Game Preview: Men's Hoops vs. Oklahoma State Jan. 17

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BAYLOR (13-1, 2-1) vs. OKLAHOMA STATE (10-3, 2-1)
Ferrell Center (10,284) - Waco, Texas
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001 - 7:00 p.m. CST

THE GAME
Baylor returns home Wednesday for its lone home game in a five-game stretch, hosting Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. The Bears enter game at 13-1, 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference, after a 63-55 victory at Kansas State last Saturday. This is the best 14-game start in school history for Baylor (the school played more than 13 games in a season just once -- 16 in 1908-09 -- prior to the 1915-16 campaign). The Cowboys invade Waco with a 10-3 overall record and a 2-1 mark in conference play, OSU knocked off Texas Tech 65-46 at home Saturday. The Bears are in the second season of the Dave Bliss era and their 95th year of men's basketball in 2000-2001. Baylor owns an all-time record of 957-1,077 in 94 seasons of basketball.

HEAD COACH DAVE BLISS
Dave Bliss was handed the reigns of Baylor basketball on March 23, 1999, and given the task of rebuilding a program that had finished the 1998-99 season without a Big 12 Conference win. Bliss proceeded to guide the Bears to a 14-15 record in 1999-2000, which was an eight-game turnaround from the previous season - the 10th-best turnaround in Division I basketball last year.

Bliss, in his second season at Baylor, is a 26-year coaching veteran and ranks 19th among active Division I coaches in victories with 492. The former head coach at New Mexico, Southern Methodist and Oklahoma owns a career record of 492-287 (.632). He has led teams to 15 postseason tournament appearances, including 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Five times Bliss has been honored as his conference's coach of the year, and he is one of only 23 Division I coaches ever to have taken three different schools to the NCAA Tournament (UNM, SMU, OU).

BLISS CLIMBING BAYLOR'S COACHING LISTS
In less than two season's at the helm of the Bear basketball program, Dave Bliss has compiled a 27-16 won-loss record. His 62.8 winning percentage ranks as the third-highest career mark at Baylor.

THE OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Baylor by a 34-11 margin, winning the last six meetings. The teams have met 10 times as Big 12 Conference opponents, OSU has won eight of those contests, including two games in Big 12 Tournament play (1997 and 1999). While the Cowboys have dominated the series away from Waco (25-2 combined in Stillwater and on neutral courts), the series is knotted 9-9 in Waco, however, Oklahoma State has been victorious in its last two trips to Baylor, including a 56-41 decision Jan. 15, 2000. Baylor and OSU first met in Waco during the 1917-18 campaign with OSU taking a 24-20 victory.

THE OKLAHOMA STATE WILDCATS
Oklahoma State (10-3, 2-1) is led by veteran head coach Eddie Sutton, who owns a 669-260 career record in four stints as a collegiate head coach at Creighton (1969-74), Arkansas (1974-85) and Kentucky (1985-89). With a 239-98 record at OSU, Sutton is the only coach in NCAA history to lead four different teams to the NCAA Tournament. Sutton is a 1958 OSU graduate.

OSU NOTES: The Cowboys are led by the outside-inside combo of 6-1 guard Maurice Baker, who averages 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, and 6-11 forward Fredrik Jonzen, who averages 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.... The Cowboys are averaging 75.4 points per game, shooting 49.1 percent from the floor, and allowing 74.7 points per game.

BLISS vs. OKLAHOMA STATE
Dave Bliss is 11-6 all-time as a head coach vs. Oklahoma State, but 0-2 against the Cowboys since taking over at Baylor. Bliss was 0-1 against OSU while at New Mexico and 2-0 while at SMU. Most of Bliss' history against the Cowboys came during his days at Oklahoma, in which he compiled a 9-3 mark against OSU.

