Wednesday, July 21, 2021

I PREDICT BAYLOR WILL NOT BE A ONE SEED NEXT MARCH AND OREGON WILL BE NEXT SEASON'S ARIZONA!!

Charlie Creme and the ESPN pundits are all figuring Baylor to be a one seed in the 2022 tournament, currently ranked number four in the nation behind UConn, South Carolina, and Stanford. Even after Kim Mulkey left for her dream job at LSU and took Moon Ursin and Hannah Gusters (a 6'-5" center) with her - and after Didi Richards and DeJonai Carrington left for the WNBA. 

NyLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo are very good players, but in my opinion the eastern pundits place them on much too elevated a pedestal. In their minds, even though the Hall of Fame coach and the core of last year's team have gone - they think NyLyssa and Queen and their role-players will make the Bears a number one seed in 2022. I respectfully disagree.

In 2020 the bears recruited two top 100 recruits. Sarah Andrews will be a sophomore guard next season and Hannah Gusters transferred to LSU, as mentioned above. In 2021, all the top 100 recruits have committed and one (listed as committed to Marquette) is going to Baylor. In 2022, to date, about half the top 100 have committed and none to Baylor. There's time, but Baylor needs to do some serious recruiting. Who is lurking in the Transfer Portal that can lift the Bears to a number one seed?

In 2021, Trinity Oliver a 5'-8" guard transferred from Baylor to Washington and Ja'Mee Asberry transferred from Oklahoma State to Baylor. One freshman, Kendra Gillispie a 6'-2" Forward, a four star recruit ranked #58 has signed at Baylor for the 2021/2022 season

So, my thought is that Nicki Cullen (Baylor's new coach) definitely has her work cut out. I think all of the two seeds and some of the three seeds (Maryland, Louisville, N.C. State, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, and Oregon) of next season's projected bracket could beat the Bears as presently constituted. And during the Big Twelve season, I think Texas will finally beat'em. 

So, who do I think the fourth number one seed should be? 

Oregon. 

In March, Oregon went into the tournament without their point guard. Te-Hina Paopao is back from her season-ending injury and was recently named to the USA Under 19 team that will compete in Hungary next month. She will return from that experience better than ever. Endiya Rogers is an All PAC12 slashing scoring problem for any defense. Her decision to transfer from USC to Oregon was a major coup for Kelly Graves. Nyara Sabally and Sedona Prince will come back next season ready to be a dominant force in the paint. 

They've got the coach and the team and by March they'll be battle-hardened and ready for the bright lights on the big stage. All along I've been predicting that Oregon (currently a three seed) will be next season's Arizona - so, watch out UConn, South Carolina and Stanford! 

COME ON CARDINAL!! LET'S GO BACK TO BACK!!



 

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