No. 25 BAYLOR (16-2, 4-0) vs. OKLAHOMA (13-5, 1-2)
Jan. 26, 2008 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 3:00 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: ESPN Plus (KWTX & The CW in Waco/Temple) [complete TV listings]
INTERNET VIDEO: none
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor, fresh off its biggest victory in years, turns its attention quickly to a Saturday, Jan. 26, home matchup against Oklahoma at the Ferrell Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. CST and will be televised live regionally via ESPN Plus syndicated stations (KWTX & The CW in Waco/Temple). The 25th-ranked Bears are 16-2 and a perfect 4-0 and tied for first place in the Big 12 standings. Baylor has won five straight games, most recently an epic 116-110 five-overtime marathon victory over No 18/16 Texas A&M last Wednesday in College Station. Oklahoma is 13-5, 1-2 and coming off a 63-61 home win over Texas Tech Wednesday. Baylor has dropped 26 consecutive games in the series vs. Oklahoma, including 14 straight in Waco. The Bears are 9-1 at home this season; the Sooners are 2-2 in true road games. Baylor is ranked for just the fourth week in the school's history.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• Baylor is ranked 25th in the AP Poll this week (first national ranking since 1969).
• BU has lost 26 straight games to OU dating to a 75-69 win in Norman Dec. 6, 1977.
• Baylor's 16-2 start is its best since the Bears began 24-2 in 1945-46 (SWC champs).
• Baylor has won 4 straight Big 12 home games.
• Baylor has won 5 straight games - its 3rd 5-game winning streak of the season.
• 4-0 is Baylor's best start in Big 12 play since opening 5-0 in 1997-98.
• BU's 16 wins surpasses last season's win total & marks the most wins in Drew Era; also most wins since winning 19 in 2000-01 (last postseason berth; NIT).
• 5 Baylor players average double-figures in scoring.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 (17th nationally) with 9.0 3-pointers per game.
• Baylor's 73.5 free throw % leads the Big 12.
• BU's 39.3 3FG% ranks third in Big 12, 11th nationally & is on pace to break the school record (38.5% '86-87).
• Baylor is 1 of 7 schools with both its men's & women's teams ranked nationally (33-3 combined record).
• BU is 14-0 this season when totaling a higher FG% than its opponents and 2-2 when not. In the Drew Era, BU is 46-7 when outshooting its opponents and 6-64 when not.
• Baylor is 6-0 this season when trailing at the half.
• Baylor has used the same starting lineup in all 18 games this season.
• 10 current BU players average between 10.8 minutes & 30.5 minutes.
• Baylor's 12 pre-conference wins mark the most in school history.
• Henry Dugat ranks 11th in scoring (17.0 ppg), 3rd in steals (2.0 spg) & 1st in 3-point shooting percentage (55.6%) in Big 12 games.
• LaceDarius Dunn is shooting 45.1% on 3-pointers (2nd in Big 12, 11th nationally).
• Henry Dugat is averaging 16.5 ppg, 2.0 spg & hitting 47% on 3s the last 8 games.
• Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 with a 3.0 blocks average in conference games.
• Aaron Bruce ranks 7th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,263 career points).
• Mamadou Diene is the Big 12's active leader in career blocks in league games (59).
• Baylor won the 2007 Paradise Jam, its first non-hosted tourney title since 1971.

BAYLOR'S EPIC WIN OVER TEXAS A&M IN 5OT MARATHON
No. 25 Baylor and No. 18/16 Texas A&M played an instant classic last Wednesday in College Station, when the longtime rivals went toe-to-toe for more than three-and-a-half hours before Baylor prevailed 116-110 in a five-overtime marathon. The epic game (the longest in the history of the Big 12 Conference) set numerous conference, school and individual records [see pages 10 & 11 for listing of notes & records]. The game's sensational drama quickly garnered media attention nationwide and helped turn the national spotlight on Baylor's colossal turnaround being directed by head coach Scott Drew.

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 52-71 at the school and a career record of 72-82 (six seasons). Drew's 52 wins rank eighth on Baylor's all-time coaching victories list (in seventh place on the list is Harry Miller with 56 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 OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Head Coach: Jeff Capel (Duke, 1997); 108-61, 6 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: OU leads 31-5
Last meeting: OU 68-64, Feb. 10, 2007 in Waco
Streak: OU won 26 straight
Series at Waco: OU leads 14-2
Drew vs. OU: 0-8
OU NOTES: The Sooners have beaten Baylor in 26 consecutive games dating back to 1977 (including 14 straight in Waco)... Oklahoma is 4-3 away from home this season and 2-2 in true road games... OU is without its leading scorer (14.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.6 rpg), freshman sensation Blake Griffin, sidelined with a sprained knee... Senior C Longar Longar averages 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds... The Sooners are holding opponents to a 31.1 3-point shooting percentage (second-lowest in Big 12).

