2011-2012 Baylor Bears Basketball Preview

Baylor Bears - Big 12 Conference

2010-11: 18-13, 7-9

2010-11 postseason: none

Coach: Scott Drew (127-116 at Baylor, 147-127 overall)  

Baylor was shut out of the postseason last year and despite of the loss of leading scorer LaceDarius Dunn, this is a team that has the talent to make a very deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The backcourt has some questions to answer. The most experienced perimeter player on the roster is junior A.J. Walton. Walton dished out 4.7 assists per game last year, but his starting job is in jeopardy due to the newcomers. But whether he starts or not, or if he plays off the ball or on the ball, Walton will have to be a leader for the Bears. Walton is not a great scorer, but he is a decent shooter and can attack the basket. In the past he drove and dished. Now he may take on a little more scoring and drive and finish.

Who’s Out:

Dunn was easily the most prolific shooter on the team last year and that may be an issue heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. Dunn knocked down 3.2 three-pointers per game and certainly did not lack in scoring in other ways as well. The focus will shift to the frontcourt without Dunn on the floor, but Baylor still needs some guards to replace Dunn’s production if they hope to win the Big 12. Fellow guards Nolan Dennis and Stargell Love are also gone, but they barely saw any significant playing time.

Who’s In:

The backcourt has a whole slew of talent that will make an impact this year, but the star of this class is 6-9 forward Quincy Miller. The latest super recruit headed to Waco, Texas, Miller is expected to make a major contribution from day one as long as his knee is healthy. Logan Lowery, a walk-on transfer from Centenary, is eligible immediately after being a part-time starter as a freshman last season. Lowery is more of a shooting wing than a forward, but either way, Baylor will not need him to do much. The backcourt gets a wide variety of intriguing players. Deuce Bello is the lone freshman. He is a superb athlete who can finish above the rim with the best in the nation. Gary Franklin will be eligible in December after transferring from California. Franklin could emerge as the shooter this team needs, but he was quite inconsistent in Berkeley. Brady Heslip is another sophomore transfer. Coming from Boston College where he never played a game, Heslip still needs to gain some collegiate experience, but the Canadian does have some international experience. The best of the bunch could be Pierre Jackson. The guard is the reigning NJCAA Division I Player of the Year and can play at either guard position. At 5-10, he will need to be a point guard, but he can team up with Walton in the backcourt and that would give Baylor two guards who can handle the ball and at least Jackson should be able to score in bunches even if Walton’s offense is limited.

Final Projection:

The frontcourt will win a ton of games, but the backcourt needs to develop some consistency sooner or later if Baylor wants to win the Big 12 and make a serious run towards the NCAA championship. It is a guard game come tournament time and by then Jackson will need to be comfortable running the point or playing off the ball if Walton stays in that role. If Walton can take better care of the ball and run the point, it will give Baylor more options with Bello, Heslip and Franklin capable of filling in on the wings.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

• Pierre Jackson, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

• A.J. Walton, Junior, Guard, 7.9 points per game

• Quincy Miller, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

• Anthony Jones, Senior, Forward, 8.5 points per game

• Perry Jones III, Sophomore, Forward, 13.9 points per game

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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