BAYLOR at 2003 SURF N' SLAM HAWAII
Dec. 19-22, 2003 - Cannon Center (Laie, Hawai'i)
vs. BYU-HAWAI'I, Dec. 20, 12:30 a.m. CST
vs. SAN JOSE STATE, Dec. 20, 10:00 p.m. CST
vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS, Dec. 22, 6:30 p.m. CST
Complete Tournament Notes in PDF Format
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RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (KRZI 1660/1580 AM Waco)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: none
INTERNET VIDEO: none
THE TOURNAMENT
Baylor travels to Laie, Hawai'i, to participate in the 2003 Surf N' Turf Hawaii Dec. 19-22. The Bears open the tournament by playing host BYU-Hawai'i Friday, Dec. 19 at 8:30 p.m. Hawaii Aleutian Time (Saturday, Dec. 20 at 12:30 a.m. CST) at the Cannon Activities Center. The Bears are 4-4 following their thrilling 85-79 double-overtime win over Louisiana-Monroe Tuesday night in Waco. Baylor faces San Jose State Saturday at 6 p.m. Hawaii Aleutian Time (10 p.m. CST) and Northern Illinois Monday at 2:30 p.m. Hawaii Aleutian Time (6:30 p.m. CST).
BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor is currently playing with 6 active scholarship players and 5 walk-ons.
- Baylor is averaging 6.1 made 3-pointers per game, 4th most in the Big 12.
- BU is shooting 65.3% on FTs this year, but 78.4% FTs in the final 3 minutes and OT.
- Baylor has been outscored by an average of 25-11 in bench scoring this year.
- Baylor has won 10 previous in-season tournaments, the latest the 1996 Dr Pepper Invitational in Waco.
- Baylor is 2-9 in its last 11 games away from home and has dropped four straight.
- Over the past four seasons Baylor is 40-2 when totaling an equal or higher shooting percentage than its opponent (4-0 this season).
- Terrance Thomas leads BU in scoring (20.4), rebounding (8.9), assists (32), 3-pointers (18) & minutes (37.2).
- Terrance Thomas ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring (20.4 ppg) and 4th in rebounding (8.9 rpg).
- R.T. Guinn leads the Big 12 with 3.0 steals per game.
- R.T. Guinn owns the 3rd-best career 3-point shooting % in Baylor history (41.0%).
- 67% of Corey Herring's career rebounds are offensive (26-13, 14-9 this season).
- Terrance Thomas' 20.4 scoring average is the highest by a BU player since Aundre Branch averaged 21.7 in 1994-95.
- Robbie McKenzie (walk-on from Oct. tryouts) is averaging 5.4 minutes in 8 games.
- Terrance Thomas has compiled 7 career double-doubles (4 this season).
- Baylor added football letterman Joe Simmons as a 6-5 foward in December.
HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew is 4-4 in his first season as head coach at Baylor and 24-15 in two seasons as a head coach. He came to Waco after 10 seasons coaching at Valparaiso, the final as head coach. Drew led the Crusaders to a 20-11 record and into the NIT in 2002-2003. Valpo earned the Mid-Continent Conference regular season championship with a 12-2 league record last season.
The previous nine seasons, Drew served as an assistant at Valpo under his father Homer Drew. During Drew's decade at Valparaiso, the Crusaders earned six NCAA Tournament berths, including the magical 1997-1998 squad that shocked the nation by advancing to the Sweet 16. Valpo made five straight NCAA appearances from 1996-2000. An outstanding recruiter, Drew was responsible for three national Top-20 recruiting classes the last five years. Drew was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision and helped produce what Hoop Scoop magazine named the nation's sixth best recruiting class in 2001, the 13th best in 1999 and the 19th best in 2003 (including four Top-100 national recruits).
WALK-ON CONTRIBUTIONS
Baylor's five walk-ons (senior Joe Simmons, juniors Robbie McKenzie and Ryan Pryor, sophomore Will Allen and freshman Turner Phipps) have all contributed this season and are quickly becoming crowd favorites at home in the Ferrell Center. McKenzie has logged the most minutes (43) and the entire quintet - playing behind a current roster of only six scholarship players - has played together in three games; including a three-and-a-half minute stretch vs. UTSA and a total of four minutes in the double-overtime win over Louisiana-Monroe.
BAYLOR IN IN-SEASON TOURNAMENTS
The Surf N' Slam Hawai'i is Baylor's first in-season tournament since finishing as runner-up at the 2001 San Juan Shootout. The Bears have won 10 in-season tournaments since 1949. This is Baylor's fourth trip to the islands and its first since 1998 (listing of Baylor's Hawai'i tournaments below).
