Washington Huskies forward Bryson Tucker (8) scores a basket against Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Baylor Bears are back in town

Originally posted on Baylor Bears on SI
By Joshua Abraham | Last updated Nov 10, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The college basketball season is back and fully in session. Finally, after months of waiting, all of the predictions being made by the national media can either materialize or fall apart, with teams beginning to play their non-conference schedules. When trying to describe the general theme surrounding this season of college basketball, it has to be "the freshman."

For months, media analysts across the country have been raving about the incoming freshman talent, whether that be Duke's Cameron Boozer, Kansas' Darren Peterson, or Baylor's Tounde Yessoufou; there is a ton of young talent on the court. With that being said, even after a few games, media analysts such as Jay Bilas have begun compiling their lists and looking ahead to the big dance in March. In his first edition of the "Bilas Index," the Baylor Bears were ranked 22nd. What Bilas wrote can be found below:

22. Baylor Bears

Every single Baylor player from 2024-25 is gone, thanks to either graduation or the transfer portal, but coach Scott Drew has showed plenty that he's good enough to regroup. Bringing inTounde Yessoufou-- No. 9 in the SC Next 100 -- was the biggest coup. Yessoufou is an elite offensive player with a decent midrange game. In a year crowded with freshman talent, he should be a draft lottery pick.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Bears found themselves in a very peculiar position this offseason: at one point, the Bears did not have a single scholarship athlete on their basketball roster. After head coach Scott Drew worked his magic, bringing in players from the transfer portal and having recruited a talented crop of incoming freshmen, the Bears were ready to start the season off with a bang. In the Bears' opening day debut, the Bears walked over their opponent (UT Rio Grande Valley), erupting for 96 points. When looking at individual player stats, nothing stands out more than the 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist of freshman Tounde Yessoufou.

Yessoufou was one of the aforementioned freshmen who received a lot of hype coming into the season, and he certainly lived up to that potential in his debut game for the Bears. Only time will tell if he is able to keep up that production, but if the Bears continue to operate at the clip they did in their first game, they have the potential to be one of the best teams in the Big 12 and ascend up the Bilas Index.

This article first appeared on Baylor Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: