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After a tumultuous first month of the 2021-22 men’s college basketball season that saw the No. 1 spot constantly changing teams, Baylor brought some stability to the top of the Power Rankings. The Bears looked legitimately dominant through the first eight weeks, carrying their momentum from last season’s national championship run over into this season. And with two home games and some manageable road trips coming up, it appeared Scott Drew’s program would continue to keep its grip on the top spot.
Then Baylor dropped those back-to-back home games, to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, and became the first AP No. 1 team ever to lose two home games in a week, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
So, what happened to Baylor?
Let’s start with the personnel. Freshman Jeremy Sochan missed both games because of an ankle injury. While he started only one game this season, the forward provided a matchup problem for opponents who can make plays at both ends of the floor. James Akinjo struggled against Oklahoma State and then didn’t play in the final minutes, with Drew saying after the game that he was dealing with an injury resulting from a hard fall in the Texas Tech game.
On the court, offense was the main culprit. Baylor had two of its three worst offensive performances of the season, going just 16-for-52 from 3-point range in the two games and shooting below 50% from inside the arc for the first time since Thanksgiving Day. The Bears also didn’t get out for easy baskets as often as usual. After forcing turnovers on at least 21% of possessions in every game so far this season — and an average of 25% of possessions — both the Red Raiders and the Cowboys turned it over on less than 20%.
Akinjo’s injury and Sochan’s absence hurt, but the supporting cast also struggled to step up consistently. Adam Flagler, who had been fantastic for the past six weeks, went 1-for-10 from the field against Oklahoma State; Matthew Mayer did have 16 points against the Cowboys,…
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Source : espn