Season Tournament Rec. Finish 1987-88 Maui Classic 1-2 1994-95 Hawaii-Nike Festival 0-2 4th 1998-99 Honolulu Shootout 1-2 6th
ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 2-9 record in its last 11 games away from home, and has dropped four straight.
BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears are 43-11 in regular-season non-league play over the last five seasons, including a 4-4 record this year.
THOMAS LEADING BEARS IN BIG WAY
Senior Terrance Thomas is the Bears' leader in scoring (20.4 ppg), rebounds (8.9 rpg), assists (32), 3-pointers (18) and minutes (37.2 mpg). His 20.4 scoring average ranks second in the Big 12 Conference and is the highest single-season average by a Bear since Aundre Branch finished the 1994-95 season with a 21.7 average. Thomas has compiled four double-doubles in eight games this season.
BREAKING DOWN THE ROSTER
Baylor's current 2003-2004 roster lists 12 players: six returnees and six newcomers. Of the six newcomers, two are scholarship recruits (junior Harvey Thomas, freshman Carl Marshall), two arrived as walk-ons prior to the fall semester (junior Ryan Pryor, freshman Turner Phipps), one earned a spot during open walk-on tryouts in October (junior Robbie McKenzie) and one is a football letterman who joined the squad in December (senior Joe Simmons). Seven of Baylor's 12 players are on basketball scholarships. [note: Ellis Kidd Jr. was dismissed from the team in December for violation of team policy]
THE BYU-HAWAI'I SEASIDERS
BYU-Hawai'i Notes: BYU-Hawai'i is a Division II member of the Pacific-West Conference... The Seasiders are coached by Ken Wagner... BYU-Hawai'i is 2-0 at home this season... The Seasiders are led by junior F/C Jake Chrisman, who is averaging 20.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg... Chrisman was named Pacific West Player of the Week last week and is 2nd in the Pac West in scoring... Sophomore G Shawn Opunui has hit 20-of-40 (50.0 %) from behind the arc and is averaging 17.3 ppg... Junior G Michael Stowell averages 15.3 ppg and 4.4 rpg.
The BYU-Hawai'i Series: never met
Drew vs. BYUH: 0-0
Last Meeting: none
THE SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS
SJSU Notes: San Jose State is coached by Phil Johnson... SJSU is led by senior F Eric Walton who is averaging 14.2 ppg and 9.3 rpg... Walton scored a career-high 27 points in the Spartans last game against Sacramento State on Saturday and was named WAC Player of the Week... Senior F Brett Lilly has hit 16-of-37 (43.2 %) 3-pointers and is averaging 10.8 ppg... SJSU is 0-2 away from San Jose this season... The Spartans have no returning starters from last year's 7-21 squad.
The SJSU Series: never met
Drew vs. SJSU: 0-0
Last Meeting: none
Baylor vs. the WAC: The Bears have an all-time record of 172-209 against teams currently in the Western Athletic Conference. The majority of those games have been played against former Southwest Conference schools SMU (75-99) and Rice (85-90).
THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES
NIU Notes: Northern Illinois is coached by Rob Judson... Northern Illinois is a combined 4-0 in home and neutral games... The Huskies are led by senior F Marcus Smallwood, who is averaging 14.9 ppg and 11.0 rpg... Smallwood was picked by every major publication as MAC preseason player of the year... Senior G P.J. Smith, a second-team preseason all-conference pick, has hit 11-of-21 (52.4 %) from long range and is averaging 10.4 ppg... Sophomore G Anthony Maestranzi has hit 15-of-35 (42.9 %) 3-pointers and is averaging 10.3 ppg.
The NIU Series: never met
Drew vs. NIU: 1-0
Last Meeting: none
Baylor vs. the MAC: Baylor has faced MAC opponents only five times previously, accumulating a 1-4 record vs. the conference.
LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 85 - LOUISIANA-MONROE 79 [2OT]
Terrance Thomas scored 26 points, handed out 10 assists and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Baylor to an 85-79 double-overtime victory over Louisiana-Monroe at the Ferrell Center. Tied 73-73 at the end of the first overtime, Baylor and ULM swapped 3-point baskets to open the second extra period before Thomas put the Bears in front for good at 79-76 with his second 3-pointer of the night. Thomas' underhand pass through a double team to an unguarded Corey Herring underneath the basket clinched the Bear victory. Herring's layup with 24 seconds remaining put Baylor ahead 84-76. Mark Keith, who led ULM with 17 points, forced the game into overtime when he hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds to tie the game at 68-68. Louisiana-Monroe's Tank Thompson missed the first of two free throws but hit the second to tie the game at 73-73 with 34 seconds left in the first overtime. Baylor's Matt Saymon missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left, and R.T. Guinn missed a buzzer-beating putback attempt. Guinn added 17 points for Baylor. Herring scored 14 points and Carl Marshall added 13. Marshall started for Baylor in place of Ellis Kidd Jr., who was dismissed from the team earlier in the day for violating team policy. In the stands for the win was legendary Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew, who took advantage of a break in the Crusaders' schedule to make his first trip to watch his son, Baylor head coach Scott Drew, at the helm of the Bears' program.
