Just one day after announcing postseason plans, Baylor fans breathe a sigh of relief as news breaks that the Bears will have talented guard return next season via Instagram.
The sophomore put up 10.5 points per game while averaging 24.9 minutes across the season, and recently he’s emerged as a key bright spot for an otherwise struggling team.
We identified Williams as a “must-keep” player for Scott Drew and the Bears, given the noticeable improvement in his performance.
Over his last nine games, he raised his scoring to 13.5 points per contest while posting an outstanding 62% effective field goal percentage.
Another encouraging part of his game is effort on both sides of the ball. He is one of the scrappiest defenders the Bears have while having the ability to put his head down and drive to the cup.
While the details of the contract are unknown, this is already an encouraging move for Baylor basketball, which is trying to avoid a repeat of the catastrophe that was last offseason.
Isaac Williams IV is exactly the type of player that Scott Drew is able to coach up and build around; he will be a set-it-
and-forget-it starting five guy in Waco for the next couple of years.
Who knows how high the ceiling is for the Oklahoma native, but expect to improve on his shot creation and man defense over the offseason.
Improvement on those two aspects could easily put Williams in the conversation for the most talented guards in the Big 12 down the road.
Baylor fans should be really excited that this is a 2-year deal; it would have been disappointing if Williams were only back for his junior year season, but he seems to love the culture and is now a Bear through and through.
While the status of Baylor stars Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr still hangs in the balance as the NBA draft looms, this move is a great sign for Baylor basketball, which is in search of a bounce-back season.
It was a mess of a season for Scott Drew and company, but fans should be encouraged that Baylor basketball is not punting on this team.
They have elected to compete in the College Basketball Crown in early April and are beginning to make the moves necessary to secure an NCAA tournament birth in 2027.
