Baylor's chances of putting a competitive team on the court for the coming season diminished late Sunday when preseason Wooden All-American Lawrence Roberts transferred to Mississippi State.

Cynthia Roberts said Monday that her son made his decision while in Starkville over the weekend. One reason for it: Both sets of his grandparents live close to Mississippi State. She said her son decided against making possible visits to Arizona and Indiana this week because he was tired of the process and emotionally drained by the events at Baylor.

Roberts still needs to obtain a waiver to avoid sitting out the one-year-in-residence penalty for transferring. Baylor submitted a blanket waiver last week for all of its players to play for other programs immediately. The NCAA still has to rule on the matter, but Roberts didn't want to wait for the ruling and is prepared to sit out the coming season if necessary.

Mississippi State, which has a scholarship available, starts fall classes Wednesday; Baylor starts on Aug. 25. Roberts said her son's belongings were still in Waco because he was holding out hope that the university would choose John Lucas to succeed former coach Dave Bliss, but Lucas reportedly is not interested in the job.

"He was holding out for that," Cynthia Roberts said. "This was totally his decision."

Roberts is a 6-foot-9 junior with NBA potential but probably needs to play two more seasons to reach his full potential to be draftable. He could test the draft process if he has a banner season.

If Roberts had chosen to transfer to Arizona, he would have stepped in next to Channing Frye to form one of the nation's top frontlines. Arizona would have instantly become a Final Four favorite with Roberts in the lineup. Instead, he's a gain for Mississippi State, which is reeling up front after losing junior Mario Austin to the draft and losing out on incoming freshman Travis Outlaw, who declared and was drafted in the first round.

The Bulldogs are set on the perimeter with Timmy Bowers, freshman Gary Ervin and incoming Iowa State transfer Shane Power. But they lacked experience in the frontcourt with players like Ontario Harper, Winsome Frazier, Branden Vincent and Marcus Campbell. None of the four averaged more than 7.3 points a game last season. If Roberts is eligible, he'll immediately become the go-to player and would likely put up lofty numbers in the SEC.

Roberts is the latest loss for Baylor, which saw incoming freshman Tyrone Nelson receive a release from his national letter of intent and enroll at Prairie View A&M. Nelson still has to request a release to play immediately from the NLI committee at the SEC office in Birmingham, Ala.

Baylor is down to possibly 10 scholarship players for 2003-04, and the list figures to dwindle in the coming weeks. Only seniors Matt Sayman and R.T. Guinn, who are both on the verge of graduating, have said they would stay at Baylor -- but each could still ultimately change their minds.

John Lucas III has piqued the interest of Georgia and San Diego State and might end up transferring. So, too, could incoming junior college transfer Harvey Thomas, whose mentor, Anthony Poole, has been calling around the country trying to find him another program.

Returning senior Terrance Thomas, as well as sophomores Tommy Swanson and Corey Herring, and juniors Ellis Kidd Jr. and Kenny Taylor might all check out new destinations for this season.

Incoming freshman Carl Marshall has not yet indicated that he would not come to Baylor.

Baylor and the Big 12 are adamant that the Bears will field a team for the 2003-04 season. They are pursuing a new coach, with Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin, Samford's Jimmy Tillette and Indiana assistant John Treloar as some who have expressed interest in the job.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.