The stage is set for one of the most-anticipated Baylor basketball seasons in program history after leading scorer Jared Butler announced Monday that he will return for his junior season. Butler, a 6-foot-3 guard with a smooth outside shot, said in a video posted to his social media accounts that one thing remained on his mind as he explored the NBA Draft process. It was "unfinished business."
"Baylor, I'm coming back," Butler said. "Let's go win a national championship."
The idea is not all that far-fetched. The Bears are currently ranked No. 2 in the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 after a 26-4 season in which they spent five weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. Baylor lost contributors Devonte Bandoo and Freddie Gillespie to graduation but will return its top three scorers in Butler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell, as well as do-it-all forward Mark Vital.
Butler is arguably the most-important piece. He averaged 16 points per game and hit 38.1% of his 3-point attempts as a sophomore while earning first-team All-Big 12 honors and some NBA Draft buzz. Butler said in his announcement that he interviewed with more than 20 NBA teams during the predraft process and got "very positive" feedback. But the unfinished business at Baylor stayed on his heart throughout the process.
"This place has been a second home for me since I stepped foot on campus. I've built relationships that will last a lifetime," Butler said in his announcement. "Last season at Baylor was the most incredible experience of my basketball career. Going to battle night in and night out with my brothers and climbing all the way to No. 1 in the country, it was truly unforgettable. But then our season was cut short. We didn't get the chance to finish what we started."
