NCAA Tournament Sleeper: Baylor Returns to the Dance

It took 20 years, but the Baylor Bears are back in the NCAA Tournament—and after their first ever 20-win season, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

When Scott Drew took over the program five years ago, it was in shambles. 

Between Patrick Dennehy's tragic murder and allegations that then-coach Doug Bliss paid players and tried to pass blame on to Dennehy, the outlook was not good.

But that's when Drew came to the rescue.

The former Valpraiso coach took over in 2003, but because of the scandal caused by Bliss, the team limited itself to only seven scholarship players for the next three seasons.

Still, despite managing only one conference win in 2005-2006, Drew brought in one of the top 10 recruiting classes in the country, and the resurgence was on.

The team that enters the tournament as an 11-seed this year is veteran group featuring one of the best backcourts in the country.

All-Big 12 guard Curtis Jerrells leads the way, averaging almost 15 points per game and just fewer than four assists.

But what makes the Bears so dangerous is what lies behind Jerrells. Four other top-notch guards give Drew flexibility and depth unlike that of most other teams in the country.

Baylor draws the upstart Purdue Boilermakers in the first round. Purdue has experienced an unprecedented rise this season, but much of that can be attributed to relatively poor play from the Big Ten. The Boilermakers also rely on a lineup featuring two freshmen and two sophomores, which makes them extremely vulnerable to the pressures of the Tournament.

This is a very favorable matchup for the Bears, who will have the experience from having played in the Big 12—arguably the hardest conference in the country.

Quality wins against fellow tourney teams like USC, Notre Dame (both away from home), and Kansas State, plus tough loses against Texas (by five) and Oklahoma (by one away from home), have prepared the Bears for the competition that they will face in the NCAAs.

As for being new to the Tourney, Baylor is led by a man who has been around. 

In 1998, Drew was on the bench when his brother Bryce hit the game winning three-pointer at the buzzer to send underdog Valpo to a monster upset of Ole Miss.

That experience of leading an underdog, paired with Baylor's easy, road sets the table for a deep run to at least the Sweet 16, if not further.

I cannot think of a better Cinderella story.