Baylor’s place in the preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll says a lot about how the league views the Bears heading into 2026-27. Not much, apparently.
Scott Drew’s team landed at No. 10 in the 16-team poll released Thursday, a spot that reflects the low expectations surrounding a program coming off its worst season since 2006-07. Baylor went 17-17 last year and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019-20, so the Bears are walking into this season with plenty to prove.
Arizona opened the poll in first with 220 points and 12 first-place votes, while Houston checked in second with 214 points and the other four first-place votes. Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech and BYU rounded out the top six, and Baylor sat behind Cincinnati and West Virginia in the pecking order.
The full poll placed Baylor ahead of only Oklahoma State, Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Kansas State and Utah.
The Bears also got shut out of the preseason All-Big 12 team, which tracks with the current perception of the roster. After losing Cameron Carr to the NBA Draft and Tounde Yessoufou to St. John’s, Baylor enters the year without an obvious headliner.
That doesn’t mean the roster is empty. It just looks different.
The biggest reason for optimism is the addition of Penn State transfer Kayden Mingo, who gives Baylor a true point guard. That matters because the Bears didn’t have a traditional table-setter last season, and Mingo is already drawing notice in practice. His brother, five-star Dylan Mingo, should add even more shape to what could be one of the Big 12’s most versatile backcourts.
The selling point there is simple: movement, spacing and defense. Baylor believes that group can do more than just score.
The other major piece is Juslin Bodo Bodo’s return at center. The former High Point transfer missed all of last season because of a preseason injury, but his presence changes the shape of the team.
He’s not coming in to carry the scoring load. Baylor doesn’t need that from him.
What Baylor needs is rim protection, lane congestion and a reliable body in the paint. If Bodo Bodo can supply that, he could end up being one of the most important additions on the roster.
Baylor’s first exhibition game of the season is Sunday against Florida, the first chance to see whether this revamped group can start pushing back against the low expectations surrounding it.
In Other News...
TCU Offense Faces A Brutal Test Against Surging Baylor
The matchup at McLane Stadium on Oct. 17 comes with a built-in contrast: TCU arrives trying to find answers after an uneven start, while Baylor has put itself in position to keep moving up in the Big 12 race. The Bears are 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play, and the Horned Frogs are 2-3 with an 0-2 conference mark, making this feel like a game where one team is trying to steady its season and the other is trying to protect the momentum it has built.
For TCU, the concern has been turning offense into actual production against Power Four competition, while Baylors edge has come from a more complete performance on both sides of the ball. The Bears have been efficient enough to stay in control of games and difficult enough on defense to keep opponents from settling in, which is why this trip to Waco looks like a real test for TCU and a chance for Baylor to keep its conference run intact. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has A Real Chance To Pull Away From TCU Again
Baylor comes out of its bye week with a little momentum and a chance to make a meaningful statement at home against TCU. The Bears are fresh off a strong win, and the timing is useful with a rivalry game waiting at McLane Stadium, where Baylors offense has shown enough balance to create problems if it can keep the pressure on. Lagways recent play gives this matchup an interesting edge, especially against a TCU defense that has generally held up against the run.
The Horned Frogs do bring resistance on defense, and they have enough athleticism to make this more than a simple home-field spot for Baylor. Still, the bigger question is whether the Bears can turn opportunities into real separation in a game that could hinge on field position and efficiency near the goal line. If Baylor handles the details cleanly, it has a real chance to widen the gap again in the Big 12 race. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Faces Its First Real Big 12 Test Against TCU
Baylor reaches a point in the schedule where the margin for error starts to shrink, and the matchup with TCU is the kind of game that helps sort out whether a strong opening can turn into something more lasting. Week 7 brings a slate of Big 12 games with real weight around the league, but this one stands out for the Bears because it is the first test that feels like it can say plenty about where they belong in the conference race.
TCU gives Baylor an opponent that can expose any soft spots while also offering a chance to make a statement in a crowded league picture. The Bears have handled the early part of Big 12 play well enough to get attention, but this is the game that begins to show whether they can keep that footing when the competition tightens and the path ahead gets less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]