Men's Hoops Preview: Baylor vs. Centenary Dec. 17

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CENTENARY (4-3) at BAYLOR (6-1)
Ferrell Center (10,284) - Waco, Texas
Monday, Dec. 17, 2001 - 7:00 p.m. CST

THE GAME
Baylor ends an eight-day layoff with a home contest against Centenary Monday, Dec. 17. The game is set to tipoff at 7:00 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center. The Bears (6-1) are coming off a 95-81 win over North Texas on Dec. 8. Centenary (4-3) has dropped two straight games (most recently a 68-48 defeat at Louisiana Tech Saturday) after opening the season 4-1. Baylor boasts a perfect 6-0 record at home this season, and has won 19 straight non-conference home games.

HEAD COACH DAVE BLISS
Dave Bliss, in his third season at Baylor, is a 27-year coaching veteran and ranks 18th among active Division I coaches in victories with 504. The former head coach at New Mexico, Southern Methodist and Oklahoma owns a career record of 504-299 (.628). 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 took over the reigns of Baylor basketball on March 23, 1999, and was 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 and in his second year led Baylor to a 19-12 mark and into the NIT.

BLISS CLAIMS 500th CAREER VICTORY
Baylor's Dave Bliss became the 92nd collegiate head coach to reach 500 career victories Nov. 21 when the Bears defeated Texas-Arlington 88-64. In 27 years as a head coach, Bliss has averaged more than 19 wins per season.

THE CENTENARY SERIES
This is the 11th meeting between Baylor and Centenary with the Bears holding a slim 6-4 advantage in the all-time series. BU and Centenary have not met since Dec. 8, 1995, when Baylor edged the Gents 80-77 in the first round of the Dr Pepper Invitational in Waco. Prior to that, the teams had not played since a 97-79 Baylor victory in Waco during the 1989-90 season. Baylor and Centenary first met during the 1925-26 campaign, the Gents were 27-26 winners.

THE CENTENARY GENTS
Centenary (4-3) is led by Kevin Johnson, in his third year at Centenary. He has amassed a career record of 22-40, all with the Gents.

CENTENARY NOTES: The Gents are led by sophomore guard Andrew Wisniewski, who is averaging 16.9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game... Centenary has dropped two straight games (68-48 at Louisiana Tech, 77-75 at Vanderbilt) following a three-game winning streak.

BLISS vs. CENTENARY
Baylor's Dave Bliss is 7-0 all-time as a head coach against Centenary. Bliss compiled a 3-0 record vs. Centenary as head coach at New Mexico and a 4-0 record while guiding SMU.

THE LAST MEETING - CENTENARY
BAYLOR 80 - CENTENARY 77
Dec. 8, 1995 - Ferrell Center - Waco, Texas
Three Bears scored in double figures, led by Doug Brandt's game-high 27 points, as Baylor defeated Centenary 80-77 in the first round of the Dr Pepper Invitational. Brandt hit 11-of-16 shots from the field, including his lone 3-point attempt, and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Brian Skinner added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, and Damond Mannon had 11. Baylor shot 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field while holding the Gents to 27-of-68 (39.7 percent). The Bears won despite being out-rebounded 45-33.

BAYLOR vs. DIVISION I INDEPENDENTS
The Bears own an all-time record of 9-7 vs. teams currently playing as Division I Independents. Along with a 6-4 mark against Centenary, Baylor is 3-1 vs. Texas-Pan American and 0-2 vs. South Florida.

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears are 6-1 this season in non-conference games, and 25-3 against non-conference opponents in Dave Bliss' three seasons. Baylor has won 19 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents.

THE LAST TIME OUT - NORTH TEXAS
John Lucas scored a career-high 27 points and Lawrence Roberts added 22 to lead Baylor to a 95-81 win over North Texas on Saturday. Playing 37 minutes, Lucas hit 11-of-14 shots from the field including 4-of-6 from beyond the 3-point line. The freshman point guard also had seven assists. Chad Elsey added 17 points for the Bears (6-1). The Bears converted 36-of-62 field goal attempts for 58 percent, while North Texas (1-5) shot 39 percent. Chris Davis paced the Mean Green with 21 points. Jermaine Green added 18 and Jerome Rogers scored 15. Keyed by Lucas' 3-pointer and layup, Baylor opened the second half with an 11-4 run, upping its margin to 64-44 with just over 16 minutes remaining.

LUCAS NAMED BIG 12 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
True freshman John Lucas was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week Dec. 10 following his stellar performance in the Bears' 95-81 victory over North Texas. Against the Mean Green, the 5-10 forward had career highs with 27 points and 11 field goals. Lucas is the second Bear to be so honored this season, forward Lawrence Roberts won the season's first weekly honor Nov. 27.