THE LAST TIME OUT - KANSAS STATE
DeMarcus Minor scored 14 points, all but two from the free throw line, and Wendell Greenleaf added 12 as Baylor defeated Kansas State 63-55 Saturday night in Manhattan. The Bears, who lost for the first time this season to Texas Tech on Tuesday, pulled away from a 32-32 halftime tie. Baylor held Kansas State to just one field goal in the first 11 minutes of the second half. Greenleaf's layup with 15:47 to play broke another tie, 36-36, and started a 12-0 run that put Baylor ahead 48-36 with 9:21 remaining. Kansas State later cut the lead to seven points at 51-44 on Kelvin Howell's dunk with six minutes remaining. But Baylor opened a 10-point lead with 1:42 to go on another Greenleaf basket. Larry Reid, who led the Wildcats with 17, hit one 3-pointer with about a minute to go, cutting the lead to 57-50, and another at the buzzer. Both teams struggled from the floor. After shooting 57 percent early in the first half, the Wildcats finished with only 33 percent for the night.

BAYLOR LEADS NATION IN DEFENSE
Through games of Jan. 14, Baylor leads the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 56.5 points per game. Only three times in 14 games has Baylor given up more than 57 points this season. Additionally, the Bears are tied with TCU for ninth in the nation in scoring margin, boasting a 19-point edge through 14 games. Baylor has tallied six wins of 25-plus points this season.

"OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES"
Baylor is receiving national attention due to its impressive record to start the season. For the third consecutive week, the Bears have received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Baylor received four votes in this week's poll, ranking 45th overall.

BEST 14-GAME START EVER
Baylor's 13-1 record marks its best 14-game start in school history. The Bears have played at least 14 games every season since the 1915-16 campaign. Baylor opened the year at 13-0, the most consecutive wins to open a season by a Bear squad since coach Ralph Glaze's 1911-12 Bears finished a perfect 13-0*. The deepest into a season the Bears have ever gone before losing their third game was in 1945-46 when Baylor was 24-3 after a 73-57 loss at New York University. That squad finished 25-5, won the Southwest Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament just one year after going 0-17. *Contrary to information in the BU media guide, further research of historical records indicate that Baylor's 1911-12 squad finished 13-0.

BRUINS PERFECT AT HOME IN THE FERRELL CENTER
Baylor is undefeated at home in the Ferrell Center this season, boasting a perfect 10-0 record. The Bears have won 13 of their last 16 at the Ferrell Center, and own a 21-7 home mark under head coach Dave Bliss.

BAYLOR AMONG ESPN.COM'S `CINDERELLAS'
Baylor is listed on ESPN.com's Cinderella Watch, an eight-team listing that allows fans to vote on Division I sleeper teams. The Cinderella Watch is found online at: http://espn.go.com/ncb/cinderella/index.html.

BLACK THE NATION'S `BEST DUNKER'
The Sporting News tabbed Baylor's Terry Black as the "Best Dunker" in college basketball in its Jan. 6 issue. Among other titles handed out in a feature titled "The Best Of" college basketball, TSN named the Bears' athletic senior forward the nation's best dunker.

THE LAST MEETING - OKLAHOMA STATE
OKLAHOMA STATE 67 - BAYLOR 51
Jan. 30, 2000 - Gallagher-Iba Arena - Sillwater, Okla.
Oklahoma State used a suffocating defense to force Baylor into a season-low .262 shooting performance from the floor as the 14th-ranked Cowboys defeated the Bears, 67-51, on Super Bowl Sunday. After Baylor took an early 2-0 lead, Oklahoma State scored 11-straight points. The Cowboys lead never dipped below double digits after the 10-minute mark of the first half and reached 22 points, 41-19, by halftime. The Bears outscored OSU in the second half and trimmed the lead to 13 points with 2:05 remaining. Three Bears finished in double figures, led by Tevis Stukes' 15.

MINOR MOVES INTO 6th IN ASSISTS
Senior point guard DeMarcus Minor moved into sixth place all-time at Baylor in career assists against Kansas State. Minor dished out four, upping his career total to 236. Minor moved past Roddrick Miller's total of 234 amassed from 1994 to 1998. Last season, Minor dished out 169 assists, fourth best in school history and the best since Nelson Haggerty's school-record 284 in the 1994-95 season.

BLACK CLOSING IN ON 6th IN STEALS
Senior Terry Black will enter the Oklahoma State game just three steals shy of sixth place all-time at Baylor in career steals. Through one and a half seasons, Black has 107 swipes to his credit, ranking ahead of Vinnie Johnson (98, 1977-79) and behind Julius Denton (110, 1988-90). Black's 77 steals last season ranked third all-time at Baylor and was the most by a Bear in 12 years.

