BAYLOR (11-7, 1-4) vs. No. 8 KANSAS (16-3, 3-1)
Jan. 24, 2007 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 7:00 p.m. CST
PDF of complete Game Notes & Stats

RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / Sirius Satellite ch. 161)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: FSN Southwest Texas TV listings
INTERNET VIDEO: live video stream at BaylorBears.com
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor will attempt to snap a two-game losing skid Wednesday, Jan. 24 when it hosts No. 8 Kansas at the Ferrell Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live regionally in Texas (FSN Southwest) and Kansas (ESPN Regional). Baylor is 11-7 (1-4 Big 12) and coming off back-to-back road losses at Kansas State (69-60 Wednesday) and at Oklahoma (91-51 Saturday). The young Bears, with nine freshmen and sophomores, are playing a full schedule and have a full allotment of scholarships for the first time in four seasons. Kansas is 16-3 (3-1) and had a 10-game winning streak snapped Saturday with a 69-64 loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock. The Bears are 10-2 at home this season, the Jayhawks are 2-2 in true road games this season.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• Baylor's 11 wins is the most in a season in Scott Drew's four seasons at the helm.
• BU has won 5 of its last 7 Big 12 home games dating to last season.
• Baylor is 14-3 in last 17 home games (dating to last season), 10-2 in 2006-07.
• BU has lost 25 straight games vs. ranked teams since a win over #13 OSU in 2003.
• Baylor trails 11-1 in its all-time series with Kansas and 1-4 in games played in Waco (lone win an 85-77 victory in 2001).
• Kevin Rogers' 56.3% field goal shooting ranks 5th in Big 12 & 46th nationally.
• Henry Dugat is averaging 7.4 points in Big 12 games (12.5 ppg in non-conf. gms)
• Tweety Carter leads Big 12 freshmen in 3-pointers made (37) & 3-point percentage (36.3%) and is 2nd in assists-per-game (2.6).
• Curtis Jerrells is averaging a team-high 12.8 points in Big 12 Conference games.
• Baylor is 9-0 this season when leading at the half.
• Sophomore Kevin Rogers has more than doubled his scoring output from last season - 12.4 ppg up from 6.1 ppg - the 8th biggest increase among Big 12 players.
• BU's quartet of sophomore starters (Diene, Dugat, Jerrells & Rogers; last season's "Freshman Four") accounts for 53% of Baylor's scoring and 59% of its rebounds.
• Kevin Rogers has 6 pts (3.0 ppg) & 8 reb. (4.5 rpg) the last 2 games - both losses.
• Due to ankle & knee injuries Mamadou Diene has just 5 blocks over the last 9 games (23 blocks in first 8 games). Diene ranks 4th in Big 12 with 1.9 avg blocks.
• Tim Bush is shooting 12.5% (2-16) 3-pointers the last 11 gms (10-17 first 7 gms).
• Tweety Carter is 6-for-28 (21.4%) on 3-pointers the last 4 gms (42% first 14 gms).
• Baylor is undefeated (15-0) in the Drew Era when scoring 80-plus points.
• Underclassmen have led BU in scoring in 54 of its last 63 games (dating to 2004-05) [in 31 of last 63 a freshman has been top scorer].

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fourth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 32-60 at the school and a career record of 52-71 (five seasons). Prior to Baylor, Drew spent 10 seasons at Valparaiso, the last as head coach after nine seasons as an assistant to his father Homer. During his decade at Valpo, the Crusaders earned six NCAA Tournament berths, including five straight from 1996-2000. An outstanding recruiter, Drew is responsible for five national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last eight years (No. 17 in 2006, No. 11 in 2005 and No. 10 in 2004 at Baylor; No. 6 in 2001 and No. 13 in 1999 at Valpo). He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision.

THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Head Coach: Bill Self (Oklahoma State, 1985); 295-132, 14 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: KU leads 11-1
Last meeting: KU 76-61, Feb. 21, 2006 at Lawrence
Streak: KU won 5 straight
Series in Waco: KU leads 4-1
Drew vs. KU: 0-3

KU NOTES: Kansas is ranked eighth nationally in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls... The Jayhawks returned all five starters from last season's 25-8 squad that tied for the Big 12 Conference regular-season title and won the Big 12 Conference Championship... KU is 2-2 in true road games this season and 5-2 away from Lawrence... In two conference road games the Jayhawks have one overtime win (at ISU, 68-64) and one loss (at Tech, 69-64)... Kansas is led by sophomore G Brandon Rush, who averages 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds... Freshman F Darrell Arthur was a prep teammate of Baylor sophomore F Kevin Rogers at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, where the two teamed up to win the 2005 Texas 4A state championship... Kansas leads the Big 12 in blocks, averaging 7.3 per game - Arthur leads conference individuals with 1.95 bpg average.

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Wednesday's matchup vs. No. 8 Kanas is Baylor's fourth game against a ranked opponent this season (0-3). The Bears are 2-38 over the last six seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 25 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003.

BRUINS BOAST TALENTED BACKCOURT
Baylor's strength in 2006-07 lies in its talented pool of guards, including its trio of starters, Curtis Jerrells (12.2 ppg, 31.2 mpg), Aaron Bruce (11.4 ppg, 29.6 mpg) and Henry Dugat (11.1 ppg, 27.3 mpg); and reserve Tweety Carter (9.5 ppg, 23.3 minutes off the bench). The four guards combine to score an average of 44.2 points a game. Bruce (2005) and Jerrells (2006) are former Freshmen All-Americans and true freshman Carter is the school's first-ever McDonald's All-American. Baylor's backcourt was listed among the nation's top 14 backcourts in The Sporting News preseason publication.

BEST START SINCE...
Baylor's 11-7 record marks its best start in five seasons since the 2001-02 squad that began 12-6 ('01-02 team lost 19th game to start 12-7).

80th ANNIVERSARY OF "THE IMMORTAL TEN"
Baylor will hold a moment of silence prior to Wednesday's game vs. Kansas in honor of the 80th anniversary of "The Immortal Ten." On Jan. 22, 1927, in Round Rock, Texas, a tragedy occured that shook the Baylor family and the intercollegiate sports community. A bus carrying the Bears basketball team and travel party to a scheduled game vs. Texas in Austin was struck by a train, killing 10 of the 21 passengers on the bus. Each year at Homecoming, Baylor University freshmen participate in a candlelight ceremony honoring The Immortal Ten. A soon-to-be completed permanent memorial is schedule to be erected on Baylor's campus. Credited with heroism during the accident was James Clyde "Abe" Kelly, who saw the incoming train and pushed roomate Weir Washman out of the bus window before impact. Kelly saved his friend's life at the cost of his own. The remaining nine victims were: Jack Castellaw, Sam Dillow, Merle Dudley, L.R. "Ivey" Foster, Bob Hailey, R.L. Hannah, W.E. Murray, James Walker and William Winchester. Head Coach Ralph Wolf and eight others were injured in the wreck. Washman and one other were unhurt. As a result of the tragedy, the remainder of the 1927 basketball season was canceled, and the first highway overpass in Texas was constructed in Round Rock.

FULL ROSTER, FULL SCHEDULE
For the first time in four seasons since head coach Scott Drew was hired, Baylor has both a full allotment of scholarships available and a complete schedule to play. In each of the first three seasons the Bears played through handicaps: all three years the program was playing with scholarship limits; last season, the Bears were stripped of playing a non-conference schedule (all results of sanctions brought on by the previous coaching staff). In 2006-07 Baylor has 13 scholarships available and is playing a full schedule.

MOST WINS IN DREW ERA
This season's 11 wins represent the most for a Baylor (11-7) squad in four seasons under head coach Scott Drew. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew led the Bears to records of 8-21 (2003-04), 9-19 (2004-05) and 4-13 (2005-06). The 2002-03 Baylor squad finished 14-14 prior to Drew's arrival.

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The rebuilding Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 14-3 in its last 17 games in Waco (dating back to last season) and the Bears have won five of their last seven home games vs. Big 12 teams.

