BAYLOR (5-0) vs. No. 6/6 WASHINGTON STATE (6-0)
Nov. 30, 2007 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 8:00 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: ESPNU
INTERNET VIDEO: none
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor takes its undefeated record into one of the most anticipated non-conference home games in years when it hosts No. 6 Washington State Friday at the Ferrell Center as part of the inaugural Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. The game pitting the 5-0 Bears and 6-0 Cougars is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. CST and will be televised live nationally on ESPNU. Baylor is coming off an 85-62 win over Centenary at home last Saturday. Washington State most recently defeated Air Force 71-62 Sunday in Spokane, Wash., and owns its highest ranking in school history. Baylor boasts a nine-game winning streak over non-conference foes dating back to last season and hasn't defeated a ranked opponent since 2003.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• BU's 5-0 start is its best since 2001-02 (last 6-0 start: 2000-01 squad began 12-0).
• Baylor has won 9 straight non-conference games (Bears are 67-21 over last 8 seasons in regular-season, non-league play).
• BU's top all-time attendance for a non-league home game is 8,135 (vs. Arizona 1997).
• The Bears are 2-41 in the last 7 seasons vs. ranked teams & have lost 28 straight since 2003 (won 74-72 at No. 13/14 Oklahoma St., 2-15-03).
• Baylor has won four straight home games (2-0 this season) and is 19-5 in it last 24 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06).
• BU is receiving votes in both polls this week (first season to receive votes since `01).
• Aaron Bruce ranks 12th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,113 career points).
• Through 5 games BU is out-shooting its opponents 46.6-36.5%, including a 43.1-28.4% edge in 3-pointers.
• 3 Baylor guards are shooting better than 40% on 3s: Curtis Jerrells (48.3%), LaceDarius Dunn (44.0%) and Aaron Bruce (42.9%).
• 9 BU players average 15 minutes or more & none average more than 30.
• Baylor is 7-3 in its last 10 nationally televised games.
• Aaron Bruce is shooting 87.5% on free throws - 2nd in Big 12 conf.
• 62% (192-309) of Tweety Carter's career points have come from 3-pointers (64).
• Junior C Mamadou Diene is out 6-8 weeks to rehab an ankle injury.
• Baylor won the 2007 Paradise Jam, it's first non-hosted tourney title since 1971.
• Baylor is 20-1 in the Drew Era when scoring 80-plus points.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fifth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 41-69 at the school and a career record of 61-80 (six seasons). Drew's 40 wins rank 10th all-time on Baylor's all-time coaching victories list (in ninth place on the list is Carroll Dawson with 42 career victories). 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 WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Head Coach: Tony Bennett (UW-Green Bay, 1992); 32-8, 2 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: WSU leads 1-0
Last meeting: WSU 65-64, Dec. 30, 1972 in Portland, Ore. (Far West Classic)
Streak: WSU won 1 straight
Series in Waco: never met
Drew vs. WSU: 0-0
Baylor vs. Pac-10: 8-19
WAZZU NOTES: Washington State (6-0) is located in Pullman, Wash., and is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference... The Cougars are ranked sixth in both the AP and coach's polls this week, the highest ranking in school history... Wazzu returned four starters from last season's team that finished with a 26-8 record, a No. 13 national ranking and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament... The Cougars are led by a duo of senior guards, Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver, who played for Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Games last summer and each of whom is a Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award candidate... Weaver is also a preseason All-American candidate and a Cousy Award candidate... Low leads the team with 15.5 points per game.

BEST START SINCE...
Baylor's 5-0 record is its best start under Scott Drew and the school's best start since 2001-02. That season the Bears began 12-0 before losing its first game Jan. 9, in its second Big 12 Conference game.

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Friday's matchup vs. No. 6 Washington State is Baylor's first game against a ranked opponent this season. The Bears are 2-41 over the last seven seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 28 straight since knocking off No. 13/14 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003.

EARLY TEST FOR BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT
Baylor's five-man backcourt, though starting to receive recognition in the Big 12 region, isn't nearly as well known on the national scene as the veteran guards from Washington State. The Cougars heralded trio of starting guards, seniors Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver and junior Taylor Rochestie, are the team's three top scorers and combine to average 40.0 points per game and shoot 50 percent from 3-point range.

BIG 12/PAC-10 HARDWOOD SERIES
Baylor is hosting No. 6 Washington State as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, a four-year package matching Big 12 and Pac-10 schools. The series began this season and consists of 12 annual games. The 2008 series, with return games of the 2007 match-ups, is slated for Dec. 4-7.

BEARS CONTINUE MASSIVE REBUILDING PROCESS
The 2007-08 season is head coach Scott Drew's fifth at Baylor as he continues the unprecedented overhaul he began in 2003. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew has recruited a solid foundation of high school players that have earned valuable playing experience and showed steady progress. This year's squad is 5-0 and last season's youthful Bears posted 15 wins (the highest win total at Baylor in six seasons), including the program's first Big 12 Championship victory since 2001.

BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT: "IN GUARDS WE TRUST"
Baylor's strength in 2007-08 once again lies in its talented backcourt. The Bears utilize a rotation of five guards that each average 21-plus minutes per game. The quintet is made up of four returnees; senior Aaron Bruce (10.6 ppg, 24.0 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (14.0 ppg, 30.0 mpg) and Henry Dugat (8.4 ppg, 21.8 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (8.0 ppg, 21.8 mpg); and heralded true freshman LaceDarius Dunn (12.4 ppg, 22.4 mpg). The fivesome combine to average 53.4 points and 19.0 rebounds per game and shoot 43.0 percent on 3-pointers.

"OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES"
Baylor is receiving votes in both polls this week, five votes in the Associated Press poll (45th) and two votes in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll (tied for 47th). The Bears have received votes in three of the four weeks of polls this season, but haven't been ranked since February 1969 (No. 19 ranking in the AP top 20 poll).

TOP NON-CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE GAMES ALL-TIME
Friday's game vs. Pac-10 member and sixth-ranked Washington State is expected to be a good draw at the Ferrell Center turnstile. Baylor's top all-time attendance draw for a non-conference opponent at home was set in 1997, when 8,135 came out to see the Bears take on the fourth/sixth ranked Arizona Wildcats, who were the defending national champions.

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor has won four straight home games (dating to last season) and is 19-5 in its last 24 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06). The Bears are 2-0 at home this season.

DRAMATIC DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
After five games played, one early indicator of Baylor's success this season over years past appears to be marked defensive improvements. A statistical look at opponent's shooting percentages and scoring figures indicate that the Bears have dramatically improved their defense. Baylor is holding opponents to a 36.5 shooting percentage from the field [third in Big 12], a 28.4 shooting percentage from the 3-point arc [third in Big 12] and to 62.2 points per game. Both shooting percentages are lower than the school records (field goal percentage researchable through 1958-59) and the points allowed is the lowest since 1985-86 (61.2).

BEARS ON NATIONAL TV
Friday's game vs. Washington State on ESPNU is Baylor's third national telecast of the season (2-0) and its first-ever appearance on the cable network. Baylor is 7-3 in its last 10 nationally televised games (dating to 1998).

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
Baylor has won nine straight regular-season, non-league games (dating to last season; 5-0 this season) and boasts a 67-21 record over the last eight seasons in non-conference play.

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
• Scott Drew is 1 coaching win shy of moving into 9th place (41, Carroll Dawson No. 9 with 42) on Baylor's career coaching victories list.
• Aaron Bruce is 7 points shy of moving into 11th place, 10 shy of 10th place, 11 shy of 9th place & 18 shy of 8th place (1,113, Larry Gatewood No. 11 with 1,120, Willie Sublett No. 10 with 1,223, David Wesley No. 9 with 1,224 & Vinnie Johnson No. 8 with 1,231) on Baylor's career scoring list.

DUNN BIG 12 ROOKIE OF WEEK
Baylor freshman LaceDarius Dunn was named Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week after leading the Bears to two victories last week, including the championship of the Paradise Jam. Dunn set career-highs for points with 17 in each game, shooting a combined 13-of-20 (.650) from the floor. He also shot 50.0 percent (5-of-10) on 3-pointers. Dunn averaged 5.5 rebounds, posting his numbers in just 23.0 minutes per game off the bench. The rookie of the week honor is the 11th such award for a Baylor player, and the first since Tweety Carter was honored as a freshman in December 2006.

JERRELLS POWERS BEARS WITH HOT HAND
Curtis Jerrells is leading the Bears in scoring (14.0 ppg, 13th in Big 12), assists (3.6 apg, eighth in Big 12) and minutes (31.3 mpg) for the third straight season. Jerrells also leads the team in rebounds per game (6.2, 12th in Big 12) and 3-point shooting (48.3%, fourth in Big 12). The junior guard has started all 53 career games since arriving at Baylor, was named Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 19 and recently took home tournament MVP honors after leading Baylor to the championship of the 2007 Paradise Jam. Jerrells boasts a 16-game 3-point field goal streak (dating back to last season). Jerrells is a preseason Cousy Award candidate and projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's.

VETERAN LEADER BRUCE CLIMBING BAYLOR SCORING LIST
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 10.6 points through five games and continues his climb up the school's career scoring list. Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with 79 career games played, currently stands 12th all-time with 1,113 career points. He is currently shooting 87.5 percent (14-16) from the line, second in the Big 12 Conference. The guard was selected a preseason All-Rolls Royce (All-American) fourth team selection by ESPN.com's Dick Vitale and was named the Big 12's "Best Leader" by the Sporting News preseason publication prior to his final season in Waco. Bruce's 40.0 career 3-point percentage ranks third in school history and his 82.1 career free throw percentage ranks fifth all-time.

MR. ROGERS TRYING TO BUILD ON BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE SEASON
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 9.2 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds through five games this season. He recorded a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double in the season-opening victory over Jackson State. He leads the team with five blocks. During his breakout sophomore season in 2006-07, Rogers doubled his scoring average and recorded five double-doubles.

