INDIANÁPOLIS – Years before leading his team to the first national men’s basketball championship by punching Gonzaga 86-70 on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, coach Scott Drew conducted a tour of his team’s relatively new practice facilities. To unlock the doors, he put his hand on a sophisticated scanner.
Inside, there were large TVs above each player’s booth, which also featured video game systems. There was a huge movie screen for movie sessions and cold tubs for post-game recovery.
“Don’t talk about it too much,” said Drew of the amenities. “I really don’t want many people to know.”
At the time, the idea of another team copying the design of his team’s facilities worried Drew. After Baylor’s victory over Gonzaga on Monday night in the national title game, however, Drew can get every team in the country to look for ways to emulate his program.
It is not just victory. It is the history linked to the first national championship of Baylor.
The Bears dominated – and never lost – against an undefeated squad of Gonzaga with the goal of completing the perfect first season since 1976. They did not hit the nail on the head or won because of some questionable calls. They kicked Gonzaga’s ass and stole the buzz. Gonzaga coach Mark Few had no answers for Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Adam Flagler and Davion Mitchell, all with double digits and a variety of stunning plays. Gonzaga hovered around a 50% clip all night, but failed to overcome his upsets, Baylor’s defensive pressure and second-chance opportunities.
The Bears hit 45% of their 3 points. They won all individual matches.
Baylor was better than Gonzaga as he completed one of the most impressive races in the recent history of the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs became the fifth team since 1976 to enter the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record, but failed to win the title.
The confetti, the cameras, the fans and the city itself were ready for a historic moment. Everyone got what they expected … but with another team.
A year after winning 23 consecutive games and probably entering the NCAA tournament as seed, if the tournament had not been canceled, Baylor brought back all the key players who contributed to that race.
Although they started the season by winning their first 18 games, the Bears were overshadowed by Gonzaga, who seemed capable of becoming the first team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers – and the first team since the NCAA tournament has expanded to 64 teams in 1985 – to complete a perfect season.
In addition, Baylor’s slow return from a three-week break was not encouraging.
After a poor performance against a lower Iowa State team and defeats to Kansas in the regular season and then to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament, it was fair to question whether Baylor had missed something while out on the pitch without the ability to complete the games. training.
Drew, however, told ESPN that the early defeat to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament helped his team to reorient and prepare for this race.
Although the outcome of Monday’s clash probably focuses on Gonzaga losing his chance to make history and impact on a program that looked set for a season without blemish, what happened on Monday for Baylor was just as rich.
The Bears also have a history of underdog.
Drew accepted the position in 2003, after the program suffered a scandal involving a homicide and the attempt by former coach Dave Bliss to cover up. In its third season, the NCAA told Drew’s team that it would have to pay for Bliss’s sins by not playing any non-conference games. He turned those ashes into a program that ran in several NCAA tournaments, but he never managed to beat the top teams that stood between him and the national championship. See you on Monday.
Baylor ended the 2020-21 season as America’s best team and a champion. He won the victory over a team that he had not lost throughout the season. One of the great juggernauts in the game.
Now, a coach who years ago feared that his fellow coaches might gain an advantage over his program if they knew about the trinkets in his locker room, has become the standard in college basketball.
Baylor is an elite program.
That is the story.