MORE TEAM BALANCE (SCORING/MINUTES PLAYED)
A byproduct of Baylor's increased depth and talent is a more balanced team, evidenced by balanced scoring and fewer minutes played. Four Bears average double-digits in scoring, and five average between 9.5 and 12.4 points. Only one Baylor player averages more than 30 minutes played per game: sophomore G Curtis Jerrells, 31.2 mpg.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR LAST SEASON'S "FRESHMAN FOUR"
Baylor is powered by its nucleus of youth, namely a quartet of sophomore starters which as rookies in 2005-06 was nicknamed the "Freshman Four": Mamadou Diene, Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers. As freshmen the quartet combined to account for nearly half of the team's points, rebounds and assists. This season the sophomores have increased that production (percentages below).

DIENE, DUGAT, JERRELLS & ROGERS% of Team's:        Pts     Reb.        Asst.Freshmen in 2005-06 46% (496/1,074) 51% (252/493)   49% (92/186)Sophomores in 2006-07   53% (723/1,365) 59% (355/603)   49% (132/270)

MR. ROGERS UPS PRODUCTION
Bears' leading scorer and rebounder Kevin Rogers ranks among the Big 12 leaders in several statistical categories. The sophomore forward leads Baylor in scoring (12.4 ppg, 17th in Big 12) and rebounding (6.8 rpg, 9th in Big 12) and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in shooting (56.3% FGs) and 13th in blocks (1.11 bpg). As a frosh in 2005-06, Rogers averaged 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench.

VETERAN BRUCE LEADING THE BEARS
Third-year guard Aaron Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with only 63 career games played, is averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 assists [eighth in Big 12]. His 1.73 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks ninth in the Big 12. Bruce's 82.5 career free throw percentage ranks fifth in school history and his 38.9 career 3-point percentage ranks fifth all-time. Bruce is 63 points shy of becoming the 19th player in Baylor history to score 1,000 career points. The junior, rated the nation's 11th-best point guard by The Sporting News preseason publication, spent the offseason playing for the Australian national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. Bruce averaged 13.1 points during an injury-riddled sophomore campaign last season and averaged 18.2 points in 2004-05 when he led the nation's freshmen in scoring and was named a freshman All-American.

JERRELLS BUILDING ON STELLAR FRESHMAN SEASON
Curtis Jerrells, who is averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 assists [eighth in Big 12] in a team-high 31.2 minutes, is coming off a rookie season in which he led the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), assists (3.3 apg), steals (1.4 spg) and minutes (33.4 mpg) and was named a Freshman All-American. Jerrells is projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by Lindy's, USA TODAY and ESPN.com. He has also been named the Big 12's "Most Underrated Player" by both Athlon and The Sporting News preseason publications.

CARTER AMONG BIG 12 FRESHMEN LEADERS
Despite playing just 23.3 minutes per game off the bench, true freshman G Tweety Carter leads all Big 12 freshmen in 3-pointers and is second in assists. Carter's 37 3-pointers and 36.3 3-point shooting percentage top all freshmen, and his 2.6 assists-per-game is second. Carter, Baylor's first-ever McDonalds All-America signee, is averaging 9.5 points per game. He was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Dec. 18 after scoring 31 points in a loss at No. 23 Syracuse (Carter hit seven 3-pointers off the bench). Carter scored a U.S. high school record 7,457 points at Reserve (La.) Christian School.

DUGAT'S NUMBERS UP
Henry Dugat has improved his statistical output in his sophomore season. Through 18 games (his first 18 career starts), the guard is fourth on the team with 11.1 points per game and shooting 39 percent on 3-pointers (scoring average 7.4 ppg in Big 12 Conference games0. As a freshman in 2005-06, Dugat averaged 7.2 points and 24.3 minutes per game off the bench.

MAYOR DIENE SLOWED BY INJURY
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot sophomore from Senegal, is averaging 5.5 points, 5.5 rebounds [19th in Big 12] and 1.9 blocks [4th Big 12] despite playing through ankle and knee injuries the last nine games. Diene has totaled five blocks in his last seven games played (averaged 2.9 through first eight games before injuries). Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman, averaging 2.21 in 2005-06 and his 2.06 career figure is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Milwaukee Buck Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene has recorded 19 multi-block games. The 19-year-old Diene, referred to as "The Mayor" by the Baylor coaching staff due to his huge popularity across campus, has gained more than 55 pounds since his arrival in the United States in Jan. 2005 weighing 197 pounds.

