An up-and-down season for Baylor men's basketball saw the Bears reach as high as No. 16 in the polls before a late-season skid; with one game to go in the regular season, head coach Scott Drew's team was 17-13 overall, 8-9 in conference play, and on the bubble for NCAA postseason selection.

The Bears' 2012-13 regular season was highlighted by a win at No. 8 Kentucky in December that snapped the Wildcats' nation-leading 55-game home winning streak. Baylor also won its 17th straight game against in-state opponents before falling to Texas in the final week of the regular season.

Senior Pierre Jackson led the way for the Bears and at press time was on pace to lead the Big 12 Conference in both scoring and assists, something no player has done in a power-6 conference since Arizona's Jason Terry in 1998-99. Freshman Isaiah Austin also ranked second in the Big 12 in rebounding, third in double-doubles and fifth in blocks.

Junior Cory Jefferson, who averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in his first two seasons, broke out with 11.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in 2012-13; both numbers ranked among the top 20 in the Big 12. The strong frontcourt was complemented by freshman Rico Gathers, the team's top player off the bench, who ranked among the Big 12's top five in offensive rebounding despite averaging just 17 minutes a game.