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The Baylor Bears have been quite the anomaly this season. Their record and resume is impressive. The talent on the roster ranks among the best in the country. It is hard to find a weakness to a team that is 9-1, but Baylor does have a glaring weakness. Baylor likes to play down to their opponents.
The only team that was not able to hang with the Bears for at least a half was Louisiana-Lafayette and Hardin-Simmons. All other opponents, including an undersized Chaminade squad, were able to stay within striking distance.
The narrative for the Bears all season long has been that they escape the jaws of defeat at the very last moment. Their strategy worked well until the championship game in the Maui Invitational where they collided with a talented Syracuse team. What Baylor really needs before they begin their tough Big 12 Conference schedule is to play to their own potential.
After Northwestern State scared the daylights out of everyone by forcing overtime on Wednesday night, Baylor was on edge. Sunday afternoon against Southern, it appeared that the Bears are ready to take that next step. No player displayed more drive on the afternoon than Isaiah Austin, who notched another double-double. If Austin finds consistency, it opens up the game for others.
One player that has been consistent in a perfect storm of inconsistency is Cory Jefferson. Jefferson did not have the impressive stat line, but he has consistently been one of the better big men in the Big 12 to date. Thanks to their massive frontcourt, the Bears found themselves on the good end of an 81-56 victory.
Jack Dooley is a Big 12 Basketball writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JackDooleyOCS.
