2007 Baylor College Basketball Picks & Predictions
Baylor has been the butt of the Big 12 Conference for years now, but with guard Aaron Bruce foregoing the NBA to play his senior season, Baylor believes they can make the NCAA Tournament. Find out if Jimmy Boyd agrees in his NCAA basketball predictions on the 2007 Baylor Bears.
I believe Baylor’s hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth are a bit presumptuous. Baylor finished with a 15-16 record last season and with a 4-12 Big 12 mark. The fact that the entire starting lineup returns has Baylor faithful believing the Bears can have their first winning season in seven years. Oddsmakers even have the Bears finishing ahead of Colorado, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. I’m not so quick to agree. Remember that Baylor has lost 25 straight Big 12 road games. The Bears were picked to finish seventh by Big 12 coaches a year ago and came in 11th. I think the Bears will be disappointed again.
If Baylor does enjoy some success this year, it will be largely due to the performance of the frontcourt. Forward Kevin Rogers became a force last season averaging 12.8 points per game and 7.6 boards per contest. The Bears have a pair of seven footers who are going to have to step up their play this season. Mamadou Diene was plagued by injuries last season and never found his rhythm. Josh Lomers brings some beef inside but could not stay out of foul trouble to save his life last year.
The bulk of Baylor’s offensive production will come from the perimeter as the Bears boast some of the best guards in the conference. Aaron Bruce led all freshman in college basketball with a 18.2 points per game in 2004-05. Last season, his average dropped to just 11.3 points per game, but he has focused more on getting his teammates involved. With Bruce taking on more of a playmaking roll, Curtis Jerrells emerged as Baylor’s most productive scorer. Jerrells can knock it down from the outside and has speed and strength as well. Junior guard Henry Dugat can also light up a scoreboard.
The Bears were more competitive last season, but they made a habit out of letting games slip away. This will be Scott Drew’s most talented team in five years, but I believe inconsistency in the frontcourt will ultimately fail them. An NIT berth is the type of postseason the Bears will experience this year. Sorry seniors, but the NCAA Tourney will be just out of reach as I don’t see Baylor getting to 20 wins.
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