Scott Drew’s improbable turnaround at Baylor is nearly complete.
Drew’s Baylor Bears beat Arkansas 81-72 in the South Region final on Monday night to advance to the Final Four. It’s their first Final Four trip since 1950.
Drew having Baylor in this spot is remarkable when you consider where the program was when he took over.
Drew took the Baylor job in the summer of 2003 after a major scandal in the program. Patrick Dennehy was killed by a teammate, Carlton Dotson, who eventually pleaded guilty to the charges. As if that weren’t bad enough, then-head coach Dave Bliss later accused Dennehy of being a drug dealer.
The NCAA came down hard on Baylor, imposing several serious penalties on the program. Many of the Bears' top players transferred away.
Baylor struggled in Drew’s first three seasons but actually made the NCAA Tournament in his fifth season. The Bears made two Elite Eights over the ensuing few seasons and have become an NCAA Tournament mainstay ever since.
But this season, Baylor had its strongest team under Drew. The Bears entered the tourney 22-2 and have won four in a row to reach the Final Four, where they will face Houston.
Drew gave his players a lot of credit after the game.
“They’re better people than they are players, and that’s saying a lot because they’re great players. They’re a joy to coach, they’ve got each other's back, and because of that, we’re all going to the Final Four together,” Drew said.
Baylor shot the ball well, going 8-for-15 on three-pointers. The Bears also controlled the ball well and turned it over only nine times.
Seeing Baylor make the Final Four is not surprising based on how well the Bears played all season. Seeing the Bears make the Final Four considering where Drew started is nothing short of incredible.
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