8/8 BAYLOR BEARS (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler, 1993) Grid | Statistics | Game Notes (PDF)	8/8 BAYLOR (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. 6/7 GONZAGA (0-0, 0-0 WCC) November 4, 2024 • 10:30 PM CT Spokane, Washington. • Veterans Memorial Arena (12,000) LIVE STATISTICS: Statistical broadcast WATCH: ESPN2 Talent: Roxy Bernstein (pxp), Jay Williams (analyst) LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via ESPN 1660 AM/92.3 FM in Central Texas and worldwide at centexsportsfan.com Talent: John Morris (PBP), Pat Nunley (analyst) SIRIUSXM: SiriusXM 199 or on the SXM app Baylor social media:
	6/7 GONZAGA BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0 WCC) Location: Spokane, Wash. Conference/affiliation: WCC Head Coach: Mark Few (Oregon, 1987) Grid | Statistics | Game Notes (PDF)

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By Jerry Hill

Baylor Beer Insider



WACO, TX – Half-jokingly, Baylor coach Scott Drew asks, “What was Coach thinking about planning that?”


The 22^i.eBaylor’s head coach was referring to a season-opening schedule that sees the eighth-ranked Bears play No. 6 Gonzaga on Monday at 10:30 PM CT in Spokane, Washington, followed by a neutral-site game against 16^e-arranged in Arkansas five days later at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.


“(Gozaga coach Mark) Few and I were both talking about how it’s great for the game to have matchups like this after Monday Night Football, to get people talking about college basketball,” said Drew, who has just one returning starter has a 24-year stint. 11 team that lost to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.


“The good thing about the NCAA is that there are no losers when you play these types of games because it doesn’t hurt your NET rating if you lose. And it’s only something that can help you with a positive win if you’re the team that wins. So a great opportunity for us to see where we are as a team.”


While Baylor on the NBA’s Opening Day rosters had four players removed from last year’s team and brought in nine new players, Gonzaga returned six of the top seven scorers, 81% of the scoring and 71% of the rebounders from the 27- 8 team from last year. made his ninth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.


The Bulldogs added transfers Khalif Battle (Arkansas) and Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine) to an experienced cast led by point guard Ryan Nembhard (12.6 ppg, 6.9 rebounds) and 6-9 center Graham Ike (16.5 ppg , 7.4 rebounds).


“If you want to look at the challenges, you can easily find them with a team returning seven of the top eight,” Drew said. “Especially at the beginning of the year, that’s a big disadvantage compared to teams with a lot of newer players, where you’re still trying to develop chemistry and what each player is best at, what offense and defense to run, and when . At the same time, this is a team that lost to Purdue last year and played their best basketball at the end of the year.”


Junior guard Jayden Nunwho transferred from VCU a year ago, is the Bears’ lone returning starter and averaged 10.7 points while shooting 45.0% from 3-point range. Also at the back are 6-10 junior attackers Josh Ojianwuna (5.0 ppg, 3.4 rebounds) and 6-5 redshirt junior guard Langston Lovea Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year candidate who averaged 11.0 points per game before missing 11 of the final 13 games due to an ankle injury.


Baylor replaced 71% of its scoring and reloaded with the additions of transfers Jeremy Roach from duke, Norchad Omier from Miami and Jalen Celestine from California, along with freshmen VJ EdgecombeRob Wright III and Jason Asemota.


“I think our identity is to play fast and play defense. I think defense is the biggest part,” said Roach, the Big 12 Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13 at Duke last year had achieved .6 points per game. “I feel like everyone is capable of just guarding 1 through 5. I think the identity of a defensive team would be huge. When you’re in the Big 12, you’ve got to get stops.”


Now that Roach and Omier have both made it to the Final Fours and “our returning guys who have played in big games,” Drew said, “at least the new guys can listen to them, because if you’re not ready in that first road game, you can be tough, as we saw last year at Michigan State (88-64 loss).”


Monday’s game, of course, is a repeat of the 2021 national championship game that Baylor won in dominant fashion, 86-70.


“What a great way to start the season. What a great way to see what your team needs to work on and give your team the opportunity to have a shot at a quality win and be part of the best game on opening night Drew said. “And it’s great national television that people will watch – more on the West Coast than the East Coast. But they’ll be watching after Monday Night Football, and it’s a great way to start the season.”


Monday’s game will be televised by ESPN2, with Roxy Bernstein and Jay Williams calling the action.

Storylines

• No. No. 8 Baylor heads to Spokane to take on No. 6 Gonzaga in the season opener at Veterans Memorial Arena in a 10:30 PM CT tip-off on ESPN2.

• This top-10 battle involves two of the four programs that have been ranked in the top-10 each year for the past six years.

• This dynamic duo also joins Kansas and Duke as two of four teams to finish No. 1 in four of the past eight seasons.

• Last season, the Bears joined the Zags, Houston and Kansas as one of four teams to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last five tournaments.

• Gonzaga is just the second-ranked opponent Baylor has faced in a season opener, and the first since opening the season at No. 15 BYU in the 1979-80 season.

• BU falls to BYU that night, seeking its first ever win over a ranked opponent in a season opener

• The 10:30 PM CT tip-off is Baylor’s last scheduled tip-off since a 11:00 PM CT tip-off against Memphis on Nov. 27, 2014 as part of the Las Vegas Invitational.

• Baylor is 19-2 in season openers under Scott Drewwith his last loss coming in a lid lifter in 2018.

• This marks the fifth time in the Drew Era that the Bears have opened the season away from home, going 3-1 in the previous four games, including last year’s opener, an 88-82 win over Auburn.

• The Bears are the only team in the country to finish third place or higher in each of the last four NCAA tournaments.

• The Bears are the only team in the country with a top-19 pick in each of the last four NBA Drafts, and one of only two programs with a top-20 pick in the fourth consecutive drafts (Duke).

• Baylor welcomes nine new faces to the 2024-2025 roster, aiming to replace four of their five starters from last year’s team, including a pair of first-round draft picks Ja’Kobe Walter And Yves Missi

• Potential top-5 NBA Draft pick VJ Edgecombeand his star-studded classmates Jason Asemota And Rob Wrightshould increase the slack for some of those departures.

• Additionally, the Bears brought in veteran transfers Jalen Celestine (California), Norchad Omier (state of Arkansas and Miami) and Jeremy Roach (Duke) to replace 71.4% of the scorers, 68.3% of the rebounders and 78.8% of the assists.

• Roach And Omier Bring Final Four experience, as Roach helped his Duke team to the 2022 Final Four, while Omier led Miami to its first-ever Final Four in 2023.

• Randcombe is Baylor’s fourth straight Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The Bears and Kansas Jayhawks are the only teams in league history to win Freshman of the Year honors in four consecutive seasons.

• If Randcombe claims postseason Freshman of the Year Honors, BU would become the first team in conference history to have the preseason and postseason Freshman of the Year in three consecutive seasons.

• Roach was named the Big 12 Conference Co-Newcomer of the Year and was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 second team with Omier.

• The Bears are picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and are the only team in the Big 12 with more than 11 conference wins in a Power-5 conference in five consecutive seasons.