BAYLOR RANKED FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1969
For the first time in 39 years Baylor is ranked in the Associated Press Poll, earning a No. 25 ranking in the Top 25 poll released last Monday. This marks Baylor's first national ranking since Feb. 11, 1969, when the Bears were ranked 19th in the then-Top 20 poll. Baylor is also receiving votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll (11 votes; 32nd). The Bears have received votes in the polls in eight of 12 weeks this season.

BEST STARTS SINCE...
OVERALL: Baylor's 16-2 record is its best start under head coach Scott Drew and is the school's best start since Bill Henderson's 1945-46 squad started 24-2 and won the Southwest Conference championship (finished 25-5).
BIG 12: Baylor's 4-0 start in Big 12 play is its best start in league play since opening the 1997-98 season with a 5-0 record in the conference's second season ('97-98 squad finished 8-8 in conference, BU's top record in Big 12 play).

BEARS CONTINUE MASSIVE REBUILDING PROCESS
The 2007-08 season is head coach Scott Drew's fifth in the unprecedented overhaul that began at Baylor in 2003. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew has slowly and methodically turned the program around by recruiting a solid foundation of talented high school players that, after earning valuable playing experience, are posting impressive results. After fighting their way to a 15-16 record last season (the first in the Drew Era without restrictions), the Bears have exploded to a 16-2 record this season, including a 4-0 mark and first place tie in the Big 12 Conference.

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 26-7 in its last 33 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06). The Bears are 9-1 at the Ferrell Center this season.

SURPASSING LAST SEASON'S WIN TOTAL
The Bears' 16 wins in 2007-08 are the most in the Drew Era (surpassing last season's 15) and mark the most at Baylor since the 2000-01 squad finished 19-12 (last BU team to participate in postseason; first round of NIT).

BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT: "IN GUARDS WE TRUST"
Baylor's strength in 2007-08 once again lies in its talented backcourt which until recently didn't get a lot of media attention outside of the region. The Bears utilize a rotation of five guards that each average 20-plus minutes per game. The quintet is made up of four veterans; senior Aaron Bruce (11.3 ppg, 24.8 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (14.3 ppg, 30.5 mpg) and Henry Dugat (12.0 ppg, 26.1 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (9.2 ppg, 23.7 mpg); and true freshman standout LaceDarius Dunn (12.0 ppg, 20.7 mpg). The fivesome accounts for 71 percent of the team's scoring (average 58.1 points) and shoots 39.5 percent on 3-pointers.

BALANCED SCORING
Baylor has shown a very balanced scoring attack this season, evidenced by five players averaging double-digits in scoring (Curtis Jerrells 14.3, Kevin Rogers 12.3, Henry Dugat 12.0, LaceDarius Dunn 12.0 and Aaron Bruce 11.3). The last time a Baylor team finished the season with five double-figure scorers was 1995-96.

SUCCESSFULL MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAMS
Baylor is one of seven schools with both its men's (25th) and women's (6th) basketball teams ranked in the Associated Press Poll this week. Baylor joins Duke, North Carolina, Pitt, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M in that group. BU's men's and women's teams boast a combined 33-3 record.

COMEBACK KIDS
Baylor is a perfect 6-0 this season when trailing at halftime. Included in those six come-from-behind victories is a 20-point comeback win at South Carolina and rallies of 14 points at No. 16/18 Texas A&M, 14 points vs. Notre Dame and seven points vs. Iowa State.

"FLASH" DUGAT USING ENERGY & QUICKNESS TO SPARK BEARS
Junior guard Henry Dugat has used his high energy and athleticism to put up impressive numbers over the last eight games. During that span Dugat has averaged 16.5 points, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and shot 47 percent (18-38) on 3-pointers [8.4 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg & 26.5% through first 10 games]. Through four conference games, he ranks 11h in the Big 12 in scoring in conference games (17.0 ppg), 18th in rebounding (5.8 rpg), first in 3-point percentage (55.6%) and third in steals (2.0 spg). He has started all 18 games after finishing his sophomore season in the sixth man role. Dugat earned the nickname "Flash" from former teammate Tim Bush due to his quickness and style of play similarities to Dwyane Wade.

JERRELLS POWERS BEARS
Curtis Jerrells is leading the Bears in scoring (14.3 ppg, 13th in Big 12), assists (3.6 apg, eighth in Big 12) and minutes (30.5 mpg) for the third straight season. Jerrells exploded for 36 points in Baylor's epic five-overtime win at Texas A&M. The junior guard has started all 66 career games since arriving at Baylor, was named Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 19 and took home tournament MVP honors after leading Baylor to the championship of the 2007 Paradise Jam in November. Jerrells is a preseason Cousy Award candidate and projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's. He ranks eighth in school history in assists per game (3.55). Jerrells recently became the first alum of Del Valle High School in Austin to have his No. 0 basketball jersey retired.

