In the 113 year history of Baylor basketball, the program has never opened a season ranked higher than No. 12. But with Jared Butler—the almost guaranteed pick for Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, and an assured selection as Preseason First Team All-American—back, the Bears begin the season No. 1 on ESPN’s 2020-2021 rankings.
Last week, Butler spoke with me about his sophomore campaign, the NBA Draft process and his decision to return to Baylor.
To understand how Butler came to his decision and understand his game, it’s helpful to look back at his rise over the last year.