DAVIS CRASHING THE BOARDS
Junior forward Greg Davis is averaging 8.0 rebounds over the last four games. Prior to a four-board effort against Kansas State, he had grabbed nine in each of the previous three games. Davis is third on the team in rebounding this season with 5.9 per game.

BEARS TOP BIG 12 DEFENSIVE RANKINGS
Baylor's defense is ranked in the top 3 of five separate Big 12 Conference listings (in the latest rankings released Jan. 14). The Bears top the league in scoring defense (56.5, 1st nationally), field goal percentage defense (36.4%) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.5%). Baylor ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 in steals (9.21) and No. 3 in defensive rebounds (27.50).

OTHER BIG 12 STATISTICAL NUMBERS
Baylor also leads the conference in scoring margin (+19.9, tied-ninth nationally) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33-1). The Bears' turnover margin of +4.93 ranks second in the conference, and their 17.46 assists per game average ranks fourth.

ATHLETIC BLACK LEADING THE BEARS
Senior forward Terry Black has successfully met Bear fans' high expectations through the season's first 14 games, by posting four double-doubles and leading the Bears to a 13-1 record. Black leads the team with a 15.4 scoring average and ranks third in the Big 12 with a rebounding average of 8.8. In just his second season at Baylor, Black is a co-captain and one of two seniors on the team. Black has started every game of his Baylor career and is a preseason All-Big 12 selection. In January Black was named the "Best Dunker" in college basketball by The Sporting News. Black was also tabbed in preseason publications as the Big 12's "Top Defensive Player" (Preview Sports magazine), "Best Leaper" (The Sporting News), and most "Underrated" (Athlon Sports).

BLACK ATOP THE BIG 12 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Terry Black ranks among the Big 12 Conference leaders in seven major categories and is ranked in the top five of three lists (in the latest rankings released Jan. 14). Black is ranked in rebounding (3rd, 8.8 rpg), field goal percentage (2nd, 66.4%), steals (3rd, 2.14 spg), scoring (12th, 15.4 ppg), assists-to-turnovers (10th, 1.53), blocks (tied-14th, 0.86 bpg) and assists (14th, 3.29 apg). Black's 66.4 field goal percentage ranks eighth nationally.

ELSEY PROVIDING INSTANT OFFENSE
Since becoming eligible in game No. 5 at Cal State Fullerton, junior Chad Elsey has posted big numbers and provided veteran leadership to the squad. In 10games played, Elsey is averaging 13.1 points and 3.0 rebounds. His 34.1 3-point field goal percentage (29-for-85) is fourth on the team, and he is shooting 84.2 percent from the line (16-for-19). His assists-to-turnovers ratio is 1.4-to-1. Elsey, a transfer from SMU, sat out last season and the first semester this year establishing his eligibility.

MINOR THE WORKHORSE
Senior DeMarcus Minor, the Bears' quarterback, is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 assists through 14 games. Minor leads the Big 12 (tied-21st nationally) in free throw percentage (92.0%, 69-of-75) and sixth in assists (in the latest rankings released Jan. 14). Minor, a co-captain, is the only Bear to have scored in double-digits in each of the first 14 games. The second-year player has started every game during his Baylor career, and last season led the squad with an amazing 38.4 minutes-per-game average en route to being named honorable mention all-Big 12. This season the former transfer, who played at Marquette and Barton County Community College, has been projected a third-team all-Big 12 pick by Athlon's preseason publication.

ROOKIES IMPRESS
True freshmen Logan Kosmalski (6-8 forward) and Matt Sayman (6-3 guard) have made an immediate impact this season. Through 14 games, Kosmalski has earned 12 starts and is averaging 7.4 points in 24.6 minutes per game. Sayman has three starts, and is averaging 5.2 points in 18.9 minutes. Additionally, Kosmalski (Euless [Texas] HS) is averaging 4.6 rebounds and is shooting 50 percent (38-for-76) from the field. Sayman (The Colony [Texas] HS) leads the team in 3-point percentage (51.7%) and has tallied 33 assists and 12 steals.

