Top 25 Coaches in College Hoops: Baylor's Scott Drew in Top 5?
Baylor Bears men's basketball didn't grow into one of the country's top programs over night. In coach Scott Drew's first four seasons with the team from 2003-07, the Bears failed to secure a single winning season and the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 1988.
Since then, Baylor has had a winning record in each season to go along with 10 tournament appearances and a national title. Drew's presence has single-handedly transformed the trajectory of Baylor basketball.
Scott Drew
Scott Drew
Scott Drew
247Sports released rankings of the top 25 men's college basketball coaches on Monday and seems to agree. The list had Drew as the third-best coach in the nation, trailing only Kentucky's John Calipari at No. 2 and Kansas' Bill Self at No. 1.
Here's what the ranking had to say about Drew:
Scott Drew has transformed Baylor from a Big 12 laughingstock to one of the elite programs in the country. Drew put together one of college basketball’s all-time dominant teams, and the Bears cut the nets down in 2021 after dismantling everyone in their path. Drew preaches having a family culture, but he really walks the walk too. Drew’s coaching acumen is on display basically every year. He has a unique ability to transform his scheme to what best suits his current roster, and Drew has shown he’s not afraid to switch things up. Baylor has had a top-25 offense and defense for each of the last three years, according to KenPom. Drew has also won at least 19 games in the last 11 seasons and earned back-to-back Big 12 conference titles, which is a remarkable accomplishment in the league Bill Self has owned for nearly two decades.
Scott Drew
Scott Drew
Baylor Bears
Baylor secured its second-straight No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament this past March after a 27-7 season. The Bears lost in the second round in a thrilling overtime ending against eventual national runner-up, North Carolina.
Upsets happen in the tournament and certainly doesn't take away from the Bears' dominant 2020-21 season that saw Drew lead the team to a 28-2 record before bludgeoning Gonzaga in the national championship for the program's first-ever men's hoops title.
Drew's success as a coach is set to show its colors in the 2022 NBA Draft next month. Freshmen Jeremy Sochan and Kendall Brown are almost certain to hear their names called, while seasoned guard James Akinjo is right in the draft mix as well.
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