Baylor has already shown it can hang with elite competition, even if Sunday’s matchup with No. 7 Texas is the first ranked opponent on the regular-season schedule.
The Bears have been tested in exhibition play and came through both times, beating preseason No. 1 Florida 82-76 in overtime before going to No.
3 Illinois and winning 95-91 five days later.
The formula in both of those games was clear: Baylor owned the glass. It outworked Florida 8-2 in overtime and finished with a 47-38 rebounding edge against Illinois. That same edge will matter again against a Texas team that has beaten its first three opponents on the boards by an average of 15.7 per game.
One of the biggest problems Baylor has to solve is Texas big man Vokietaitis, who has been a force early. He is averaging 21.3 points in 22.4 minutes per game and has hit 23 of his first 29 shots.
He scored 26 against Grambling State and went 10-of-12 at the free-throw line. If he gets the ball a step from the rim, Baylor is likely looking at a clean finish or a trip to the stripe.
That puts a lot on Juslin Bodo Bodo and Caden Powell. They need to meet him farther from the basket before the pass comes in, then wait until he puts the ball on the floor before bringing help. Texas freshman Joe Sterling has also been dangerous from deep, making 10 of 15 threes, so Baylor can’t afford to overcommit too early and leave him open.
The Longhorns have also been punishing teams with second chances. Through three games, they’ve collected 38 offensive rebounds and turned those into 52 second-chance points. When Bodo Bodo or Powell steps out to challenge a shot, someone else has to find former TCU forward David Punch before he slips inside for an easy finish.
Baylor’s own rebounding group has been active, too. Dylan Mingo, Isaac Celiscar and Evan Chatman each grabbed six boards against Yale, and that helped the Bears win the rebounding battle 37-28. Mingo, who leads Baylor with 5.7 rebounds per game, should stay close to the lane when Texas shoots so he can clean up misses and push the break himself.
Mingo has been a disruptive force in another way as well, with 13 steals through three games. Baylor turned Yale’s 17 turnovers into 24 points on Tuesday, and that kind of quick-strike scoring could matter again here. One possibility is Mingo jumping a pass into the post when a guard gets stuck with the dribble, creating a runout before Vokietaitis and Punch can recover.
That said, clean chances may be limited. Texas is averaging only 9.3 turnovers and forcing 17 per game, and it scored 31 points off Gardner-Webb’s 23 giveaways.
Baylor has tightened up its own ball security, cutting turnovers from 16 in the opener to nine in each of its last two games. If the Bears can keep that up and steal a couple of easy baskets off Texas mistakes, they’ll give themselves a real shot late.
In Other News...
Texas LSU Trip Suddenly Puts Saturday Night Plans In Doubt
A nationwide ground stop from the Federal Aviation Administration threw a wrench into Saturday travel plans across college football, and Texas was among the teams caught in the disruption. The Longhorns had their flight grounded, and the program confirmed the team was sent back to campus as the situation unfolded.
The delays also affected Tennessee, Ole Miss, Baylor and North Texas, leaving several programs waiting to see how the day will shake out. For Texas, the immediate question is whether the travel snag will have any impact on the scheduled game, with that part of the picture still unclear for now. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Is About To Give Texas An Early Reality Check
Sean Miller is treating Baylor as more than just another early nonconference opponent, and for good reason. The Texas coach said these first tests matter because they help shape a teams identity, and this one should tell the Longhorns plenty about where they stand. Baylor brings the kind of challenge that can expose bad habits in a hurry, with physical rebounding and pressure defense expected to set the tone.
For Texas, the matchup also carries a little extra edge after Davis Punch pointed to it as a chance for redemption following the preseason scrimmage loss to St. Johns. Baylors backcourt, led by guards Kayden and Dylan Mingo, figures to keep the Longhorns under stress from the opening tip, making this the kind of game that can either validate Texas early progress or leave it with more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Late-Season CFP Test It Cannot Afford To Blow
With the College Football Playoff race tightening and every ranked matchup carrying extra weight, Texas finds itself in the middle of a weekend that could reshape the bracket picture. The Longhorns are part of a slate that also features Boise State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Florida and UCLA, with injury concerns and recent results adding even more pressure to games that already matter for postseason positioning.
For Texas, the broader backdrop is simple enough: there is little room for error now, and the ripple effects of what happens elsewhere could matter just as much as what happens on the field. Coaches are already framing these late-season tests as the kind that reveal who can handle the moment, and the Longhorns will be watching closely as the CFP conversation gets sharper by the week. [Read more 🡒]