Men's Hoops Preview: vs. No. 11 Texas Feb. 10
2/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BAYLOR (7-14, 2-6) vs. No. 11 TEXAS (16-3, 7-1)
Feb. 10, 2004 - Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) - 8:00 p.m. CST
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RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (KRZI 1660/1580 AM Waco, WBAP 820 AM Dallas)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net Southwest
INTERNET VIDEO: none
THE GAME
Baylor hosts its second rival in four days when it plays No. 11 Texas Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Waco. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center. The Bears enter the game 7-14, 2-6 in Big 12 play coming off a 72-64 victory over Texas A&M in Waco Saturday. The Longhorns are 16-3, 7-1 and tied for first in the conference after a 66-37 win over No. 22 Oklahoma at home Sunday. Baylor and Texas square off for the 219th meeting all-time, the most-played rivalry for both schools. The Bears have lost 12 straight games against Texas dating back to 1998. Tuesday's game will be telecast live regionally on Fox Sports Net Southwest (to air on Time-Warner Cable's channel 15 in Waco). The short-handed Bears (six available scholarship players) have won two of their last five games.
BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor is currently playing with 6 active scholarship players and 5 active walk-ons.
- The Bears are 2-19 vs. ranked opponents over the last 3 seasons (0-5 this year).
- Baylor has lost 12 straight games to Texas.
- BU is shooting 34% on 3-pointers in conference play (29% in non-conf. play).
- Baylor's coaching staff, with an average age of 34 years, is the nation's youngest among major conference schools.
- Starting forward Corey Herring is sidelined w/ a fractured hand (missed last 3 gms).
- In Big 12 play, Matt Sayman ranks 2nd in conf. in assists (4.3) & 6th in steals (1.6).
- After fouling out of his first 2 games at Baylor and totaling 10 points, Harvey Thomas is averaging 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over the last 11 games.
- Terrance Thomas ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in scoring (16.7 ppg).
- Terrance Thomas leads BU in scoring (16.7), rebounding (7.2) & 3-pointers (42).
- R.T. Guinn is 2nd in the Big 12 with 1.9 steals per game.
- Baylor's Thomas & Thomas duo is only school's 2nd pair in a decade to average more than 15 ppg (Terrance 16.7, Harvey 15.8).
- Tommy Swanson has fouled out of 4 of the last 9 games (team-high 67 fouls on yr).
- Robbie McKenzie (walk-on from Oct. tryouts) is averaging 5.4 minutes in 17 games.
- Matt Sayman in No. 9 on BU's career minutes played list (2,489 in 110 games).
- R.T. Guinn owns the 3rd-best career 3-point shooting % in Baylor history (40.5%).
- Carl Marshall has hit 6-of-13 3-pointers the last 4 games (broke 0-of-8 streak from previous 8 games).
- Baylor's jerseys include a black stripe in honor of late teammate Patrick Dennehy.
HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew is 7-14 in his first season as head coach at Baylor and 27-25 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. He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision and helped produce what HoopScoop 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).
SHORT-HANDED BEARS FIGHT ON DESPITE DEPLETED ROSTER
The Bears are currently suiting up 11 players, including six scholarship athletes. Baylor began the season with eight scholarship players (though only seven were eligible*). One player was lost in December (starting guard Ellis Kidd Jr. was dismissed for violation of team policy) and one was injured the last day of January (starting guard Corey Herring, out 3-5 weeks). Baylor added LSU-transfer Tim Bush as a scholarship player in January, but he will sit out the season under NCAA transfer rules. *Forward Harvey Thomas became eligible after the first eight games.
BREAKING DOWN THE ROSTER
Baylor's current 2003-2004 roster lists 14 players: six returnees and eight newcomers. Of the eight newcomers (six active), 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), one was added in early January from a prep school (freshman Nino Etienne), one is a Division I transfer who joined in early January and will sit out the season (sophomore Tim Bush), and one walked on in mid January and is redshirting (forward Mark Shepherd). Seven of Baylor's 13 active players are on scholarships (five returnees & two newcomers). [note: Ellis Kidd Jr. was dismissed from the team in December for violation of team policy; senior football letterman Joe Simmons played five games before leaving to focus on football]
THE TEXAS LONGHORNS
No. 11 Texas (16-3, 7-1) is led by sixth-year head coach Rick Barnes, in his 17th year as a collegiate head coach. Barnes owns a career record of 334-187 with stints at George Mason (1987-88), Providence (1988-94) and Clemson (1994-98); he is 132-53 with the Longhorns.
