2023–24 Baylor Bears men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Baylor Bears men's basketball team represented Baylor University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which was the Bears' 118th season. The Bears, members of the Big 12 Conference, played their first seven home games at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, before moving to their new arena at Foster Pavilion, which opened on January 2, 2024. They were led by 21st-year head coach Scott Drew.

2023–24 Baylor Bears men's basketball
NIT Season Tip-Off champions
NCAA tournament, Second Round
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 14
AP	No. 16
Record	24–11 (11–7 Big 12)
Head coach	Scott Drew (21st season)
Associate head coach	Alvin Brooks III (8th season) John Jakus (7th season)
Assistant coach	Jared Nuness (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Motion
Base defense	No-Middle
Home arena	Ferrell Center Foster Pavilion
Seasons ← 2022–23 2024–25 →

2023–24 Big 12 men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 3т Houston	15	–	3		.833			32	–	5		.865
No. 8 Iowa State †	13	–	5		.722			29	–	8		.784
No. 16 Baylor	11	–	7		.611			24	–	11		.686
Texas Tech	11	–	7		.611			23	–	11		.676
BYU	10	–	8		.556			23	–	11		.676
No. 19 Kansas	10	–	8		.556			23	–	11		.676
Texas	9	–	9		.500			21	–	13		.618
TCU	9	–	9		.500			21	–	13		.618
Oklahoma	8	–	10		.444			20	–	12		.625
Kansas State	8	–	10		.444			19	–	15		.559
Cincinnati	7	–	11		.389			22	–	15		.595
UCF	7	–	11		.389			17	–	16		.515
Oklahoma State	4	–	14		.222			12	–	20		.375
West Virginia	4	–	14		.222			9	–	23		.281
† 2024 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

The Bears finished the 2022–23 season 23–11, 11–7 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for third place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament to Iowa State. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the South Region, where they defeated UC Santa Barbara in the first round before losing in the second round to Creighton.

Offseason

Departures

Baylor Departures

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason for Departure
Flo Thamba	0	F	6'10"	245	Senior	Kinshasa, DR Congo	Graduated
Keyonte George	1	G	6'4"	185	Freshman	Lewisville, TX	Declare for 2023 NBA draft; selected 16th overall by Utah Jazz
Jake Younkin	2	G	6'3"	195	Junior	Loveland, OH	Walk-on; didn't return
Dale Bonner	3	G	6'2"	170	Senior	Shaker Hights, OH	Graduate transferred to Ohio State
LJ Cryer	4	G	6'1"	185	Junior	Katy, TX	Transferred to Houston
Jordan Turner	5	G/F	6'8"	195	Senior	Houston, TX	Graduate transferred to Louisiana Tech
Adam Flagler	10	G	6'3"	180	Senior	Duluth, GA	Graduated/undrafted in 2023 NBA draft; signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder
Zach Loveday	32	F	7'0"	215	Junior	Gallipois, OH	Transferred to Samford

Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Previous School
Jayden Nunn	2	F	6'4"	190	Junior	Flint, Michigan	VCU
RayJ Dennis	10	G	6'2"	180	Senior	Plainfield, IL	Toledo

Recruiting classes

2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Ja'Kobe Walter #2 SG	McKinney, TX	Link Academy	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jun 22, 2022
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (93)
Miro Little #5 PG	Bel Aire, KS	Sunrise Christian Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Apr 15, 2022
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (87)
Yves Missi #13 C	Colora, MD	Prolific Prep	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Apr 15, 2022
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (86)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 14    247Sports: 10
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Baylor 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved July 3, 2023. "2023 Baylor Bears Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved July 3, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved July 3, 2023.