HERALDED FRESHMAN DUNN MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT
True freshman G LaceDarius Dunn of Monroe, La., is second on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and third in rebounds (5.4 rpg) five games into his collegiate career. Dunn is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory (rated the nation's No. 24 recruit by Scout.com). He was named the "Best Perimeter Scorer" among incoming Big 12 newcomers by Rivals.com. He was a three-time all-state player and two-time class MVP in Louisiana who led Excelsior Christian School to a 118-9 record and one state championship over his final three prep seasons. Dunn was rated the nation's No. 6 shooting guard prospect by Scout.com and the nation's No. 8 wing guard by Hoopmasters.com.

PARADISE JAM CHAMPS
Baylor earned the 2007 Paradise Jam championship with an impressive three-game run Nov. 16-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bears defeated Wichita State (64-55), Notre Dame (68-64) and Winthrop (62-54) to earn the title at the eighth annual tournament. Baylor overcame second-half deficits in both the semis (down 10 to N.D) and the final (down six to Winthrop) to earn the title. Curtis Jerrells was named the tournament MVP after leading the Bears with 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and Aaron Bruce also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. The title marked Baylor's first in-season tournament championship (excluding the Baylor-hosted Dr Pepper Invitational) since winning the 1971 Holiday Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. (last eight-team tournament title was the 1968 East Carolina Classic in Greenville, N.C.).

`THE MAYOR' REHABBING ANKLE
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot junior from Senegal, underwent a procedure Oct. 25, to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle and was projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Diene has started all 43 games played in his two-year career and has recorded 22 multi-block games. He averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26 games last season as a sophomore (missed a total of five games due to injury). Diene is the Big 12's active leader in career blocks with 79. Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman, averaging 2.21 in 2005-06, and his 1.88 career figure is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Phoenix Suns Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene is referred to as "The Mayor" due to his huge popularity across campus.

LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 85 - CENTENARY 62
Freshman LaceDarius Dunn tied a career high with 17 points to lead Baylor to an 85-62 win over Centenary at the Ferrell Center. With the win the Bears improve to 5-0 overall, its best start since the 2001-02 season. Junior Henry Dugat tied Dunn with a game-high 17 points while adding four rebounds. Centenary took a 2-0 lead early in the first, but that was the last advantage the Gents would have as Baylor scored seven unanswered points and never looked back. Aaron Bruce led the way for the Bears with 10 first half points to give Baylor a 44-30 first half lead. The Bears tied a season high with 12 3-point baskets and shot 43 percent (12-of-28) from behind the arc. Baylor grabbed a season high 46 boards as the Bears out-rebounded the Gents 46-34.

JERRELLS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior G Curtis Jerrells was selected the Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 19. The award was the first earned by a Baylor player since Lawrence Roberts was so honored in 2003, and the eighth P.O.W. honor by a Bear all-time. Jerrells was honored after leading Baylor to wins over Wichita State and Notre Dame at the Paradise Jam tournament. He averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two victories and shot 54 percent from the 3-point line and 92 percent from the free throw line. He led Baylor with 17 points in the win over Notre Dame, and his 3-pointer with 3:15 in the game gave the Bears their first lead of the night.

FERRELL CENTER'S 20th YEAR
The Bears are in their 20th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 2-0 at home in 2007-08 and owns a 169-118 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.

MOST EXPERIENCED BEAR SQUAD IN YEARS
For the first time in years, Baylor took the court in 2007-08 with a predominantly upperclassman, experienced team. After several seasons of young, inexperienced teams, the Bears returned nine lettermen, including seven lettermen with multiple letters. The roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Veteran Aaron Bruce is the just the fourth four-year senior to play at BU in the last eight seasons. Baylor's '07-08 returnees entered the season with a combined 246 career starts under their collective belts, the highest such number at the school in over a decade.

BEARS RETURN HIGH PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Baylor in 2007-08 returned all five starters, nine of 12 roster players and nearly all of its statistical production. The Bears return 90.6 percent of last season's points, 86.9 percent of rebounds and 94.5 percent of assists.

EARLY 2009 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, Anthony Jones of Houston (Texas) Yates High School and Russian Artem Valov of Three Rivers Community College. Jones, a senior at Yates, is rated 46th nationally by Rivals.com and is a consensus top-70 recruit. He is rated No. 51 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 62 by Scout.com. Jones averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds last season as a junior for a Yates squad that finished 25-8 in 2006-07. A 6-10 forward, Jones is rated No. 8 among the nation's forwards by Rivals.com and ranked as the fourth-best recruit in the state by TexasHoops.com. Valov is a junior college sophomore who was recently named a preseason NJCAA first-team All-American. He is rated the No. 12 junior college recruit nationally by Rivals.com's JucoJunction.com. The 6-10 forward helped lead Three Rivers to a 26-11 record and into the second round of the NJCAA tournament. Valov was named to the 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament team. Valov finished his freshman season with averages of 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just three lettermen from its 2006-07 roster: three-year forwards Tim Bush (6.3 ppg) and Patrick Fields (3.0 ppg) and one-year forward Jari Vanttaja (0.9 ppg).

NEXT UP...
Baylor hosts Mississippi Valley State in a non-conference game Monday, Dec. 3, at the Ferrell Center. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m. CST.