Baylor Basketball 2025–2026 Season Preview: Projected starting lineup, impact players and rotation

Baylor comes off a tough 20-15 season and a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. But Bears coach Scott Drew saw his entire roster from last season head off, either due to graduation or seven transfer portal exits.

The good news for Baylor is that he added an impressive core of incoming talent. The bad news is that there are many unknowns. Here's an early rundown.

Baylor basketball season preview for 2025-26

Oregon State transfer Michael Rataj could star for Baylor in 2025-26. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Starting Lineup

Guard: Obi Agbim

A standout freshman guard at Wyoming, Agbim was one of the top guards in the portal. He averaged 17.6 points per game and shot 44% from 3-point range last year. After an offseason of losing an entire roster, Drew did a wise thing in finding an elite scoring guard to build his new squad around in 2025-26.

Guard: JJ White

The 6-foot-2 guard from Omaha averaged 13.7 points and 4.0 assists per game. He also shot 44% from 3-point range. White should be a steady defender off a season where he was an All-Summit conference pick. He's the kind of dependable veteran that Drew needed to land for the Bears.

Forward: Michael Rataj

A 6-foot-9 forward from Oregon State, Rataj was a big transfer portal addition. Last year, he averaged 16.9 points and 7.2 boards per game. He was an All-WCC pick and shot 35% from 3-point range. Rataj steadily improved over his three seasons at OSU and should be ready for his opportunity to shine at Baylor.

Forward: Tounde Yessoufou

A five-star recruit from California, Yessoufou was a McDonald's All-American. His athleticism and strength should render him one of the new freshmen most ready to contribute. 247sports placed Yessoufou as the No. 14 overall player in the class of 2025. He'll see plenty of minutes for the Bears.

Center: Juslin Bodo Bodo

A transfer from High Point, the 7-foot Bodo Bodo is offensively limited but is a standout rebounder and defender. Last year, he averaged 5.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The year before, his totals were 7.1 ppg and 9.6 rpg as he also led the Big South in blocked shots. His offensive limitations won't make him a big scorer, but he can defend and rebound and should be solid.

Rotation Players

Wing Daniel Skillings from Cincinnati will be a perimeter help, while Rice big man Caden Powell will play inside. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi guard Isaac Williams could also help. The recruiting class also included Andre Iguodala II, who could be a pleasant surprise.

Impact Players

Agbim and Yessoufou are the two wildest of the wild cards for this hard-to-read Baylor team. Agbim's elite scoring and Yessoufou's next-level talent are the two stories to watch immediately. That said, this team could be great or awful — the range of possibilities is endless, which will certainly make it interesting.

What do you think of Baylor's upcoming team? Share your take below in our comments section!