GREENLEAF STEPS UP SCORING
Sophomore Wendell Greenleaf has become an offensive force in his second collegiate season. In 13 games played, Greenleaf is fourth on the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game. He is 27th in the Big 12 in scoring in the latest listings (Jan. 14). His 2.62 3-pointers per-game (34-for-104) is fourth in the Big 12. Greenleaf averaged 4.1 points as a true freshman last season.

STRESS FRACTURE SIDELINES FLIPPEN
Sophomore John Flippen is sidelined with an injury to his ankle. The 7-foot-2 center was diagnosed with a stress fracture, and is not expected back until late January or February. Flippen has played in only two games (12 minutes) this season.

ELSEY SELECTED BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Baylor junior guard Chad Elsey was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Dec. 18, following his stellar performance in an 80-50 win at Cal State Fullerton Dec. 16. Elsey scored a game-high 20 points, hit 4-of-5 3-pointers, shot 4-for-4 from the line, and totaled five rebounds, four assists and two steals without a turnover in the CSUF win. Elsey is the third Bear player to be selected as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, and the first since teammate Terry Black last season (Nov. 30, 2000).

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a perfect 11-0 record. Under head coach Dave Bliss, Baylor has compiled a 20-2 non-conference record in two seasons. BU has won 16 consecutive such contests.

LOTS OF NEW BRUINS
The 2000-2001 Baylor roster includes six new players: three true freshman (Michael DeGrate, Logan Kosmalski and Matt Sayman), two Division I transfers (R.T. Guinn and Kevin Henry), and one junior college transfer (Shon Robinson). Guinn and Henry will sit out the 2000-2001 season to comply with the NCAA transfer policy. Also seeing their first game action in Green and Gold this season are former transfers Greg Davis, Chad Elsey and Andre White. All three sat out last season at Baylor to gain eligibility.

TRANSFERS
The 2000-2001 Bear squad boasts four players who transferred to Baylor from Division I schools, and a fifth who previously played at a DI institution. A sixth transferred from a DIII school. The players are:

    Player      Prev. School    Status    Greg Davis  New Mexico  Junior forward    Chad Elsey  SMU     Junior guard    R.T. Guinn  New Mexico  redshirt    Kevin Henry    New Mexico  redshirt    DeMarcus Minor  Marquette*  Senior guard    Andre White    Hardin-Simmons  Sophomore guard

* Minor played as a freshman (1997-98) at Marquette before transferring to Barton County Community College.

RECRUITING CLASS EARNS NATIONAL PRAISE
Baylor's 2001 recruiting class has garnered some early accolades from various publications. The class is made up of three high school players inked in the early signing period, Dandrick Jones, Lawrence Roberts and Kenny Taylor. The Baylor class was rated 25th nationally by Rivals100Hoops.com, and No. 32 in the nation by HoopScoop. Rivals noted, "Roberts, Taylor headline outstanding group for Bliss." The Sporting News, which included transfers R.T. Guinn and Kevin Henry (who will be eligible for the 2001-2002 season) when judging the recruits, rated Baylor's class as the third-best in the Big 12. (detailed information on November's early signees included later in notes)

FERRELL CENTER'S 13th YEAR
The Bears are in their 13th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center. The Bears own a 112-77 all-time record in the arena, which opened in November 1988. The Ferrell Center is a golden-domed structure that seats 10,284 for basketball games. In the 2000 offseason, the Ferrell Center underwent various renovations, including: an expanded locker room, completely new offices for the basketball staff, upgraded audio-visual center, refinished playing court, and renovated weight room.

GOBAYLORBEARS.COM
Baylor's official athletic web site can be found at www.GoBaylorBears.com. The comprehensive site, which includes releases, photos, biographical sketches and audio broadcasts, is part of the FANSonly Network. FANSonly currently hosts sites for more than 80 schools, including six institutions of the Big 12 Conference.

OVER THE AIR
Bear basketball games can be heard live on the Baylor Radio Network. The flagship station is KRZI-AM (1660/1580) in Waco. Selected BU games will be broadcast on Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate WBAP News/Talk 820, which covers 80 percent of the nation during night games. All Baylor games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris. Morris is a veteran broadcaster in his sixth season behind the mic at Baylor. Former Baylor basketball standout Pat Nunley is in his 19th season as color analyst for Bear broadcasts.

