Baylor is 11-0 with 11 double-digit wins, the best of which is an 82-69 neutral-court victory over Illinois that came back on Dec. 2. But the Bears' subsequent eight games have all been against unranked opponents. So they've been off the national radar a bit over the past six weeks, though that'll obviously change Saturday when Baylor plays Texas Tech inside United Supermarkets Arena.
"We'll have to play our best 40 minutes of the year to have a chance to win this game," Texas Tech coach Chris Beard told reporters earlier this week.
Considering his Red Raiders are coming off of a dramatic 79-77 win at Texas, that quote highlights the respect Beard has for Baylor because, if you take Beard at his word, that quote means he believes what Texas Tech did to beat Texas on the road three days ago won't be good enough to beat Baylor at home this weekend. And he's probably right.
Scott Drew's Bears are the sport's only team with an adjusted offensive-efficiency rating and an adjusted defensive-efficiency rating that both rank in the top five. So Baylor is capable of overwhelming opponents on either end of the court. It's among the reasons why the Bears are projected to be a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and considered legit contenders to cut nets on the first Monday night in April.
Baylor is No. 2 in Saturday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Texas Tech is No. 12. Their game is scheduled to tip at 4 p.m. ET.
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Saturday's Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Gonzaga's perfect record is highlighted by double-digit wins over Kansas, Iowa and Virginia. The Zags are projected to be double-digit favorites in every remaining scheduled game from now through Selection Sunday. perfect record is highlighted by wins over Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia and Virginia. The Zags are the first team to score at least 85 points in each of their first 12 games since Loyola Marymount in the 1990-91 season. | -- | 27-8 |
| 2 |  | Baylor has won every game it has played by double-digits. The Bears' perfect record is highlighted by a 13-point neutral-court victory over Illinois. | -- | 24-11 |
| 3 |  | Michigan's perfect record is highlighted by double-digit wins over Wisconsin, Minnesota and Maryland. Eight of the Wolverines' 11 victories are in the first two quadrants. | -- | 8-24 |
| 4 |  | Villanova's resume features wins over Texas, Marquette and Arizona State. The Wildcats have not played since Dec. 23 because of COVID-19 issues inside the program. | -- | 18-16 |
| 5 |  | Creighton's resume features four wins over teams ranked in the top 80 of the NET. The Bluejays will take a six-game winning streak into Saturday's game at Butler. | -- | 25-10 |
| 6 |  | Iowa's resume features wins over seven top-100 KenPom teams - among them Minnesota, Rutgers and North Carolina. The Hawkeyes will take a four-game winning streak into Thursday's game with Michigan State. | -- | 19-15 |
| 7 |  | Six of Texas' 10 wins are in the first two quadrants - most notably a 25-point victory at Kansas. The Longhorns' only two losses are single-digit losses to Villanova and Texas Tech. | -- | 21-13 |
| 8 |  | Tennessee's resume features four wins over teams ranked in the top 80 of the NET. The Vols will take a two-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at South Carolina. | -- | 27-9 |
| 9 |  | Kansas' resume includes four wins over teams in the top 40 of the NET - most notably Creighton, West Virginia and Texas Tech. All three of the Jayhawks' losses have come to schools in the top 40 of the NET. | -- | 23-11 |
| 10 |  | Six of West Virginia's nine wins have come against top-100 KenPom teams. All four of the Mountaineers' losses are considered Quadrant 1 losses. | -- | 9-23 |
| 11 |  | Houston's resume features wins over Texas Tech, SMU and South Carolina. The Cougars will take a three-game winning streak into Thursday's game at South Florida. | -- | 32-5 |
| 12 |  | Texas Tech's resume is highlighted by road wins at Texas and Oklahoma. The Red Raiders will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday's game with Baylor. | -- | 23-11 |
| 13 |  | Maryland snapped Illinois' four-game winning streak on Sunday. The Illini still own six wins over top-100 KenPom teams - among them victories over Duke, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue. | -- | 29-9 |
| 14 |  | Wisconsin's resume is highlighted by wins over Minnesota and Louisville. Two of the Badgers' three losses are considered Quadrant 1 losses. | -- | 22-14 |
| 15 |  | Minnesota's resume includes victories over Iowa, Ohio State and Saint Louis. All four of the Golden Gophers' losses are to teams ranked in the top 10 at KenPom. | -- | 19-15 |
| 16 |  | Ohio State's resume is highlighted by wins over UCLA and Rutgers. The Buckeyes will take a two-game winning streak into Saturday's game at Illinois. | -- | 22-14 |
| 17 |  | Louisville's only loss is a shorthanded loss at Wisconsin. The Cardinals will take a five-game winning streak into Saturday's game at Miami. | -- | 8-24 |
| 18 |  | Saint Louis' resume features wins over NC State and LSU. The Billikens have not played since Dec. 23 because of COVID-19 issues inside the program. | -- | 13-20 |
| 19 |  | Nick Honor made five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points in Tuesday's 74-70 overtime victory over NC State. The Tigers have seven victories over teams ranked in the top 100 at KenPom. | -- | 24-12 |
| 20 |  | Oregon improved to 4-1 in the Pac-12 via Saturday's 79-73 victory at Utah. The Ducks' resume also includes wins over Stanford and Seton Hall. | -- | 24-12 |
| 21 |  | UConn's resume is highlighted by wins over USC and Marquette. The Huskies will take a four-game winning streak into Monday's game with St. John's. | -- | 37-3 |
| 22 |  | UCLA's resume features wins over Colorado, Arizona and Marquette. The Bruins will take a five-game winning streak into Saturday's game against Washington. | -- | 16-17 |
| 23 |  | Two of Colorado's three losses are to Tennessee and UCLA. The Buffaloes will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday's game against Stanford. | 1 | 26-11 |
| 24 |  | USC's five-game winning streak features victories over Arizona and Arizona State. The Trojans' only two losses are to Connecticut and Colorado. | 1 | 15-18 |
| 25 |  | Virginia Tech's resume features wins over Villanova, Clemson and Duke. Both of the Hokies' losses are to teams in the top 50 of the NET. | 1 | 19-15 |
| 26 |  | Alabama's resume features victories over Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky. The Crimson Tide will take a six-game winning streak into Saturday's game with Arkansas. | NR | 25-12 |
In: Alabama
Out: Rutgers