R.T.'s THEFTS
R.T. Guinn is on pace to become only the second Baylor player in four years to total more steals than turnovers. The senior currently has 24 steals (3.0 average leads the Big 12) and only 14 turnovers. Former Bear and current Texas Longhorn Kenny Taylor (40 stl-35 TO in 2002-2003) is the only player since the 2000-2001 season to accomplish that feat. Guinn's 3.0 steals-per-game average is on pace to match the school single-season record of 3.0 set by former NBA player Michael Williams in 1986-87.
STEADY SAYMAN
Matt Sayman is the Bears' most veteran player and a co-captain. The senior provides leadership and consistent play as Baylor's most experienced player (97 games played). He is averaging 8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds (second on the team) and a team-high 4.0 assists in 2003-2004.
NEW STAFF GUIDING BEARS
Head coach Scott Drew is joined on the Baylor coaching staff by new assistants Matthew Driscoll, Mark Morefield and Jerome Tang. Driscoll and Morefield followed Drew from his staff at Valparaiso, and Tang joined Baylor after 10 years as a prep coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas.
REMEMBERING PATRICK
Baylor's jerseys include a black stripe across the left shoulder in honor of the late Patrick Dennehy, a former teammate who was a redshirt at Baylor during the 2002-2003 season after transferring from New Mexico.
BAYLOR PRAISED FOR PAIR OF EARLY SIGNEES
Baylor has inked two prep athletes to national letters of intent during the early signing period: center Mamadou Diene of Senegal and guard Aaron Bruce of Australia. The pair are ranked as the 39th-best recruiting class to date by HoopScoop.
Diene, a 7-footer, is rated as the top NBA prospect in Africa and the sixth-best international prospect in the world by NBAdraft.net. The analysts at HoopScoop said that if Diene were playing high school basketball in the United States, he would rank among the top 40 players in the nation. HoopScoop also reported that Diene was ranked as the top player in camp when he attended the Babacar Sy Basketball Camp in July.
Bruce spent last summer playing for the Australian junior national team in the 2003 FIBA Junior World Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 6-2 guard led Australia with 25 points as the Aussies upset Team USA 106-85. HoopScoop reports that if Bruce were playing high school basketball in the United States, he would rank among the top 50 seniors in the country.
BAYLOR SIGNEES:Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. HometownAaron Bruce G 6-2 190 Fr. Horsham, VictoriaMamadou Diene C 7-0 210 Fr. Yeumbeul, Senegal
LSU TRANSFER TO ENROLL AT BAYLOR
Tim Bush, a freshman forward at LSU in 2002-2003, has signed scholarship papers to transfer to Baylor. The 6-6 forward will enroll at Baylor for the spring 2004 semester but will not be eligible to play until after the conclusion of the fall 2004 semester. Bush will compete for the Bears as a sophomore with three years of eligibility remaining. As a true freshman last season at LSU, Bush appeared in 10 games, averaging 0.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest. Coming out of high school, Bush was ranked the No. 137 prospect in the class of 2003 by HoopScoop. Bush averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game as a junior at Shaw High School in New Orleans.
BAYLOR GAMES ONLINE - AUDIO AND VIDEO
For the first time, Bear fans can both watch and listen to live video and audio of Baylor basketball online in 2003-2004. The radio broadcast of all Baylor basketball games can be heard live on-line on Baylor's official website, BaylorBears.com, or at www.broadcast.com. Live video is available at baylorbears.nmnathletics.com; all home games that are not scheduled to be televised are included in the package. Subscriptions are available for $6.95 per game, or $49.95 for a season pass that covers both men's and women's games.
BIG 12 PRESEASON PROJECTIONS
Baylor's 2003-2004 edition has been projected to finish last in the Big 12 Conference in virtually every preseason poll. The only preseason publication that didn't pick the Bears 12th in the conference was Athlon Sports, which was published prior to the transfers of three Baylor returnees.
NEXT UP...
Following the Surf N' Slam Hawai'i tournament, Baylor has 10 days to prepare for a Jan. 3 matchup against No. 17 Purdue in Waco. Tipoff at the Ferrell Center is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CST. Tickets to the game can be purchased for $2 at Waco-area Fazoli's restaurants.