3-POINT BARRAGE
Baylor is averaging an incredible 10.7 3-point shots made per game (75) this season, tops in the Big 12 Conference. The Bears are on pace to shatter the school's single-season record of 265 3-pointers in 1994-95. Projected over a 30-game season, the Bears are on track to make 321 3s this year. Baylor has made 10 or more 3-point shots in four of seven games this season. Leading the Bears' charge in 3-pointers made are senior Chad Elsey and freshman John Lucas with 17 each, junior Wendell Greenleaf has 10 and freshman Kenny Taylor has 8.

BEARS REMAIN DEFENSIVE
In a continuation of last season's staunch defense, Baylor again ranks among the Big 12 leaders in several defensive categories early in the 2001-2002 season. According to the Dec. 12 rankings, the Bears rank among the league's top 5 in five categories: field goal percentage defense (3rd, .372), blocks (2nd, 5.29), steals (2nd, 10.7), 3-point field goal percentage defense (3rd, .285) and defensive rebounds (4th, 27.7). Meanwhile, the Bears are stellar on transition defense, Baylor has allowed just six fastbreak points this season (0.9 per game) this season while averaging 9.4 fastbreak points per game.

BAYLOR OFFERS HELPING HAND
Through seven games, Baylor ranks first in the Big 12 Conference with 20.86 assists per game. The Bears are led by John Lucas, who ranks sixth in the conference with 5.43 per game. Wendell Greenleaf (4.43 apg) is 10th in the Big 12. Last Saturday against North Texas, Baylor dished out 30 assists as a team. That total is tied for second all-time at Baylor and was the highest single-game total by a Baylor squad since the Bears dished out a school-record 39 Nov. 26, 1991 vs. Sam Houston State. Greeenleaf led the Bears with a career-high 11 assists vs. North Texas, the most in a game by a Baylor player since Feb. 19, 2000 when DeMarcus Minor had 12 against Texas A&M.

LUCAS III LIGHTING UP 3s
Freshman point guard John Lucas III (son of Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas Jr.) has put together some impressive numbers thus far this season. Lucas has shot an amazing 60.7 percent on 3-point shots (17-of-28), tops in the Big 12 Conference. The Houston, Texas, native has made 18 3-pointers over the last four games. He has scored 20-plus points in three of Baylor's seven games and his assist-to-turnover ratio is 2.53 (38-to-15). According to the Dec. 12 rankings, Lucas is 19th in the Big 12 with 14.3 points per game, fifth in field goal percentage (57.4), sixth in assist per game (5.43) and tied with teammate Chad Elsey for fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.43).

ROBERTS MAKING PRESENCE FELT
Lawrence Roberts has hit the ground running in his first season of college basketball. In seven games, the true freshman has compiled two double-doubles, been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week and leads the team in several categories, including: scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounds (8.3 rpg), blocks (11), free throws made (33) and free throws attempted (50). The Houston, Texas, native is also tied for the team lead in field goals (38), and he is second on the team in steals (16). According to the Dec. 12 Big 12 statistical rankings, Roberts is 12th in scoring, tied for third in rebounding, tied for third in steals and tied for fifth in blocks.

BAYLOR LED BY ITS CUBS
Baylor's three true freshmen (John Lucas, Lawrence Roberts, and Kenny Taylor) have made an immediate impact on this year's team. In Baylor's first seven games, the three freshmen have combined for 41 percent of the team's points, 29 percent of the rebounds and 36 percent of the steals. Last Saturday against North Texas, the trio combined for 51 of Baylor's 95 points (54 percent).

BEARS' SUCCESS EQUALS IMPROVED ATTENDANCE
Through six home games, Baylor is averaging 5,660 fans per game, which is on pace to rank as the second highest season average in Ferrell Center history. Through six home games last season, Baylor was averaging 2,858 fans per contest. Last season, Baylor set a Ferrell Center total attendance record, drawing 91,421 in 17 home games. Baylor's 5,378 average in 2000-2001 marked an increase of 2,131 from the 1999-2000 season, the fourth-largest attendance increase in the nation.

BEARS' QUALITY DEPTH
This season's Bear squad appears much deeper than last year's, evidenced by the fact that nine Baylor players are averaging more than 10 minutes per game. The player with the highest minutes played is freshman John Lucas, who averages 31.7 minutes.

BEARS' HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are a perfect 6-0 at home in the Ferrell Center this season. Baylor recorded a 14-3 record at home in 2000-2001. Since Dave Bliss took over the reigns of Baylor's basketball program, the Bears have compiled a 31-10 record (.756) at home. Baylor has won 19 straight home games against non-conference opponents.

