Washington and Baylor will collide in a two-part home-and-home series, beginning this season and extending to next, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. The first meeting will take place in Waco, Texas. The Huskies will host the Bears next season.
In recent years, Baylor has been a terrifying match-up for teams. If you glance at its record, it’s easy to assume Baylor struggled this past season. It went 20-15 overall. However, only three losses occurred when playing outside the Big 12, one of the nation’s two toughest conferences, alongside the SEC. Those three non-conference losses were to Gonzaga in the season opener, Tennessee, and at the time, reigning back-to-back champion UConn.
Despite the 20-15 mark, Baylor made the NCAA Tournament, toppled Mississippi State in the Round of 65, then fell to Duke.
The most recent token of Baylor’s consistency was last week’s NBA Draft, when the Philadelphia 76ers selected star freshman V.J. Edgecombe with the third overall pick.
Scott Drew has been Baylor’s head coach since the 2003-04. Since taking over, the Bears have gone 466-259, reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times, and won the Big 12 regular season crown three times.
Most impressively, Baylor reached the Final Four and won the National Championship during the 2020-21 season. The season prior, COVID-19 ended the NCAA Tournament before it ever began, but it’s worth noting that Baylor was a favorite to win it all, logging a 26-4 record before the shutdown.