2024–25 Baylor Bears men's basketball team

2024–25 Baylor Bears men's basketball
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record7–3 (0–0 Big 12)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Offensive schemeMotion
Base defenseNo-Middle
Home arenaFoster Pavilion
Seasons
2024–25 Big 12 men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 19 Cincinnati 0 0   9 1   .900
No. 3 Iowa State 0 0   9 1   .900
Arizona State 0 0   9 2   .818
BYU 0 0   9 2   .818
Colorado 0 0   9 2   .818
Texas Tech 0 0   9 2   .818
UCF 0 0   9 2   .818
No. 8 Kansas 0 0   8 2   .800
West Virginia 0 0   8 2   .800
No. 15 Houston 0 0   8 3   .727
Utah 0 0   8 3   .727
Baylor 0 0   7 3   .700
Oklahoma State 0 0   7 3   .700
TCU 0 0   6 4   .600
Arizona 0 0   6 5   .545
Kansas State 0 0   6 5   .545
2025 Big 12 tournament winner
As of December 21, 2024
Rankings from AP poll

The 2024–25 Baylor Bears men's basketball team represents Baylor University during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, the Bears' 119th season. The Bears, members of the Big 12 Conference, play their home games at Foster Pavilion. They are led by 22nd-year head coach Scott Drew.

Previous season

The Bears finished the 2023–24 season 24–11, 11–7 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for third place. They lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament to Iowa State. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the number three seed in the West Region, where they defeated Colgate in the first round before losing in the second round to Clemson.[1][2]

Offseason

Departures

Baylor Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Miro Little 1 G 6'4" 185 Freshman Tampere, Finland Transferred to Utah[3]
Ja'Kobe Walter 4 F 6'5" 180 Freshman McKinney, TX Declare for 2024 NBA draft; selected 19th overall by Toronto Raptors
RayJ Dennis 10 G 6'2" 180 Senior Plainfield, IL Graduated/undrafted in 2024 NBA draft; signed with the Los Angeles Clippers
Jalen Bridges 11 F 6'7" 225 Redshirt Senior Fairmont, WV Graduated/undrafted in 2024 NBA draft; signed with the Phoenix Suns
Dantwan Grimes 12 G 6'2" 190 Redshirt Junior Ocala, FL Transferred to Tarleton State
Austin Sacks 20 F 6'7" 200 Senior Encino, CA Graduated
Yves Missi 21 F 6'10" 210 Freshman Yaoundé, Cameroon Declare for 2024 NBA draft; selected 21st overall by New Orleans Pelicans
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua 23 F 6'8" 250 Graduate Douala, Cameroon Graduated
Caleb Lohner 33 F 6'8" 235 Senior Dallas, TX Transferred to Utah[4]

Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Jeremy Roach 3 G 6'2" 180 Fifth Year Leesburg, VA Duke
Norchad Omier 15 F 6'7" 248 Fifth Year Bluefields, Nicaragua Miami (FL)
Jalen Celestine 32 G 6'7" 215 Graduate Ajax, Ontario California
Yanis Ndjonga 41 F 6'7" 210 Senior Yaoundé, Cameroon New Mexico Military Institute

Recruiting classes

2024 recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
V. J. Edgecombe
#1 SG
Glen Head, NY Long Island Lutheran HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jan 14, 2024 
Star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Robert Wright III
#1 PG
Wilimgton, DE Montverde Academy 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Sep 9, 2022 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Jason Asemota
#16 SF
Phoenix, AZ Hillcrest Prep 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Aug 27, 2022 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 87
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 4
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Baylor 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  • "2024 Baylor Bears Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 27, 2024.

Preseason

Big 12 Preseason Poll

Big 12 Coaches Points
1. Kansas 215 (9)
2. Houston 211 (5)
3. Iowa State 194 (1)
4. Baylor 185
5. Arizona 179 (1)
6. Cincinnati 140
7. Texas Tech 135
8. Kansas State 133
9. BYU 116
10. TCU 90
11. UCF 83
12. Arizona State 64
13. West Virginia 62
14. Oklahoma State 46
15. Colorado 37
16. Utah 30
Reference:[5] (#) first-place votes

Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team

First Team
Player School
Caleb Love Arizona
LJ Cryer Houston
J’Wan Roberts
Tamin Lipsey Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson Kansas
† denotes unanimous selection
Reference:[5]
Second Team
Player School
Norchad Omier Baylor
Jeremy Roach
Keshon Gilbert Iowa State
Dajuan Harris Jr Kansas
Coleman Hawkins Kansas State
† denotes unanimous selection
Reference:[5]

