Baylor basketball programs open 2024-25 ranked and reloaded
Both Baylor’s men’s and women’s basketball programs open the 2024-25 season with national rankings, top players, and lofty expectations — a situation familiar to Baylor student-athletes and fans, but one that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Once again this year, both Baylor teams are nationally ranked, and in the top 12 at that. The men start the year ranked No. 8 nationally in both the AP and Coaches polls, while the women earned the No. 12 spot in both rankings. Baylor is one of 12 schools nationally with both their men’s and women’s teams ranked in the top 25, a distinction the institution has earned for much of the last decade-plus. From November’s openers at Foster into March (and hopefully April), Baylor fans will cheer on two great teams against top-tier opponents in the nation’s toughest basketball conference.
New contributors abound for Scott Drew’s Baylor men. Big 12 Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year Jeremy Roach (an all-ACC guard from Duke), Norchad Ormier (who averaged a double-double at Miami), and Jalen Celestine (a top three-point shooter from Cal) all transferred in and are expected to provide immediate contributions. The Big 12’s Preseason Freshman of the Year, V.J. Edgecombe, drew rave reviews for his work against NBA players in the Olympic qualifying games for his native Bahamas, and is widely projected as a future first-round draft pick who should pay dividends for the Bears quickly. Only three players return from a year ago — Jayden Nunn, Josh Ojianwuna and Langston Love — but all three are expected to provide leadership, size and scoring.
For Nicki Collen and Baylor women’s basketball, this year marks a milestone in her leadership of the program. It’s the first time she’ll coach more returning players than newcomers — and those returning stars bring back substantial firepower. Baylor returns six of their eight most reliable scorers, including fifth-year senior Sarah Andrews, postseason breakout star Jada Walker, juniors Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, and more. They’ll be joined by one of the nation’s top transfers in Aaronette Vonleh, the Big 12 Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year who brings a post presence that could provide a missing piece for the team as they look to build on last year’s Sweet 16 berth.
As always, both teams face tough schedules in and out of Big 12 play. The men play two top-25 teams away from home to begin the season: a 2021 national championship rematch with No. 6 Gonzaga on Monday, Nov. 4, followed by a game against No. 16 Arkansas in Dallas. In December, they’ll travel to UConn to take on the two-time defending national champions.
The women open up with Incarnate Word on Thursday, Nov. 7, before traveling to Oregon to take on the Ducks Nov. 10. They’ll potentially face multiple ranked teams in a Bahamas tournament before Thanksgiving, and will play No. 5 UCLA in the Coretta Scott King Classic on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.
Sic ’em, Bears!