Baylor’s season opened with two comfortable wins at Foster Pavilion, and the Bears didn’t spend much time behind the ball in either one. They led Northwestern State 50-32 at halftime before cruising to an 87-65 win, then came back four days later and buried Arkansas-Pine Bluff 109-53 after building a 58-13 halftime cushion.
The second win came with a stat line that jumped off the page: Baylor forced 34 turnovers, matched a program record with 21 steals and got double-figure scoring from five players. The bench even outscored Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s reserves 59-53.
With that as the backdrop, here’s a look at the six Bears who made the biggest impact in Week 1, based only on those two games.
Mingo wasted no time making his presence felt in his Baylor debut. He put up 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals against Northwestern State, then followed it with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and six steals versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. For the week, he shot 60% from the field and finished with twice as many steals as turnovers.
His knack for turning defense into offense showed up right away. He had two steals before the first media timeout against Northwestern State, and Baylor was already ahead 14-4 at that point. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he turned a pair of steals into a dunk and a layup during the same first-half burst.
Williams gave Baylor a different kind of control. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he had 18 points by halftime, outscoring the Golden Lions by five all by himself, and went on to finish with a career-high 26 points.
He also hit 11-of-12 at the line, added six assists and five steals, and didn’t commit a turnover. In 25 minutes, he drew 12 free-throw attempts, which says plenty about how often Arkansas-Pine Bluff had trouble keeping him out of the lane.
His opener was quieter from the floor - 3-of-12 against Northwestern State - but he still handed out four assists. For the week, he had 10 assists against just two turnovers, and that kind of stability matters when Drew rests one of the Mingo brothers. Williams can step in as the main ball handler and keep Baylor’s offense moving even when his shot isn’t there.
The Penn State transfer also made his mark across both games. He scored 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds against Northwestern State, then added 13 points and three assists without a turnover against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He scored five of Baylor’s first seven points in the second game and averaged 15 points for the week despite shooting 3-of-11 from deep.
He also showed he can get to the line when Baylor needs a bucket. Nearly half of his 13 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff came at the stripe, where he went 6-of-6. That kind of pressure becomes even more valuable when the game slows down and the Bears have to score against a set defense.
Williams also gave Baylor production on the other end. He scored in double figures in both games and led the team with four blocks for the week.
Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he missed all five of his three-point attempts but still finished with 12 points, three blocks and three steals. He went 5-of-8 inside the arc, which gave Baylor another scoring path when the outside shot wasn’t falling.
Decker gave Baylor a perimeter threat that changed how defenses had to play. He made his first three shots against Northwestern State, including two from long range, as Baylor raced out to a 21-4 lead. He finished that game with five threes and made seven for the week, exactly half of Baylor’s total.
That spacing matters because it opens room for the Mingo brothers to attack. If a defender has to stay glued to Decker on the arc, that’s one less body available to help on a drive.
Even when his shot cooled off against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Decker still found a way to help. He went 2-of-9 from three in that game, but he also had four assists and no turnovers. When defenders close hard, he can move the ball before they have time to recover.
Celiscar brought energy and versatility off the bench. He grabbed four offensive rebounds against Northwestern State, then followed with nine points, three assists and two steals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Over the two games, he averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and two steals.
Those extra possessions mattered, especially in the opener when Baylor missed 20 threes. Celiscar helped the Bears extend possessions without needing a heavy shot load, and he showed more of his passing in the second game. He’ll see a familiar face Tuesday when Yale, his former team, comes to Waco.
Chatman rounded out the group with a steady all-around week. He averaged six points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and a block across the two wins. Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he had nine points, six rebounds - including two offensive boards - and three steals, and one of those steals turned into a fast-break dunk.
He only took six shots in that game, but he didn’t need many touches to leave a mark. Between the steals and the work on the glass, Chatman kept finding ways to tilt the game in Baylor’s favor.
In Other News...
Joe Klanderman Just Raised The Stakes For Baylors Finish
Joe Klanderman has given Baylor a much steadier hand than anyone could have expected in the immediate aftermath of Dave Arandas firing. As the interim head coach, he has guided the Bears to two straight wins, and suddenly a season that looked like it might spiral has settled into something far more interesting. At 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, Baylor is still mathematically alive in the conference race, which is no small thing at this stage of the year.
The challenge now is the closing stretch, because the Bears still have three difficult games left and no one around the program can afford to look past what comes next. Klandermans quick start has also started to change the conversation around the job itself, with speculation beginning to build about whether he could become a real candidate for the permanent opening. For a team that was just trying to stabilize, the stakes around the finish have suddenly gotten a lot higher. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Transfer Rebuild Is Raising One Big Question Late In Season
Baylor leaned hard into the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in 30 newcomers to patch holes and raise the floor around quarterback DJ Lagway. The idea was clear enough: add experience, add depth and make the roster more competitive right away. Midway through the season, that approach has produced some real dividends, especially with receiver Freeman emerging as the most reliable offensive option, cornerback Jordan making plays on the back end and defensive contributor Ponder helping the pass rush.
Still, the season keeps circling back to the same question because of Lagway. His year has been uneven, shaped by injury and performance swings, even if the recent trend has pointed in a better direction. For a rebuild built so heavily on transfers, Baylors late-season ceiling may depend on whether its quarterback can turn that improvement into something more stable when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Looked Dangerous But One Concern Still Lingers
Homecoming brought plenty for Baylor fans to like in a 42-31 win over Iowa State, especially the way the offense kept finding answers from different spots on the field. DJ Lagway was a central figure in the attack, helping the Bears move the ball both through the air and on the ground, while the rest of the offense showed the kind of varied production that can make this group difficult to defend when it is clicking.
Still, the final score also left one area worth watching as the season moves on. Baylors defense generated pressure with three sacks and nine tackles for loss, and special teams did its part with clean extra points and solid punting, but Iowa State was able to lean on its rushing game enough to keep the Bears from fully putting the matchup away sooner. [Read more 🡒]