Roster

2023–24 Baylor Bears men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 1 Miro Little 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Sunrise Christian Tampere, Finland G 2 Jayden Nunn 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr VCU Flint, MI F 4 Ja'Kobe Walter 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Link Academy McKinney, TX G 10 RayJ Dennis 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Toledo Plainfield, IL F 11 Jalen Bridges 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) RS Sr West Virginia Fairmont, WV G 12 Dantwan Grimes 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Jr Kilgore College Ocala, FL G 13 Langston Love 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS So Montverde Academy (FL) Universal City, TX F 15 Josh Ojianwuna 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) So NBA Global Academy Asaba, Nigeria F 20 Austin Sacks (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Santa Clara Encino, CA F 21 Yves Missi 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Prolific Prep Yaoundé, Cameroon F 23 Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) GS UNLV Douala, Cameroon G 25 Omar Adegbola (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Montverde Academy Houston, TX F 33 Caleb Lohner 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Sr BYU Dallas, TX	Head coach Scott Drew (Butler) Assistant coach(es) Alvin Brooks III (Idaho State) John Jakus (Trinity International) Jared Nuness (Valparaiso) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 7, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 20	vs. Auburn	W 88–82	1–0	28 – Walter	8 – Bridges	3 – Nunn	Sanford Pentagon (3,028) Sioux Falls, SD
November 9, 2023* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+	No. 20	John Brown	W 96–70	2–0	20 – Love	10 – Ojianwuna	8 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (9,414) Waco, TX
November 12, 2023* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 20	Gardner–Webb	W 77–62	3–0	14 – Walter	8 – Tied	4 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (8,037) Waco, TX
November 14, 2023* 9:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 15	Kansas City	W 99–61	4–0	25 – Nunn	6 – Lohner	8 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (7,903) Waco, TX
November 22, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 13	vs. Oregon State NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals	W 88–72	5–0	24 – Walter	14 – Missi	6 – Dennis	Barclays Center (–) Brooklyn, NY
November 24, 2023* 4:30 p.m., ESPN	No. 13	vs. Florida NIT Season Tip-Off championship	W 95–91	6–0	24 – Dennis	5 – Tied	8 – Dennis	Barclays Center (1,620) Brooklyn, NY
November 28, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 9	Nicholls	W 108–70	7–0	23 – Love	7 – Tied	10 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (7,166) Waco, TX
December 2, 2023* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 9	Northwestern State	W 91–40	8–0	16 – Bridges	10 – Missi	6 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (8,432) Waco, TX
December 5, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 6	Seton Hall Big East–Big 12 Battle	W 78–60	9–0	17 – Dennis	8 – Missi	7 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (8,269) Waco, TX
December 16, 2023* 1:00 p.m., FOX	No. 6	vs. Michigan State Motor City Invitational	L 64–88	9–1	11 – Tied	3 – Tied	7 – Dennis	Little Caesars Arena (13,277) Detroit, MI
December 20, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 10	vs. No. 21 Duke SentinelOne Classic	L 70–78	9–2	17 – Dennis	10 – Missi	4 – Dennis	Madison Square Garden (18,512) New York, NY
December 22, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 10	Mississippi Valley State Final Game at Ferrell Center	W 107–48	10–2	26 – Walter	7 – Lohner	7 – Dennis	Ferrell Center (8,794) Waco, TX
January 2, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 18	Cornell First Game at Foster Pavilion	W 98–79	11–2	23 – Walter	9 – Walter	6 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
Big 12 Regular Season
January 6, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 18	at Oklahoma State	W 75–70 OT	12–2 (1–0)	18 – Dennis	10 – Missi	4 – Dennis	Gallagher-Iba Arena (6,513) Stillwater, OK
January 9, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 14	No. 18 BYU	W 81–72	13–2 (2–0)	25 – Bridges	5 – Bridges	4 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
January 13, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 14	Cincinnati	W 62–59	14–2 (3–0)	14 – Tied	8 – Bridges	9 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
January 16, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 9	at Kansas State	L 64–68 OT	14–3 (3–1)	15 – Love	11 – Missi	8 – Dennis	Bramlage Coliseum (10,055) Manhattan, KS
January 20, 2024 11:00 a.m., ESPN	No. 9	at Texas	L 73–75	14–4 (3–2)	22 – Walter	7 – Walter	8 – Dennis	Moody Center (11,163) Austin, TX
January 27, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 15	TCU	L 102–105 3OT	14–5 (3–3)	25 – Missi	10 – Love	10 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
January 31, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 18	at UCF	W 77–69	15–5 (4–3)	24 – Love	7 – Love	8 – Dennis	Addition Financial Arena (8,683) Orlando, FL
February 3, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 18	No. 12 Iowa State	W 70–68	16–5 (5–3)	18 – Dennis	7 – Dennis	4 – Love	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
February 6, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 13	No. 23 Texas Tech	W 79–73	17–5 (6–3)	21 – Dennis	7 – Missi	5 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
February 10, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 13	at No. 4 Kansas	L 61–64	17–6 (6–4)	21 – Missi	8 – Tied	8 – Dennis	Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS
February 13, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 12	No. 25 Oklahoma	W 79–62	18–6 (7–4)	27 – Nunn	6 – Walter	8 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
February 17, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 12	at West Virginia	W 94–81	19–6 (8–4)	23 – Walter	7 – Tied	8 – Dennis	WVU Coliseum (12,558) Morgantown, WV
February 20, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 11	at No. 25 BYU	L 71–78	19–7 (8–5)	15 – Bridges	8 – Bridges	8 – Dennis	Marriott Center (17,978) Provo, UT
February 24, 2024 11:00 a.m., CBS	No. 11	No. 2 Houston	L 76–82 OT	19–8 (8–6)	23 – Walter	13 – Bridges	5 – Tied	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
February 26, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 15	at TCU	W 62–54	20–8 (9–6)	16 – Tied	9 – Dennis	9 – Dennis	Schollmaier Arena (6,810) Fort Worth, TX
March 2, 2024 12:00 p.m., ABC	No. 15	No. 7 Kansas	W 82–74	21–8 (10–6)	19 – Dennis	8 – Walter	10 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
March 4, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 11	Texas	W 93–85	22–8 (11–6)	32 – Bridges	9 – Bridges	8 – Dennis	Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX
March 9, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 11	at Texas Tech	L 68–78	22–9 (11–7)	15 – Walter	6 – Bridges	5 – Dennis	United Supermarkets Arena (14,432) Lubbock, TX
Big 12 tournament
March 14, 2024 8:30 p.m., ESPN2	(3) No. 14	vs. (11) Cincinnati Quarterfinals	W 68–56	23–9	13 – Dennis	9 – Bridges	6 – Dennis	T-Mobile Center (19,135) Kansas City, MO
March 15, 2024 8:30 p.m., ESPN	(3) No. 14	vs. (2) No. 7 Iowa State Semifinals	L 62–76	23–10	20 – Bridges	12 – Bridges	11 – Dennis	T-Mobile Center (19,135) Kansas City, MO
NCAA tournament
March 22, 2024 11:40 a.m., TruTV	(3 W) No. 14	vs. (14 W) Colgate First Round	W 92–67	24–10	23 – Bridges	7 – Ojianwuna	9 – Dennis	FedExForum  Memphis, TN
March 24, 2024 5:10 p.m., TNT	(3 W) No. 14	vs. (6 W) Clemson Second Round	L 64–72	24–11	27 – Dennis	6 – Tied	2 – Tied	FedExForum  Memphis, TN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time.

Source:^[1]

Rankings

See also: 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Final
AP	20	15	13	9	6	6	10	17	18	14	9	15	18	13	12	11	15	11	14	14	16
Coaches	17	13	12	9	6	6	10	19	18	14	9	14	18	13	13	11	14	11	13	13	14