TEXAS NOTES: Texas is 4-0 in true road games this season... Junior G Kenny Taylor played two seasons at Baylor before transferring to UT this season, he is averaging 7.4 points per game... The Longhorns are led by senior G Brandon Mouton, who averages 12.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game... Texas is shooting 38 percent on 3-pointers as a team... The Longhorns lead the Big 12 in scoring (82.0 ppg), rebounding margin (+9.0) and 3-pointers per game (7.37).
THE TEXAS SERIES
This is the 219th meeting between Baylor and Texas with the Longhorns holding a 143-75 advantage in the all-time series. Texas holds a 57-45 edge in games played in Waco. The Longhorns have won 12 straight meetings. Baylor's last victory over Texas came Feb. 21, 1998 when the Bears knocked off UT 80-75 at home. The series, dating back to the 1905-06 season, is the most-played rivalry for both schools.
DREW vs. TEXAS
Baylor head coach Scott Drew is 0-1 vs. Texas (79-57 loss in January).
MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
* Matt Sayman is 4 games played shy of 3rd place (Melvin Hunt 114) on BU's career GP list.
* Matt Sayman is 5 steals shy of 8th place (Julius Denton 110) on BU's career list.
* R.T. Guinn is 3 3-pointers shy of 9th place (Patrick Hunter 97) on BU's career list.
* Matt Sayman is 40 minutes played shy of 8th place (Kelvin Chalmers 2,529) on BU's career MP list.
* Harvey Thomas is 5 blocks shy of qualifying (min. 25) for BU's single-season blocks-per-game Top-10 list (current 1.5 average would rank 8th).
* Tommy Swanson is 3 foul-outs shy of 10th place (4 players at 8) on BU's single-season disqualification list.
* Matt Sayman is 48 assists shy of 6th place (Vinnie Johnson 308) on BU's career list.
BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Tuesday's matchup vs. No. 11 Texas is Baylor's sixth game against a ranked opponent this season (0-5). The Bears are 2-19 over the last three seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost six straight. The last Baylor win over a Top-25 foe was Feb. 15, 2003 at No. 13 Oklahoma State.
THOMAS & THOMAS 1-2 PUNCH
Harvey and Terrance Thomas (no relation) have combined to give Baylor a potent offensive duo. The pair is leading the Bears in scoring and rebounding, Terrance with 16.7 points and 7.2 boards and Harvey with 15.8 and 5.8. The Thomas duo is on pace to become just the second Baylor twosome (joining Terry Black & DeMarcus Minor in 2000-2001) to average better than 15 points per game for a season.
TERRANCE LEADING THE BEARS
Senior F Terrance Thomas leads the Bears in scoring (16.7 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and 3-pointers (42). He also ranks as the third-leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference and is third the league with an average of 2.4 3-pointers. Thomas has five double-doubles this season and was named to the Hawai'i Surf N' Slam all-tournament team in December. Thomas and fellow senior R.T. Guinn sat out three games in January due to academically ineligibility but were granted waivers and reinstated by the NCAA.
SAYMAN IMPRESSIVE IN BIG 12 PLAY
Senior co-captain Matt Sayman has stepped up his play since Big 12 Conference action began. In eight games of league play, Sayman is ranked second in the conference in assists (4.25), sixth in average steals (1.62) and 11th in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.36).
HARVEY DESERVING OF NEWCOMER MENTION
Junior Harvey Thomas is putting together numbers worthy of Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year mention. The transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M missed the first eight games of the season but over the last 13 games has averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks. Thomas has not played enough games to qualify for overall conference rankings, but in league games he ranks 10th in scoring, 14th in rebounds and third in blocks. The former Georgetown player has recorded three double-doubles on the season.
HERRING SIDELINED
Sophomore F Corey Herring has missed the last three games after fracturing his right hand in a shootaround prior to the game in Colorado Jan. 31. He is expected to be out a total of three-to-five weeks. Herring had started seven straight games prior to the injury.
BAYLOR'S IRON MAN
Matt Sayman is the Bears' most veteran player and a co-captain. The fourth-year senior provides leadership and consistent play as Baylor's most experienced player (110 games played). He is averaging 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a team-high 34.5 minutes. Sayman is on pace to break the school's games-played record (currently tied for fourth, six games behind Jamie Kendrick's 116 in 1997-2000) and is currently ninth on the school's career minutes played chart (2,489).