ROGERS AMONG BIG 12's MOST IMPROVED SCORERS
Sophomore Kevin Rogers has doubled his scoring output from his freshman season in 2005-06. Rogers' 12.4 scoring average is 6.3 points higher than last season's 6.1 and currently ranks eighth among the Big 12's most improved scorers from last season.

THE LAST MEETING: No. 16 KANSAS 76 - BAYLOR 61 [Feb. 21, 2006]
Impressive second-half shooting by the Bears didn't alter the outcome of Baylor's 76-61 loss at No. 16 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears, playing a ranked team on the road for the third time in four games, hit 9-of-14 3-pointers in the second half to avoid a blowout. Baylor shot 40 percent against a Kansas team that came in leading the nation with a 36.1-percent field-goal defense. After hitting their first three shots, the Bears missed 14-of-16 and Kansas went on a 10-0 run that opened a 31-13 lead with 5:42 left in the first half. But then Tommy Swanson hit a 3-pointer and the Bears went on a 10-0 run of their own to pull within 31-23 with 2:49 to go. Kevin Rogers' basket sent the Bears into the break trailing only 33-25. But Julian Wright hit a 15-foot jumper and dunked a pass from Mario Chalmers to help Kansas quickly regain all the momentum. Freshman Curtis Jerrells had 17 points for Baylor while Aaron Bruce and Swanson each had 13. The Jayhawks shot 52 percent and had 32 points in the paint. Kansas was without senior reserve guard Jeff Hawkins, who was suspended for the game following his citation on Sunday morning for leaving the scene of a minor traffic accident. Baylor lost its 22nd straight against a ranked opponent, and 30 of the last 33 away from home.

LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA 91 - BAYLOR 51
An early lead disappeared quickly and Baylor was soundly defeated 91-51 by Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center. OU capped a 17-8 run with a Bobby Maze layup to take its first lead with 10:25 left in the first half. A Curtis Jerrells layup gave Baylor a brief lead before two foul shots by Nate Carter put the Sooners up for good at 21-20 at the nine minute mark. Oklahoma outscored the Bears 70-31 the rest of the way. Baylor started quickly behind the play of Aaron Bruce, who scored 10 of his 12 points during the opening seven minutes. The Bears led 10-2 three minutes into the game before Oklahoma began methodically chipping away behind Carter's inside play and an attacking man-to-man defense. Oklahoma shot 57 percent in the first half and led 45-27 at the break. Oklahoma's Michael Neal squelched any comeback hopes the Bears still harbored when he buried consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half. The Sooners shot 57.6 percent from the field and outrebounded the Bears 42-30.

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
• Aaron Bruce ranks 5th on Baylor's career free throw percentage list (.822).
• Aaron Bruce ranks 5th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.389).
• Henry Dugat ranks 6th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.380).
• Pat Fields ranks 8th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.372).
• Mamadou Diene ranks 2nd on Baylor's career blocks-per-game list (2.06).
• Aaron Bruce ranks 8th on Baylor's career assists-per-game list (3.63).
• Mamadou Diene is 2 blocks shy of moving into 7th place (66 blocks, Lawrence Roberts No. 7 with 68) on Baylor's career blocks list.
• Aaron Bruce is 5 assists shy of entering Baylor's career top 10 assists list (229, Roddrick Miller No. 10 with 234).
• Aaron Bruce is 27 points scored shy of entering Baylor's career top 20 scorers list (937, Alex Holcombe No. 20 with 964).
• Aaron Bruce is 63 points shy joining Baylor's 1,000-point scorers club (937 points, would be 19th member).

INJURIES: DIENE PROBABLE, THIAM OUT
Through 18 games five different Baylor players have missed a total of 34 games for medical reasons. Currently nursing injury is sophomore C Mamadou Diene, who is battling a knee (tendonitis) injury and is probable to play Wednesday. Freshman F Djibril "Penny" Thiam sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a win over Texas Southern Nov. 20 and is out for the season.