Roster

2024–25 Baylor Bears men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 1 Robert O. Wright III 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 183 lb (83 kg) Fr Montverde Academy Wilmington, Delaware
G 2 Jayden Nunn 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sr VCU Flint, Michigan
G 3 Jeremy Roach (5Y) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Duke Leesburg, Virginia
F 5 Jason Asemota 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Hillcrest Prep Lynn, Massachusetts
G 7 V. J. Edgecombe 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Long Island Lutheran High School Bimini, Bahamas
G 11 Kaleb Jackson (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Carmel Catholic High School Lake Forest, Illinois
G 13 Langston Love 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Jr Montverde Academy Universal City, Texas
F 15 Norchad Omier (5Y) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Sr Miami (FL) Bluefields, Nicaragua
F 17 Josh Ojianwuna 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Jr NBA Global Academy Asaba, Nigeria
G 21 Davidson Hubbard 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) GS Hampden–Sydney Charlotte, North Carolina
F 22 Marino Dubravcic (W) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 228 lb (103 kg) Fr Obrtna tehnicka Split, Croatia
G 25 Omar Adegbola (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Fr Montverde Academy Houston, Texas
G 32 Jalen Celestine 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) GS California Ajax, Ontario
F 41 Yanis Ndjonga 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS So New Mexico Military Institute Yaoundé, Cameroon
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: December 7, 2024

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 4, 2024*
10:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 8 at No. 6 Gonzaga
Findlay Auto Tip-Off
L 63–101  0–1
 15  Omier   9  Omier   7  Wright  Spokane Arena (12,000)
Spokane, WA
November 9, 2024*
6:30 p.m., ESPNU
No. 8 vs. No. 16 Arkansas W 72–67  1–1
 16  Nunn   12  Omier   5  Edgecombe  American Airlines Center (10,207)
Dallas, Texas
November 12, 2024*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 12 Sam Houston W 104–67  2–1
 19  Nunn   10  Tied   8  Roach  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
November 17, 2024*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 12 Tarleton State W 104–41  3–1
 20  Celestine   9  Omier   9  Wright III  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
November 21, 2024*
6:00 p.m., CBSSN
No. 13 vs. No. 22 St. John's
Bahamas Championship semifinals
W 99–98 2OT 4–1
 24  Omier   10  Omier   4  Tied  Baha Mar Convention Center (2,077)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 22, 2024*
9:30 p.m., CBSSN
No. 13 vs. No. 11 Tennessee
Bahamas Championship final
L 62–77  4–2
 22  Omier   10  Omier   3  Tied  Baha Mar Convention Center (2,119)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 27, 2024*
1:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 17 New Orleans W 91–60  5–2
 23  Nunn   13  Omier   8  Roach  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
December 4, 2024*
5:30 p.m., FS1
No. 15 at No. 25 UConn
Big East–Big 12 Battle
L 72–76  5–3
 22  Wright   14  Ojianwuna   4  Wright III  Gampel Pavilion (10,299)
Storrs, CT
December 9, 2024*
7:00 p.m., CBSSN
Abilene Christian W 88–57  6–3
 18  Nunn   8  Ojianwuna   4  Tied  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
December 11, 2024*
11:00 a.m., ESPN+
Norfolk State W 94–69  7–3
 19  Omier   9  Edgecombe   13  Wright III  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
December 27, 2024*
6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Arlington Baptist       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
Big 12 regular season
December 31, 2024
1:00 p.m., ESPN+
Utah       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
January 4, 2025
1:00 p.m., CBS
at Iowa State       Hilton Coliseum 
Ames, IA
January 7, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Cincinnati       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
January 11, 2025
8:30 p.m., ESPN+
at Arizona State       Desert Financial Arena 
Tempe, AZ
January 14, 2025
10:30 p.m., ESPN
at Arizona       McKale Center 
Tucson, AZ
January 19, 2025
TBA, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
TCU       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
January 22, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN2/ESPNU
Kansas State       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
January 25, 2025
3:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
at Utah       Jon M. Huntsman Center 
Salt Lake City, UT
January 28, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
at BYU       Marriott Center 
Provo, UT
February 1, 2025
3:00 p.m., ESPN
Kansas       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
February 4, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
at Texas Tech       United Supermarkets Arena 
Lubbock, TX
February 8, 2025
1:00 p.m., ESPN+
UCF       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
February 10, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN
at Houston       Fertitta Center 
Houston, TX
February 15, 2025
1:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
West Virginia       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
February 17, 2025
9:00 p.m., ESPN
Arizona       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
February 22, 2025
3:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Colorado       CU Events Center 
Boulder, CO
February 25, 2025
6:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Cincinnati       Fifth Third Arena 
Cincinnati, OH
March 1, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Oklahoma State       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
March 4, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
at TCU       Schollmaier Arena 
Fort Worth, TX
March 8, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN2
Houston       Foster Pavilion 
Waco, TX
Big 12 tournament
March 11–15, 2025
TBA
vs.        T-Mobile Center 
Kansas City, MO
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Mountain Time.

Source:[6]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP812131715RVRV
Coaches81415181625RV

References

  1. ^ "2023-24 Baylor Bears Men's Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Baylor men's & women's basketball programs roll into March Madness". Baylor University Athletics. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  3. ^ Judd, Brandon (May 7, 2024). "Runnin' Utes add another transfer, this one a four-star prospect from Big 12 territory". Deseret News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Coles, Joe (May 6, 2024). "Former BYU and Baylor basketball player Caleb Lohner transfers to Utah football". Deseret News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Kansas Selected As Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite, KU's Dickinson Named Preseason Player of the Year". Big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. October 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". Arizona State University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-06-04.