WACO, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears have never shied away from competition during the Russ Pennell era, and this year will be no different.

The Bears open the 2019-20 season Tuesday, facing ranked Big 12 opponent Baylor at the Ferrell Center. Tip-off is 11 a.m. for Baylor's annual "I'm Going to College Day," with children from local schools taking a field trip to attend.

The purple Bears, picked fifth in the Southland Conference preseason poll, will be meeting the green Bears for the second time after facing off in the 2017-18 season opener. Baylor won that game 107-66, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field and outrebounding UCA 42-21.

No. 16 Baylor is just one of several big-name opponents on the schedule this season _ along with Marquette, Georgetown, Duke, Utah and Wichita State _ but may carry a  little more weight as the season opener.

"I think it's a good thing,' said Pennell, beginning his sixth season back at his alma mater. "I think playing a team like this right off the bat makes your practices better. Because they (players) know what's coming down the road. So there's some excitement about it, kind of a buzz about your team everyday, so I think it's a positive.'

"You get to play a ranked team in your first game of the year, it's kind of a cool thing. We're excited about that opportunity.'

UCA, with four returning starters from a year ago, along with as much depth as it has had in Pennell's coaching tenure, won its two exhibition games last week. The Bears beat Oral Roberts 92-84 in a neutral site game in Fort Smith on Sunday, then cruised past University of the Ozarks 96-63 at the Farris Center on Wednesday.

The Bears return just one senior, Aaron Weidenaar, but have two juniors who have started their entire careers at UCA. Point guard DeAndre Jones (5-foot-11, 160) and center Hayden Koval (7-0, 220) both averaged 12.5 points per game last season, tied for second on the team. Koval is the school's career leader in blocked shots through  just two seasons, while Jones is just 21 assists short of breaking the school mark in that category. Ironically, Pennell is the career assists leader for the Bears.

"When you have a point guard and you have a big man, that's certainly a nice way to go,' said Pennell. "And both of them have played so many minutes. They're just starting their junior years, but gosh, it's like they've been around forever. And I think that's kind of where we're gaining on this thing, they are leading this team and they are still relatively young themselves, with half their career left starting tomorrow.

"I'm really happy with them. They've been kind of the driving force behind our good practices. They've been more vocal and they've led us and kept everyone on task. So I've been really pleased with those two guys.

Other key returnees for the Bears include sophomore guard/forward Eddy Kayouloud, who averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds as a true freshman, junior forward Jared Chatham, who came on down the stretch last season, and sophomore SK Shittu, who played in 28 games as a redshirt freshman. 

Pennell said the experience has paid dividends in the preseason.

"I think the biggest thing with this team is consistency,' said Pennell. "We've just not had very many bad practices. And I think that's a sign of maturity, that we are getting better. It doesn't necessarily predict what the outcome of games will be, but we just haven't had many days where you left the practice floor thinking it was kind of a waste.

"And that's kind of unusual early on in a season. So I like the progression of this team, they keep getting better and better. And I hope that's kind of a sign of things to come.'

A potentially deeper bench has Pennell excited as well.

"We're going to be able to reach down and get some different guys and play different lineups,' he said. "We can play a smaller lineup if you need to, or a bigger lineup, too. It gives you some flexibility with the positions and the roles. And certainly you can endure some foul trouble or, hopefully not, injuries, or a bad shooting night. You have some options. And that's something that we probably haven't had since I've been here.'

Some of that depth comes from four newcomers to the program, most notably Brigham Young transfer Rylan Bergersen. a versatile 6-6, 205-pound guard who grew up in Boise, Idaho, as a friend and teammate of Jones. Those two later teamed with Koval for one year at Link Year Prep.

"The thing with Rylan is he's just instant energy,' Pennell said. "Everything he does, he does with great intensity, and I think that's carried over as much as anything to the rest of the guys. He just does not take plays off, so if you're going against him in practice, he can make you look bad if you don't play hard, too. And I think that's been contagious. And he may be the most complete guard we've had here.

"He can score going to the basket, he can score hitting the three, he's going to get an offensive rebound putback, he can make free throws. He's just a tough matchup for the other team. And his consistency is what I love as a coach because I know what I'm going to get every day from him.'

Other newcomers include a trio of freshman guards, Collin Cooper (Fayetteville, Ark.), Lewis McDaniel (Nashville, Tenn.) and Masai Olowokere (Brooklyn, NY) and 7-0 freshman center Jonas Munson.

The Bears return home for a brief stop Thursday night, hosting Hendrix College, before heading out on a two-game road trip at perennial powers Georgetown and Duke.