(Photo credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images)

It would not be a stretch to say that Baylor, which had a completely new roster when the 2025-26 season began, has been a pleasant surprise through the first six weeks of its season.

Now, the goal for the Bears is to keep the ball rolling after some time off. After eight days away, they play Alcorn State on Friday in Waco, Texas.Baylor (7-2) returns to the court for the first time since a 97-67 home win over Norfolk State on Dec. 10. Cameron Carr scored 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting and was supported by five teammates in double figures.Obi Agbim tallied 18 points and Tounde Yessoufou added 17 points for Baylor, which also got 16 from Caden Powell and 11 apiece from Michael Rataj and Dan Skillings Jr. The Bears shot 52.9% from the field and led by as many as 39 points.Baylor has won three of its past four games, with its only losses on the year coming in a neutral-site game against No. 14 St. John's and on the road versus Memphis. The Bears have won all five home games and have three buy games -- Alcorn State, Southern and the National Christian College Athletic Association's Arlington Baptist -- before opening the Big 12 schedule on Jan. 3 at TCU.'Right now, finals are the most important thing,' Baylor coach Scott Drew said Wednesday on 365 Sports. 'Once that's done, we can really work on ourselves. How can we get ourselves better?'During the holiday season, you're hoping that you can maintain what you had, not get anyone injured, and then finish things out right for the Christmas holiday, and then come back and get ready for conference.'The Braves (1-9) have endured a longer layoff than the Bears. They have not played since Dec. 3 when they were dismantled by No. 10 Iowa State, 132-68, on the road. That defeat was the second straight for Alcorn State after producing its lone win of the season, an 81-74 neutral-site victory over Indiana State on Nov. 28.Jameel Morris scored 17 points while Shane Lancaster added 16 and Bryson Calamese hit 10 points against Iowa State.The setback was the seventh on the road this season by at least 19 points for the Braves, who won't play their first home game until they square off with Texas Southern on Jan. 17.

--Field Level Media