THE LAST MEETING: No. 16 TEXAS 79 - BAYLOR 57 [Jan. 10, 2003]
A short-handed Baylor squad put together another gutsy effort but was defeated 79-57 by No. 16 Texas at the Erwin Center. Playing with just five scholarship players, Baylor kept it close in the first half by using a zone defense that kept Texas from getting the ball to its post players. The Bears also were patient on offense against the Longhorns' half-court trap. Royal Ivey made it a 42-28 Texas lead at halftime with two free throws and a layup off a steal on the inbounds pass with four seconds left. In the second, Texas used a 12-2 run that opened a 54-30 lead with 12:22 left. The Bears never again got the lead under 15. Harvey Thomas scored 19 points for Baylor, which outrebounded Texas 33-32. Former Bear Kenny Taylor finished with five points for the Longhorns.
LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 72 - TEXAS A&M 64
Harvey Thomas scored 20 points and blocked a career-high six shots and Matt Sayman had a career-best 20 points and five assists as Baylor beat Texas A&M 72-64 at the Ferrell Center. Baylor led by as many as 15 before A&M pulled to within 60-56 on Jesse King's 3-pointer with 2:12 left. But A&M then committed its 22nd and 23rd turnovers and Baylor hit 12-of-16 free throws in the final two minutes. The victory was the second in Big 12 play for a Baylor squad that most predicted would winless in league play. Baylor, which has just six players on scholarship, also got 14 points from Carl Marshall. R.T. Guinn's five points were the Bears' only points off the bench. He was 0-for-3 from the field but 5-of-6 from the foul line. Baylor held A&M's leading scorer, Antoine Wright who had been averaging 14 points per game, to only five points. Baylor led 30-26 at halftime but opened the second half on a 13-4 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Marshall. The Bears built a 56-41 lead with a little over six minutes left when A&M began its late run. Baylor has beaten Texas A&M five straight times in Waco. A&M outrebounded Baylor 43-22.
WALK-ON CONTRIBUTIONS
Playing behind a current roster of six active scholarship players, Baylor's five active walk-ons (juniors Robbie McKenzie and Ryan Pryor, sophomore Will Allen and freshmen Nino Etienne and Turner Phipps) have played an important role, and the quintet has quickly become crowd favorites at home in the Ferrell Center. Though they log minutes individually as reserve subs (typically Allen and McKenzie), the unit has been utilized by head coach Scott Drew as an entire five-man substitution team to both rest and energize the regulars. The entire walk-on "team" has appeared in nine games and has logged 21 minutes together on the floor and has been outscored 45-28. [note: five of the walk-ons are new this season, Allen is a second-year sophomore]
NATION'S YOUNGEST COACHING STAFF
Baylor's coaching staff is the youngest among the nation's major college conferences (tallied by average age). The Bears staff averages 34 years of age (head coach Scott Drew [34] and assistants Mathew Driscoll [39], Mark Morefield [27] and Jerome Tang [37]). New Mexico's staff also averages 34 years.
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.
SHEPHERD ADDED TO ROSTER
Baylor added another walk-on to its roster last week, Mark Shepherd, a three-year letterman from St. Michael's Academy in Austin, Texas. The 6-8, 210-pound forward led the Crusaders to a 28-7 record and the 2003 TAPPS 5A state championship as a senior. Shepherd averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks and was named to the TABC All-State Large School second team.
LSU TRANSFER JOINS BEARS
Tim Bush, a freshman F at LSU in 2002-2003, joined the Bears in January and is practicing with the team. The 6-5 forward will be eligible to play after the fall 2004 semester as a sophomore with three years of eligibility. 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. Bush won MVP honors at the 2001 Michael Jordan camp in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was also a top-10 prospect at the 2001 Great American Shootout in Denton, Texas.
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
FERRELL CENTER'S 16th YEAR
The Bears are enjoying their 16th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center. Baylor is 6-7 at home in 2003-2004 and owns a 142-96 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.
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.
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.
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, College Sports TV and the College Channel (Waco Time Warner cable channel 18). KCEN carries the show at 10:30 p.m. Sundays, and it airs at 1 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox Sports Net Southwest. Each show is archived online at BaylorBears.com and BaylorTV.com.
NEXT UP...
Baylor plays its second of three straight games vs. ranked opponents when it travels to Stillwater for a Saturday, Feb. 14, game against No. 13 Oklahoma State. Tipoff at Gallagher-Iba Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live regionally on ESPN Regional syndicates (channel 15 on Waco's Time-Warner Cable).
