BYU Basketball Schedule Ramps Up With Home Game Against Baylor
Jan 28, 2025, 1:39 AM
BYU basketball wing/guard Richie Saunders gets set to host the Baylor Bears in Big 12 Conference play. (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – The BYU basketball schedule is about to go into overdrive.
According to ESPN BPI, BYU’s remaining schedule is the 23rd toughest in the country. The difficult stretch begins tonight at the Marriott Center against Big 12 power Baylor.
BYU basketball will face eight Quad 1 opponents in the next nine games
Both teams are looking to climb the Big 12 standings and earn a coveted Quad One victory in tonight’s matchup. They are riding high with a pair of two-game winning streaks.
Both teams have similar profiles, with 13-6 overall records. BYU is 4-4 in the Big 12, while Baylor is 5-3.
Tuesday night will be the 13th meeting between the programs, with each winning six. Last year, they split the games played at their home venues.
BYU’s matchup against Baylor begins a stretch of five consecutive games against Quad One opponents and eight of the next nine in the Q1 territory. So, it’s a great opportunity in front of the Cougars to get back on the right side of the bubble and into projected NCAA Tournament brackets.
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BYU/Baylor: Intriguing matchup stylistically
When you look at the stats this season for BYU and Baylor, there are many similarities. Both teams are within half a point of each other in scoring offense average. On the defensive end, they allow a similar number of points to opponents, three-point shooting, and rebounds; it’s all pretty close.
To go along with the stat profile, both teams have heralded freshmen with BYU guard Egor Demin and Baylor boasting VJ Edgecombe, who had 51 total points in two games last week.
In a matchup that, on paper, looks to be pretty close, where could the differences be?
“So I think athletically; obviously, they’re really good, not just with [Edgecombe], but across the board. … I think our pace is different,” said BYU head coach Kevin Young. “As athletic as they are, I think we play a bit faster. So it’ll be an interesting matchup in terms of, stylistically, we’ll have to do a good job of neutralizing their athleticism with good team defense. Then you know, our ability to space the floor on the other end and make quick decisions like we like to play.”
Trends for BYU basketball
- In BYU’s four Big 12 victories this season, they hit at least 10 three-pointers. During Saturday’s win over Cincinnati, BYU knocked down 15 3-pointers, which was the 10th most in a game in BYU basketball history.
- BYU is 7-1 in games where Egor Demin dishes out at least seven assists.
- BYU basketball is 4-1 in Big 12 games where they outrebound their opponent.
- BYU is second in Big 12 play in team field goal percentage at 47.4%.
- They are No. 1 in the Big 12 in team 3-point field goal percentage at 37.3%.
- Richie Saunders is fourth during Big 12 play in scoring at 18.1 points per game.
Getting to know the Baylor Bears
Baylor entered the year as a preseason AP Top-10 team. They haven’t quite lived up to that level of hype, as they are 1-5 against KenPom Top-40 teams this season. However, freshman VJ Edgecombe has turned the corner and is playing at a level as of late.
Also, former Miami center Norchad Omier is a force in the post. Last week, the 6-foot-7 Omier became only the 13th player in NCAA history with 2,000+ points and 1,500+ rebounds in a career.
Omier is third in the Big 12 during conference play in true shooting percentage at 63.1%. He leads the Bears in points (15.4), rebounds (10.2), and blocks (1.1) per game.
The Bears will rely heavily on Edgecombe and Omier as they are down to a seven-man rotation.
According to Brice Cherry from the Waco Tribune-Herald, Baylor’s Jeremy Roach did not play at Utah due to concussion protocol, and Langston Love (ankle) remains day-to-day on their availability.
Baylor is 2-4 in road games this season, with the two victories coming at venues from the Big 12’s “Four Corner” programs (Arizona State and Utah).
The Bears are coached by National Championship-winning coach Scott Drew, who is in his 22nd year as the headman at Baylor.
BYU vs. Baylor
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Location: Marriott Center
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. (MST)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
