When people think of Baylor's athletic programs, the football team is the first thing that comes to mind, and understandably so. One of the most electrifying, college quarterbacks of all time, Robert Griffin III came from there and so did arguably, the best cornerback in the NFL today in Xavien Howard. The school has and continues to produce talents that are taken in the first two days of the NFL draft.
Baylor's basketball team has been solid these past few years and is once again in the Final Four for the first time since the 1949-50 season. The only two Baylor Bears currently playing in the NBA are Cleveland Cavaliers forward Taurean Prince and Utah Jazz glue guy Royce O'Neal.
O'Neal is not on the list below. Much like his NBA career, his collegiate career with Baylor had stats that did not jump off a page. However, O'Neal is one of those players whose impact goes far beyond the box score. He is the classic example of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. He can hit outside shots, fight for boards, make the smart pass and defend multiple positions.
Below are the best players to come out from the program.
5. Taurean Prince, F (2012-2016)
Prince had a much better second half in his collegiate career and was given consistent minutes. In his last season as a Bear, he averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while hitting 36.1 percent of his long-range attempts. This was also the time he was declared a member of the First-Team All-Big 12.
He was a very athletic forward, capable of switching unto different kinds of players. These led to him being a lottery pick in the 2016 draft.
4. Terry Teagle, SG (1978-1982)
Teagle's collegiate career took off in his sophomore year, during which his point per game average jumped from 14.6 to 23.0. At the end of his Baylor career, he had averages of 19.9 points, 7.3 boards and 1.1 steals per outing. From the field, he made 53.8 percent of his shots. In 1980, he won the Southwest Conference Player of the Year Award.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, he had great size for a guard and it would have been interesting to see how he would have played in today's game.
3. Micheal Williams, PG (1984-1988)
That was not a typographical error. That is really how his name is spelled.
Williams was consistent throughout his playing years in college. In four years, he averaged 16.1 points, 2.9 boards, 4.0 dimes and 2.5 steals per game. He shot 34.9 percent from distance at a time when the 3-point shot was not so popular. Williams was a versatile player who made his team better, and twice, he was a part of the First-Team All-SWC.
He was a second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons and was part of the squad that swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1989 Finals.
2. David Wesley, SG (1989-1992)
Wesley had averages of 17.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals a game in his three-year tenure as a Bear. In his final year, he nabbed the Conference's Player of the Year plum together with Texas Tech's Will Flemons.
He had much grit and resolve, which showed when he climbed his way into the NBA despite going undrafted. Scouts were worried about his size–or rather lack thereo–as was passed on by every team.
He would go on to have a productive 14-year career in the NBA and was considered one of the better guards around at his prime. Wesley applied tough defense on opposing players and at the same time could be counted on to hit 3-point shots.
1. Vinnie Johnson, SG (1977-1979)
Of all the names on this list, Johnson has had the best NBA career of any Baylor Bear, and it will take some time before that changes. He was a key part of the 1980s Detroit Pistons and won two championships with them.
He has one of the more interesting names in league history, as people called him “The Microwave” for his ability to suddenly get hot in a short amount of time and effortlessly drop shot after shot. The best way to describe him to the newer generation of fans is to picture a better version of Orlando Magic wing Terrence Ross.
In his two years at Waco, he averaged 24.1 points and 5.3 boards per contest. He shot an efficient 51.2 percent from the field. He holds records that stand to this day, such as the most number of points scored in a game with 50 and the highest points per game average. These accolades propelled him to be the seventh overall pick in the 1979 draft, which had the likes of Magic Johnson and Sidney Moncrief.
As Johnson's time in college was coming to a close, Teagle was waiting in the wings.
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