BAYLOR GAMES ON THE NET
The radio broadcast from all Baylor basketball games can be heard live on the internet on Baylor's official online website, www.GoBaylorBears.com, or at www.yahoo.broadcast.com.

NATION'S LONGEST-STANDING COACHING DUO
Baylor boasts Division I basketball's longest-tenured current coaching tandem. Bear assistant coach Doug Ash has been Dave Bliss' top aide for all 26 years Bliss has been a collegiate head coach. The Bliss and Ash duo began at Indiana University in the early 1970s when both were assistants under Bobby Knight. When Bliss became head coach at Oklahoma in 1975, he took Ash with him. The pair has been together ever since, at SMU, New Mexico, and Baylor.

PRESEASON HONORS
The Bears have been honored by preseason prognosticators, led by senior forward Terry Black. Black was projected a third-team All-Big 12 selection, and the conference's "Most Versatile" player by Lindy's preseason publication. He was also named the Big 12's "Top Defensive Player" by Preview Sports magazine. The Sporting News tabbed Black the "Best Leaper" in the Big 12, and Athlon Sports selected him the most "Underrated" player in the conference. Senior point guard DeMarcus Minor was selected a preseason third-team All-Big 12 player by Athlon Sports.

BIG-12 PRESEASON PROJECTIONS
Baylor's 2000-2001 edition has been projected in preseason polls to finish anywhere from eighth to 11th in the Big 12 Conference. The league's coaches picked the Bears to finish 11th in preseason balloting, as did the conference media. The highest projected finish for Baylor was eighth, by both Preview Sports magazine, and ESPN.com.

INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and other regional outlets. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Southwest and the College Channel (Waco cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox.

THE LOBO TRANSFERS
As has been well documented, the Baylor roster includes three former players from the University of New Mexico, where Dave Bliss and his staff previously coached. The players, junior Greg Davis, sophomore R.T. Guinn and senior Kevin Henry, were all recruited by Bliss' UNM staff. Davis, the Bears' current starter at center, is the only former Lobo playing this season after sitting out 1999-2000 at Baylor. Guinn (who was recruited by-but never played for-Bliss at UNM) and Henry are sitting out this season to comply with the NCAA transfer policy. All three players were starters at New Mexico.

BEARS ADD 3 EARLY SIGNEES
Baylor has signed three early signees, all from the state of Texas, to national letters of intent during the early signing period: Dandrick Jones, a guard from Kimball High School in Dallas, Lawrence Roberts, a forward from Lamar High School in Houston, and Kenny Taylor, a guard from Willowridge High School in Sugar Land, Texas.

Jones, a 6-3, 185-pound guard, was an All-District 11-5A selection last year as a junior on a 22-12 Kimball squad that reached the playoffs. He averaged 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists in 2000. Listed as the 12th best prospect in Texas by TexasHoops, Jones also received High Honorable Mention All-America status in Street & Smith's College Basketball magazine. He was listed among the top seniors nationally by Athlon Sports preseason publication.

Roberts, a 6-8, 220-pound forward, averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as a junior at Lamar in 2000. One of the most sought-after forwards in the nation, Roberts is rated the No. 5 prospect in the state of Texas by TexasHoops entering his senior season. Athlon Sports included Roberts on its list of the nation's Top 20 Power Forwards in its preseason publication. He was rated the No. 14 power forward nationally by FastBreak Recruiting.com. Roberts was listed No. 86 on Lindy's magazine's Top 100 Seniors nationally.

The 6-3, 175-pound Taylor averaged 14 points and three assists as a junior for state champion Willowridge last season. Taylor led WHS to a 36-1 record and the Class 5A state title in 2000. TexasHoops rated Taylor the No. 13 prospect in Texas entering his senior season. Taylor was also listed among the High Honorable Mention All-America status in Street & Smith's College Basketball preview and among the nation's top seniors by Athlon Sports magazine.

UP NEXT...
Baylor returns returns to the road Saturday for its third of four road games in a five-game stretch, playing at Texas. Tip off at the Frank Erwin Center is set for 12:45 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN-plus.

Game Preview: Men's Hoops vs. Oklahoma State Jan. 17

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