INDIANAPOLIS – In the interval between Baylor’s victory over Houston 78-59 in the Final Four on Saturday, it was clear that the two programs, one from the Big 12 and the other from the American Athletic Conference, were operating at two different levels.
Baylor’s 45-20 lead at halftime was the biggest breakout advantage in a Four Finals game in 18 years and the fourth biggest in the history of the Four Finals, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Marcus Sasser scored 17 of his team’s points at that time. The rest of the cougars combined to register just three in the interval.
Jared Butler finished with 17 points, five players scored double digits and Baylor made 46% of his 3 points. That is the story of the game.
On Saturday, Baylor did all the things that made him a contender for the national title and the most dominant program in the game since the start of the 2019-2020 season. The Bears have lost just five games since November 8, 2019.
Baylor is now gearing up for a possible clash with Gonzaga on Monday – if the Bulldogs beat UCLA in the second game of the national semifinal on Saturday. In December, Baylor and Gonzaga were supposed to meet before the game was canceled, hours before the report because of positive COVID-19 tests on Gonzaga’s program.
“They have professionals,” said Butler after his team’s victory over Houston. “We have professionals.”
Scott Drew, orchestrator of Baylor’s long-term turnaround for the ages, said he and Mark Few agreed – after their game was canceled four months ago, that a meeting at the NCAA tournament may be on the horizon.
“I know whoever it is, it will be a very close game,” said Drew on Saturday. “Coach Few and I joked when the game was canceled and we went to the arena and did a press conference saying the game was canceled and everything. And while we were coming back, we were, like, you know what, if we end up playing this game in the Final Four or in the championship game, it seems like a better idea, so that was obviously the goal for both of us.
“And I know that we are there. And we will see if [it’s] Gonzaga or UCLA. … Again, whoever you play, it will be a great confrontation and both are great teams. “
Since the original game was canceled, the Bulldogs have marched into history, preserving their immaculate record in search of the perfect first season in 45 years. Meanwhile, Baylor followed the Bulldogs for a three-week break due to positive cases of coronavirus, which appeared to disrupt the show’s mojo.
Baylor lost in Kansas in his second game before losing to Oklahoma State in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. The latter, according to Drew, really helped Baylor regain his focus.
“We lost to a very good Oklahoma State team in our conference tournament, which was a blessing, looking back, because we were able to practice and really improve our defense, that at the end of the day we wouldn’t be here today if we [in the] the second half did not crash and did a great job in that period, “said Drew after his team’s victory over Arkansas at Elite Eight.
In fact, this was an unlikely race for Drew at Baylor. When he arrived in 2003, the program was stuck in one of the worst scandals the sport has ever seen. After Carlton Dotson was arrested for murdering teammate Patrick Dennehy, former coach Dave Bliss resigned after an assistant coach caught him on tape encouraging players to create a story about Dennehy that would have portrayed him as a drug dealer for keep investigators away from the smell of Bliss’ illegal actions, which included improper payments to players, including Dennehy.
“I am extremely excited to be part of the Baylor family,” Drew said at his introductory press conference in 2003. He was hired shortly after Bliss resigned and asked to perform a miracle on a show that had not been for a Final Four since 1950.
In Drew’s third season, Baylor finished 4-13 amid major NCAA sanctions from the Bliss era, including a ban on non-conference games. After Saturday’s victory, he gave credit to the people in his corner for helping him move forward after the first challenges at Baylor.
“Well, every day you’re grinding,” said Drew of the trip on Saturday. “And you don’t really look back. You just keep moving forward. And I have been so blessed to have amazing players who adhere to what we like to do with the program, incredible assistant coaches who have sacrificed so much time, hard work, sweat to bring us here. . “
Saturday’s game, however, sealed the program’s first appearance in a national title game since 1948. It also added another chapter to Drew’s narrative.
Baylor was not just a troubled program when it arrived. He had been hit by an unprecedented series of challenges. But your patience paid off.
Even when his team had to pay the price for the actions of a previous coach, Drew remained positive.
“The light is definitely at the end of the tunnel,” said Drew in 2005.
On Monday, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Baylor and Drew intend to shine again.