Some teams have endured long pauses because of COVID-19 issues within their programs and returned spectacularly. Gonzaga is the best example. The Zags had 17 days between games back in December. When they returned, it was for a neutral-court contest against Iowa. Seemed like a tough spot. But the Zags shot 51.4% from the field, including 50.0% from the 3-point line, and cruised to a 99-88 victory over a fellow Final Four contender.
So, sure, it’s possible to be great after a layoff.
But it’s not a likely scenario.
And we were all reminded of such Tuesday night, when Baylor played for the first time in 21 days, struggled with a bad Iowa State team, and was fortunate to escape with a 77-72 victory that allowed the Bears to remain undefeated improve to 18-0 overall, 10-0 in the Big 12.
“Really excited to win,” Baylor coach Scott Drew told reporters afterward. “Really excited to be back. Obviously, does three weeks off affect your play? 100 percent.”
That’s the right attitude.
Would Drew have liked his Bears to perform better, to never trail a team that’s winless in the Big 12 by 17 points, and to prevent Iowa State from shooting nearly 50% from the field? Yes, of course. That goes without saying. But the only thing that really matters is that Baylor played 40 minutes of live basketball for the first time in a long time, ran up and down the court with another team, avoided what would’ve been a Quadrant 4 defeat, and kept a zero in the loss column. So the Bears will gladly just take the win, move on, and hope to be sharper Saturday when they play Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. They remain No. 2 in Wednesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings.
