Baylor Basketball opens its season at home against Northwestern State, setting the Bears up for an early test in front of their own crowd. The matchup starts a new year for Baylor and gives it a chance to lean on the place where it was strongest last season.
That matters because Baylor went 11-6 at home a season ago, even as it finished 17-17 overall. The Bears scored 81.7 points per game and allowed 76.4, a mix that points to a team that could put points on the board but did not always keep enough off the other end. A home opener offers a clean first look at whether that split can tilt in a better direction this season.
Northwestern State brings its own uneven numbers into the game. A season ago, the Demons went 8-15 in Southland games and 2-15 on the road, while averaging 11.9 assists per game and making 23.2 field goals per game. Those figures suggest a team that could move the ball and generate shots, but one that struggled badly away from home, which only sharpens the contrast facing Baylor in its first game.
The gap in the schedule is the one detail still missing: the exact date of the opener has not been given. Even so, the setup is already clear. Baylor starts at home, and the first question of the season is whether the Bears can turn last year’s better work in their own building into a stronger opening statement against Northwestern State.
