INDIANAPOLIS – Years before leading his team to its first national men’s basketball championship Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium by beating Gonzaga 86-70, coach Scott Drew led a tour through his team’s relatively new training facility. To unlock the doors, he puts his hand on a dainty scanner.
Inside, there were large TVs above the player’s stall, which also contained video games. There was a large theater screen for movie sessions and cool baths for recovery after the play.
“Don’t say too much about it,” Drew said of the facilities. “I don’t really want too many people to know that.”
At the time, Drew was worried about the idea of another team copying the blueprint of his team’s facility. However, after Baylor’s win over Gonzaga on Monday night in the national title race, Drew could make every team in the country look for ways to follow his program.
It’s not just the victory. This is the history of Baylor’s first national championship.
The Bears dominated – and never held back – against an unbeaten Gonzaga squad that wanted to complete the first perfect season since 1976. They did not beat a buzzer or claim the victory due to some dubious calls. They kicked Gonzaga’s butt and stole the buzz. Gonzaga coach Mark Few has no answers for Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Adam Flagler and Davion Mitchell, all of whom finished with double figures and a variety of brilliant plays.
Butler, who scored 22 points and drained four three-pointers, won the Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award.
Gonzaga hovered all night with a 50% clip, but could not overcome his turnover, Baylor’s defensive pressure and his second chance opportunities. The Bears made 45% of their three-pointers. They won each individual match.
Baylor was only better than Gonzaga as he completed one of the most impressive runs in recent NCAA tournament history. The Bulldogs became the fifth team since 1976 to enter the NCAA Tournament with an unbeaten record, but could not win the title.
The confetti, the cameras, the fans and the city itself were ready for a historic moment. Everyone got what they expected … but with a different team.
Baylor did not cancel the tournament a year after winning 23 games in a row and likely entering the NCAA Tournament as a leading tournament.
Although they started this season by winning their first 18 games, the Bears were mostly overshadowed by Gonzaga, who was apparently able to become the first team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers – and the first team since the NCAA- tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 – to complete a perfect season.
On top of that, Baylor’s slow return from a three-week hiatus was not encouraging.
After a poor performance against a sub-Iowa State team and losses to Kansas in the regular season and then Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament, it was fair to ask if Baylor lost anything while out of position. , without the ability to complete complete exercises.
However, Drew told ESPN the early loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament helped his team concentrate again and prepare for this run.
While the aftermath of Monday’s showdown is likely to focus on Gonzaga, he will not miss the chance on history and the impact on a program destined for an impeccable season but which plays out for Baylor on Monday was equally rich.
The Bears also has an underdog story.
Drew took up the post in 2003 after the program experienced a scandal involving a murder and former coach Dave Bliss’ attempted cover-up. In its third season, the NCAA told Drew’s team that they would have to pay for Bliss’ sins by not playing non-conference games. He made of this as a program that made runs in several NCAA tournaments, but could never beat the top teams standing between him and the national championship. Until Monday.
Baylor finished the 2020-21 season as the best team in America and a champion. It won the victory over a team that did not lose all season. One of the game’s best juggernauts.
Now, a coach who years ago worried that his coaching colleagues would get a head start on his program if they knew about the trinkets in his locker room has become the standard in college basketball.
Baylor is an elite program.
That’s the story.