born sharpshooter, headlines a standout group of freshmen.

Players to watch

Roach (5th year senior G, 6-2, 14.0 ppg and 3.3 ppg). Roach played in 108 of 130 games at Duke over the last four seasons. First, he became a starter on Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final team at Duke, which reached the Final Four in 2022.

Omier (5th grader, PF, 6-7, 17.0 ppg and 10 rpg). Omier has averaged 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 120 games over the last four seasons – two at Arkansas State and two at Miami, where he was a Final Four runner-up in 2023.

Edgecombe (true freshman G, 6-4). Edgecombe may be another unique player for the Bears, but the quick and athletic defender should make a huge impact in the short time he is expected to be in the Big 12. He can score from the perimeter and play well around the perimeter.

Departures and arrivals

Walter was expected to be a one-timer and was Baylor’s leading scorer (14.5 points per game). Last season, the Bears had six players average double-digit goals against. They were the four departing starters plus junior guard Langston Love (11.0 ppg) and senior Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg), the only returning players. Edgecombe is one of five true freshmen and Omier is one of three graduate transfers.

The best games

The Bears will be tested right away, with play starting Nov. 4 at sixth-ranked Gonzaga, the team they defeated in the 2021 national championship game. Five days later, they will play against number 16 Arkansas under the supervision of new coach John Calipari at the stadium home of the NBA Dallas Mavericks team. The Bears will also play third-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn on Dec. 4, and could face No. 12 Tennessee in a tournament in the Bahamas before then. Baylor’s first Big 12 game will be New Year’s Eve at home against Utah, and its first league away game will be at No. 5 Stadium in Iowa.

Facts and figures

Drew is 444-244 at Baylor. … With a 128-35 record since 2019, the Bears are the winningest major conference program over that span. … This will be the first full season at Foster Pavilion on the banks of the Brazos River. The Bears moved to the new arena last January and went 8-2 there. … Baylor is the only school to win 11 or more Big 12 games in each of the last five seasons. .