By ADAM ZAGORIA
Dylan and Kayden Mingo are coming to Baylor with one mission in mind: win games and help get the Bears back to the Big Dance.
A year ago under coach Scott Drew, Baylor experienced a rare sub-par season, finishing 17-17 and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six seasons. The program won the 2021 NCAA Championship under Drew.
Enter Kayden Mingo, a transfer point guard from Penn State, and his younger brother Dylan Mingo, a five-star recruit who flipped to Baylor from North Carolina, to help change the culture. Both brothers attended Long Island Lutheran High School and played for the powerhouse PSA Cardinals in the Nike EYBL circuit.
“Honestly, I think it’s kind of a program thing [at Baylor],” Dylan told ZAGSBLOG during a Zoom interview Thursday. “Everybody in the program just doesn’t want that feeling. They don’t want to feel that feeling again, just not winning games and being [close to] last in the Big 12, so everything this year has been more serious, and we’re just locked in.”
Before the season tips off in November, the Mingo brothers will be honored with a street-naming ceremony in their hometown of Farmingdale, N.Y. on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the corner of Crescent Drive North and Walnut Avenue East. They will give out free book bags and schools supplies to local children from 12-2.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Kayden said. “”Super excited, and it’s a blessing to have the street named after us in such a place as Farmingdale.”
The @BaylorMBB duo of Dylan and Kayden Mingo will have a street named after them in their hometown of Farmingdale, NY on Saturday
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 20, 2026
They are also giving out book bags and school supplies to area children from 12-2
Full story on https://t.co/r84Bbstq8r https://t.co/FUSSh1Bi2M pic.twitter.com/VaqcTKHcjV
Said Dylan: “Every time we go back there, since we travel a lot, everybody just shows a lot of love, and it’s just a great community.”
At Baylor, the brothers will be teaming up for the first time since high school.
Kayden, a 6-foot-1 point guard, initially committed to Penn State over Wake Forest for the Class of 2025. At the time, he told ZAGSBLOG there was a “possibility” he and his brother would team up again in college.
Kayden proceeded to average 13.7 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds last season for the Nittany Lions.
But after the team finished 12-20 overall, 3-17 in the Big Ten under Mike Rhoades last season, he opted to transfer to Baylor in April.
Meantime, North Carolina fired Hubert Davis in late March before ultimately hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone in early April.
That up-ended Dylan’s world because he had initially committed to Davis and the Tar Heels over Baylor and other schools in February.
“The timing of everything was pretty bad,” Dylan said. “The transfer portal [had] just opened up.”
Dylan, a 6-5 combo guard, officially de-committed from North Carolina on April 13, and from there whispers began that he would join his brother at Baylor.
“I got in his ear a little bit,” Kayden said of that time period. “Coach Drew worked his magic, of course, and it all worked out in God’s favor.”
Dylan made his commitment to Baylor public on April 27.
“Baylor, they’ve always treated me like they wanted me,” Dylan said. “They always acted like wanted to have a great connection with me, build a strong connection with me, and they just made me feel like it was home.”
Now after missing most of last season with an ankle injury, Dylan feels healthy and is now practicing with his new Baylor teammates.
“I had surgery on my left ankle back in October of last year,” Dylan said. “And honestly, I’m all good now. I’m 100% now so I’m just ready to get going with Baylor.”
Asked what role he’ll play with the Bears, Dylan said, “Honestly, just a person that impacts winning, a versatile player that can play multiple positions and just impact winning in every way.”
Dylan joins fellow freshmen Elijah Williams, a 6-6 forward, and Tegkra Makabu, a 6-9 forward, in Baylor’s freshmen class. They also added several transfers in addition to Kayden: UAB transfer forward Evan Chatman; Yale transfer wing Isaac Celiscar; and Liberty transfer guard Brett Decker Jr.
Asked who has impressed him during practices, Dylan said, “Pretty much everybody.”
Kayden is similarly excited about his new team. And especially the chance to reunite with his brother.
“”It’s a blessing to put on the Baylor Bears uniform and we’re just looking to show people that we’re a force to be reckoned with,” Kayden said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to win, and we just want to bring winning back to Baylor.”
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