When he arrived on campus in 2003, Scott Drew inherited a basketball team that was left in one of the worse conditions in college basketball history. From former coach Dave Bliss telling players to lie to investigators and widespread drug and alcohol use on the team, it seemed like the last thing Baylor had was a legit men's basketball program.
When Drew first stepped in, they didn't have a real chance to compete since the NCAA came down hard with numerous violations against the school. The Bears were cellar-dwellers in his first four seasons, going 36-69. Baylor finally broke through in 2007-08, when Drew's hard work paid off with a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Since that time, Drew has taken the school to an NIT Championship Game and Elite Eight while attracting high-level prospects to come play in Waco.
Now that the long and arduous rebuilding job is complete, Baylor has been expected to contend in the Big 12 year after year. But the 2010-11 season was a odd misstep for the Bears. They had their most-hyped prospect in Perry Jones III coming in with all-Big 12 guard LaceDarius Dunn and sparkplug Quincy Acy coming back, but all that talent didn't seem to mesh well in game action. They finished the year 18-13 with no postseason appearance to show for it.
There's no way Drew is on any kind of hot seat, but it makes you wonder how team chemistry will be now with Jones !!!, Acy, Anthony Jones, A.J. Walton and J'Mison Morgan staying plus the additions of Quincy Miller, Deuce Bello, Pierre Jackson, Brady Heslip and Gary Franklin. We'll see if Drew can get each piece to buy into a 'team-first' motto for the year in order to avoid a repeat of 2010-11.
Loading comments...