How Gonzaga exploited Baylor's weaknesses, revealing Bears' areas for improvement
On Monday afternoon, the Baylor men's basketball program posted a video on its social media feeds noting the 14 different journeys of the players on the roster, while holding up the singular mission of the team.
"National championship," the players say, one by one, in the video.
Then later that evening, the Bears showed that still have a long way to go.
Sixth-ranked Gonzaga resembled every bit of a national title contender in its 101-63 blowout of the eighth-ranked Bears before a crowd of 12,000 at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena late Monday night. The Bears, meanwhile, looked very much like a team still trying to figure out how to play together, which of course they are.
Only one starter and three returners are back from last year's Baylor 24-11 team that lost to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA tournament last season. And one of those players, redshirt junior Langston Love, was held out of the game against the Bulldogs (1-0) as a precautionary measure as he continues to work back from last season's ankle injury.
Gonzaga brought back seven of its top eight scorers from last year in addition to welcoming a couple of high-powered transfers. And the difference was stark, as Gonzaga had Baylor's defense scrambling much of the night.
The Bears (0-1) came out with a plan of switching on ball screens, but the Zags carved up that approach with sharp cuts, slick passing and expert communication. Later, when Baylor briefly switched to a 1-3-1 zone, or when the Bears showed some full-court pressure in the second half, Gonzaga had no issues continuing to find ways to score.
The Bulldogs assisted on 25 of their 40 made baskets and shot 57% on the night. They also hurt Baylor with their size inside, as 6-foot-10 reserve Braden Huff had 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting while 6-9 all-conference forward Graham Ike supplied 15 points and eight rebounds.
"You've got to give credit to Gonzaga, great coaching, great players," said Norchad Omier, who led Baylor with 15 points and nine rebounds. "They were exploiting the mismatch, and we couldn't find a way to figure it out. All we can do is learn from it and move on from here."
VJ Edgecombe struggled with his shooting in his college debut. The projected NBA lottery pick shot just 2-of-11 and finished with four points, as he repeatedly took it into the teeth of the Gonzaga defense, sometimes without really having a plan.
But Edgecombe's promise hovers in the stratosphere, not to mention his vertical leap. Late in the game, Edgecombe seemingly let out a little frustration with a posterizing dunk over Joe Few, a Zags reserve guard and the son of Gonzaga head coach Mark Few.
The play went instantly viral, though the fact that it happened in the closing minutes of a game that had long been decided wasn't lost on some of the social media commenters.
"They're deeper than us right now. Their depth is experienced," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "They know what they're looking to do, and I thought we let the pace and tempo get away from us."
Baylor has a long way to go, but the talent on the BU roster is still apparent. Love's return will help, whenever that may come. Robert Wright III, one of the Bears' other hotshot freshmen, played well off the bench, producing 12 points and six assists in 30 minutes.
Baylor will need Wright and Duke transfer Jeremy Roach to be facilitators, as the Bears' offensive approach against Gonzaga too often devolved into off-the-dribble isolation forays.
They'll also need to shoot a lot better, as it's hard to win games when you hit just 3 of 21 (14.3%) from beyond the arc.
"That's not Baylor basketball. For Baylor fans who stayed up, I promise we will get a lot better," Drew said. "And we'll give you a better effort than this."
Baylor will get its chance to bounce back when it faces No. 16 Arkansas in a neutral-site game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Razorbacks, under the direction of new coach John Calipari, will open their season Wednesday at home against Lipscomb.