BEARS STILL YOUNG
Despite returning 11 of last season's 13 players, the Bears are still a relatively young squad in 2006-07. Baylor's roster includes just two seniors and three juniors compared to nine freshmen and sophomores. Junior Aaron Bruce is the team's leader in career games played with 63. [Note: Underclassmen have led Baylor in scoring in 54 of its last 63 games (over the last three seasons); in 31 of those 63 a freshman has been top scorer.]

FERRELL CENTER'S 19th YEAR
The Bears are in their 19th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 10-2 at home in 2006-07 and owns a 164-115 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.

BEARS RETURN PRODUCTION NUMBERS
In 2006-07 Baylor returns four-of-five starters, 11-of-13s roster players and a great majority of its production, statistically speaking. The Bears return 87.6 percent of last season's points, 84.7 percent of rebounds and 93.5 percent of assists.

BEARS TO FACE WAZZOU IN BIG 12/PAC-10 SERIES
Baylor will host Washington State on Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, as apart of a a four-year deal announced by the Big 12 and Pacific-10 Conferences. The agreement between the conferences provides a series of 12 annual games, beginning in the 2007-08 season. The series will continue in 2008, with return games of the 2007 match-ups games slated for Dec. 4-7. The games in the series in 2009 will be played Dec. 3-6, 2009, while matchups in 2010 will be played Dec. 2-5, 2010.

FRESHMAN CLASS RATED 17th NATIONALLY
Baylor's 2006 signee class was rated the nation's 17th-best class by Rivals.com and is made up of a trio of freshman, all top-100 national recruits. The signees include Demond "Tweety" Carter of Reserve Christian School (Reserve, La.), Josh Lomers of Boerne (Texas) High School and Djibril "Penny" Thiam of Stoneridge Prep (Tarzana, Calif.).

INTERNATIONAL ROSTER
Baylor's 14-man, 2006-07 roster boasts 10 Americans and four players from overseas. The four international student-athletes include junior Aaron Bruce (native of Australia), sophomore Mamadou Diene (native of Senegal), redshirt freshman Jari Vanttaja (native of Finland) and true freshman Djibril "Penny" Thiam (native of Senegal).

EARLY 2007 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, LaceDarius Dunn of Monroe, La., and Fred Ellis of Sacramento, Calif. Dunn, a senior at Excelsior Christian School, is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory. Dunn is rated the No. 18 recruit nationally by Scout.com's Dave Telep. Other national ratings include: No. 27 by Hoopmasters.com, No. 29 by HoopScoop.com and No. 33 by Rivals.com. A 6-4 shooting guard, Dunn was rated the No. 5 player at the 2006 Adidas Superstar Camp in Atlanta by USA TODAY. He is rated the nation's fifth-best shooting guard by Scout.com and the No. 7 shooting guard by Rivals.com. Dunn is a two-time, first-team all-state honoree who guided ECS to a 35-4 record as a junior in 2005-06, averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Dunn led Excelsior Christian to the Class C state title and a 47-2 record as a sophomore in 2004-05. Ellis is a senior at Sacramento High School in Sacramento, Calif. He was called the "biggest sleeper" recruit of the summer by Telep at Scout.com. A 6-7 wing, Ellis led SHS to a 29-6 overall record and an 11-1 conference mark as a junior in 2005-06. Sacramento lost in the SJS-Div. III championship game. Ellis averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. Ellis was invited to the Super 100 Basketball Camp in Berkeley last summer.

BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEES:Name        Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)LaceDarius Dunn G   6-4 190 Fr. Monroe, La. (Excelsior Christian School)Fred Ellis  F   6-7 190 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento HS)

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just two lettermen from it's 2005-06 roster: four-year forward Tommy Swanson (6.6 ppg) and two-year transfer guard Kevis Shipman (2.1 ppg).

NEXT UP...
Baylor travels south on I-35 to Austin to face Texas Saturday, Jan. 27. The game is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. at the Frank Irwin Center and will be televised live nationally on ESPN2.