College Basketball Power 10: Villanova Starts 2017 On Top
By Jeremy Karll
2. Baylor (13-0)
Baylor started out Big 12 play with a huge 76-50 win over Oklahoma. The Sooners are not the same team as last year, but beating them by 26 points says a lot about how well Baylor is playing right now and their ability on offense.
Everyone knows Baylor wants to slow teams down and make them beat their fifth ranked scoring defense in a half-court game. Although, Baylor becomes arguably the best team in the nation if they can also consistently put up points.
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Sure, Oklahoma ranks just 216th in points allowed per game, but 76 points have not been a given for Baylor this year. The only other Power Five team they have scored that many points against this season is Xavier.
Plus, Johnathan Motley started out Big 12 play on the right foot. He recorded a double-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in just 22 minutes.
Seven players scored at least seven points, which is telling of their team first style of play, but Baylor needs Motley to act as a star for them to win.
Baylor doesn’t have a three-point specialist they can rely on like a lot of teams, despite making 9-of-20 threes against Oklahoma, that’s why Motley’s inside-out game is so important. He’s been their only consistent scoring option this season.
Baylor will host Iowa State and Oklahoma State this week,