LONG TIME FROM LONG RANGE
With eight 3-pointers last Saturday against Rice, the Bears have made at least one 3-pointer in 299 consecutive games. That streak dates back to Feb. 21, 1990, when Baylor was 0-for-8 from long range at home against Texas Tech. During their last 42 games, the Bears are 20-1 when making seven or more 3-pointers. On the flip side, Baylor is 7-14 during that stretch when making six or fewer.

PLENTY OF NEW BRUINS
The 2001-2002 Baylor roster includes four new players: three true freshmen (John Lucas, Lawrence Roberts and Kenny Taylor) and one junior college transfer (Rod Nealy). Also seeing their first game action in the Green and Gold this season are former transfers R.T. Guinn and Kevin Henry. The pair, both former New Mexico players, sat out last season at Baylor to gain eligibility.

TRANSFERS FIND HOME AT BAYLOR
The 2001-2002 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      Senior forward    Chad Elsey  SMU         Senior guard    R.T. Guinn  New Mexico      Sophomore center    Kevin Henry    New Mexico      Senior guard    Rod Nealy *  Ark.-Little Rock    Junior forward    Andre White    Hardin-Simmons          Junior guard

* Nealy played as a freshman (1999-2000) at Arkansas-Little Rock before transferring to McLennan Community College.

FERRELL CENTER'S 14th YEAR
The Bears are in their 14th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center. Including this season's 5-0 mark, the Bears own a 121-80 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.

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 27 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.

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, senior Greg Davis, sophomore R.T. Guinn and senior Kevin Henry, were all recruited by Bliss' UNM staff. Guinn (who was recruited by-but never played for-Bliss at UNM) and Henry sat out last year due to NCAA transfer policy. All three players were starters at New Mexico.

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 Baylor 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, a veteran broadcaster in his seventh season. Former Baylor basketball standout Pat Nunley is in his 20th 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.

INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
Inside Baylor Sports, a half-hour look at the world of Baylor athletics, airs weekly throughout Central Texas and the region. The program, co-hosted by John Morris and Lori Scott-Fogleman, airs on KCEN-TV Channel 6, Fox Sports Net 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 FSN Southwest.

BIG-12 PRESEASON PROJECTIONS
Baylor's 2001-2002 edition has been projected in preseason polls to finish anywhere from seventh to 10th in the Big 12 Conference. The league's coaches picked the Bears to finish ninth in preseason balloting, and the conference media projected Baylor eighth. The highest projected finish for Baylor was seventh, by Lindys magazine.

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: Ellis Kidd Jr., a guard from Seminole (Okla.) State College, Tommy Swanson, a forward from North Crowley (Texas) High School, and Terrance Thomas, a forward from Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas.

Kidd, a 6-4, 185-pound guard, is in his first season at Seminole State after transferring from Oklahoma State. He redshirted the 2000-2001 season at OSU after playing only 10 minutes in two early games and will have three seasons of eligibility at Baylor. A former Dallas Morning News all-area selection at James Madison High School in Dallas, Kidd was named a USA Today honorable mention all-American as a senior in 2000.

Swanson, a 6-9, 215-pound forward, played only seven games as a junior last season at North Crowley following a head injury. He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds before a hairline fracture to his skull sidelined him for the season. Texas Hoops rated Swanson the state's No. 24 player prior to his senior season. He is listed among the nation's top 300 prep seniors by Athon Sports and was named an honorable mention all-American by Street & Smith's College Basketball.

Thomas, a 6-7, 220-pound forward, was highly recruited after being named to the All-Region XIV team as a freshman last season at Lon Morris. Thomas averaged 19.3 points and 12 rebounds last season, and is rated No. 4 among junior college small forwards by The Sporting News in its preseason preview. He is also listed as the 22nd-best junior college recruit by Mike Mitchell's Midwest Report and is rated the No. 27 juco player nationally by Greg Swaim's scouting service. A native of Waco, Thomas attended Maceo Smith High School in Dallas. He averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds as a senior in 2000 and was named a USA Today honorable mention all-American.

BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEESName        Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (High School)Ellis Kidd Jr.  G   6-4 185 So. Dallas, Texas (Madison HS/OSU/Seminole St.)Tommy Swanson   F   6-9 215 Fr. Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley HS)Terrance Thomas F   6-7 220 Jr. Dallas, Texas (Maceo Smith HS/Lon Morris)

UP NEXT...
The Bears will hit the road immediately following the Centenary game, traveling to Carolina, Puerto Rico, to participate in the San Juan Shootout. Baylor will play Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in the first round Thursday, Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Men's Hoops Preview: Baylor vs. Centenary Dec. 17

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