Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Big 12 Tournament: Baylor lost, but the Bears are still dangerous

Scott Drew

AP Photo

AP

Baylor’s legs finally gave out on them.

Playing their fourth game in four days after four weeks of what was essentially win-or-go-to-the-NIT-again basketball, you could also see the Bears tire down the stretch of their 74-65 loss to Iowa State in the finals of the Big 12 tournament.

After forcing the Cyclones to miss their first 13 shots of the game and taking a double-digit lead early in the first half, Baylor’s defense became a sieve, allowing the Cyclones to shoot 68.6% from the floor the rest of the way. It goes without saying that, for a team with some issues on the defensive end of the floor already, this was not one of their premier performances.

But that also doesn’t change the fact that Baylor has been playing some of the best basketball in the country over the last four weeks.
RELATED: Fred Hoiberg’s rebuilt Iowa State into a Final Four contender

Remember, this was a team that was 2-8 in the Big 12 heading into a February 12th game at TCU. They had lost eight of their last ten games and were on the wrong side of the bubble, but that win over TCU sparked a run. Baylor won seven of eight to close the regular season before knocking off TCU, Oklahoma and Texas en route to the Big 12 title game.

What has changed?

Well, for starters, Kenny Chery has played like one of the best point guards in the country ever since he snapped a three-game funk with a triple-double in the double-overtime win at Kansas State exactly one month ago. Brady Heslip refound his three-point stroke. Jefferson and Austin are finally playing like everyone expected them to play four months ago.

In other words, this group finally decided to play up to their potential.

And as a result, there is a chance that they could end up getting a No. 5 seed when the brackets are released.

Follow @robdauster