After the Baylor football team had an embarrassing loss on Saturday against TCU, Bears fans can soak in some college basketball on Sunday. That's right, Baylor will take the court. It might be an exhibition game, but the Bears will learn a lot about their team on Sunday when they take on Florida.
The Gators are expected to be a top-five team this season and Scott Drew will get a good litmus test regarding his Bears team.
Here's how you can see the game, along with some storylines for the contest.
How to watch
- When: Sunday, Oct. 18
- Where: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (Jacksonville, FL)
- Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
- Streaming: SEC Network +
Storylines to watch
How does Dylan Mingo hold up against a talented backcourt?
While Baylor utilized the transfer portal quite well, the only knock on Scott Drew's team entering the season is the lack of star power. That was also the case last season until Cameron Carr emerged as a go-to scorer. Who will that be this season?
The hope is for Dylan Mingo to become that player. He was a five-star and the Bears have had a lot of success with five-stars. There is no better way to see how he will fare than throwing him out there against one of the best teams in the country. Mingo likely needs to work on his three-point shot, but he's known to be a good defender and someone who can get to the hoop.
A good showing on Sunday would make Baylor fans feel good going forward.
Baylor front court vs. UF bigs
Caden Powell was forced into the starting lineup last season and the whole James Nnaji signing was a disaster. But Baylor hopes to have found solutions to its front court woes last season. Not only is Powell back after being granted a stay for his NCAA eligibility, but he can come off the bench, where he can provide a spark.
The big addition was Juslin Bodo Bodo, who was on the team last season. A preseason season-ending injury didn't allow the High Point transfer to play any games for Baylor. Now he's healthy and Bodo Bodo is a rebounding machine. He is supposed to be the force Baylor needed under the basketball.
Between Bodo Bodo, Powell, and UAB transfer Evan Chatman — let's see how they play against Florida's Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu under the basket.
How deep is Baylor's bench?
Not only did Scott Drew retain a large portion of his roster from last season, but Baylor certainly landed some key players who will provide sparks off the bench.
Immediately, you think of Brett Decker Jr. and freshman Elijah Williams, who should both play a big role off the bench. It's also possible Isaac Williams Jr. comes off the bench if Isaac Celiscar starts at the wing. But the question will be how many players can Drew play and feel good about it?
During an exhibition game, we will see plenty of players get playing time against Florida, which will give us a good idea of how deep the Bears are.
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