Scott Drew’s improbable turnaround at Baylor is nearly complete.
Drew’s Baylor Bears beat Arkansas 81-72 in the South Region final on Monday night to advance to the Final Four. It’s their first Final Four trip since 1950.
Drew having Baylor in this spot is remarkable when you consider where the program was when he took over.
Drew took the Baylor job in the summer of 2003 after the major scandal in the program. Patrick Dennehy was killed by a teammate, Carlton Dotson. Dotson later pleaded guilty to the charges. As if that weren’t bad enough, Dave Bliss later accused Dennehy of being a drug dealer.
The NCAA came down hard on Baylor, imposing several serious penalties on the program. Many of their top players transferred away.
Baylor struggled in Drew’s first three seasons but actually made the NCAA Tournament in his fifth season. They made two Elite Eights over the ensuing few seasons and have become an NCAA Tournament mainstay ever since.
But this year, Baylor had its strongest team under Drew. They entered the tourney 22-2 and have won four in a row to reach the Final Four. They will face Houston in the Final Four.
Drew gave a big credit to his players after the game.
“They’re better people than they are players, and that’s saying a lot because they’re great players. They’re a joy to coach, they’ve got each others back, and because of that, we’re all going to the Final Four together,” Drew said.
Baylor shot the ball well, going 8-for-15 on three-pointers. They also controlled the ball well and only turned it over nine times.
Seeing Baylor make the Final Four is not surprising based on how well they played all season. Seeing them make the Final Four given where Drew started is nothing short of incredible.