VETERAN LEADER BRUCE CONTINUES CLIMB UP RECORD LISTS
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 42.0 percent on 3-pointers and continuing his climb up the school's all-time records lists, most notably the career scoring chart. Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with 92 career games played, currently stands eighth all-time with 1,263 career points (complete list of his ranking on seven different Baylor career charts below). 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 ON BAYLOR'S CAREER RECORD LISTS
• 3-point FGs: No. 3 - 208
• 3-point FG %: No. 3 - 40.2%
• Minutes Played: No. 6 - 2,811
• Games Started: No. 6 - 92
• Points scored: No. 7 - 1,263
• Assists: No. 7 - 299
• Free Throw %: No. 8 - 81.3%

MR. ROGERS PILING UP DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 12.3 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds (sixth in Big 12) this season. He has recorded six double-doubles on the season and is averaging a double-double in conference games: 13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds (second in Big 12). Rogers was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 24 after averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while leading Baylor to road wins at South Carolina and Southern. He was named to the 2007 Big 12 All-Improved team following a sophomore season in which he doubled his scoring average (12.8 from 6.1 ppg) and nearly doubled his rebounding average from his freshman season (7.6 from 4.0 rpg).

TRUE FRESHMAN DUNN PUTTING TOGETHER BREAKOUT SEASON OFF BENCH
True freshman LaceDarius Dunn has made an immediate impact on a Baylor squad stocked with talented guards. The highly recruited rookie from Monroe, La., is third on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and second in rebounds (4.5 rpg), despite playing just 20.7 minutes per game off the bench and playing through a knee injury. His 45.1 3-point percentage ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally. Dunn has been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Nov. 26 after leading Baylor to wins over Winthrop in the Paradise Jam championship and over Centenary) and has posted two 20-plus scoring outings (27 points in win over Brown and 24 points in upset win at South Carolina). 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. 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.

"THE MAYOR" BACK IN STRIDE AFTER ANKLE REHAB
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot junior from Senegal, has averaged 17.2 minutes off the bench in 11 games played since returning from an Oct. 25 procedure to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle (had started all 43 games played in his freshman and sophomore seasons). Diene's 59 career blocks in Big 12 play is the most by an active player and he leads the Big 12 in blocks in conference games this season with a 3.0 average. Diene has recorded 99 career blocks and his 1.83 career blocks per game total is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Phoenix Suns Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Named the Big 12's "Best Shot Blocker" by the Sporting News preseason publication, he led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman (2.3 bpg) and was third (1.6 bpg) in an injury-plagued sophomore season. Diene is referred to as "The Mayor" due to his huge popularity across campus.

OUTSIDE ACCURACY
Baylor is shooting 39.3 percent (162-412) as a team from 3-point distance. That figure ranks third in the Big 12 (11th nationally) and is on pace to top the school record of 38.5 percent (90-234) recorded in 1986-87. Individually, true freshman LaceDarius Dunn leads the team and ranks 11th nationally with a 45.1 (41-891) 3-point percentage.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
One significant statistical indicator to Baylor's success in winning games is field goal percentage, offensively and defensively. This season, Baylor is a perfect 14-0 when totaling a higher shooting percentage than it opponents, and conversely is 2-2 when its opponents shoot a higher percentage. Further, in five seasons under Scott Drew Baylor has accumulated a 46-7 record when outshooting opponents and a 6-64 record when being outshot by opponents.

MOST PRE-CONFERENCE WINS EVER
Baylor finished its non-conference schedule with a 12-2 record. The 12 wins mark the most during the regular-season non-conference schedule in school history. The previous high of 11 pre-conference schedule wins was recorded three times, in 1945-46 (11-1), 1996-97 (11-1) and 2000-01 (11-0).

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 LAST MEETING: OKLAHOMA 68 - BAYLOR 64 [Feb. 10, 2007]
Baylor dropped a 68-64 decision to Oklahoma at the Ferrell Center. Trailing 67-64, Baylor got a final opportunity to tie the game when Troy Crocker was called for traveling with 28 seconds remaining. The Bears worked the ball down low to Kevin Rogers, but he missed his jumper and OU's Longar Longar rebounded. Following a foul by Tim Bush with 13 seconds left to play, Longar sank a free throw to clinch the Oklahoma win. Curtis Jerrells missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Baylor lost starting guard Aaron Bruce to a sprained ankle with just over 12 minutes remaining. Jerrells paced Baylor scoring with 23 points, while Rogers contributed 20. The Bears opened the second half on a 12-4 run and went ahead 39-32 with just under 18 minutes remaining. Baylor led 39-37 at the 16-minute mark before the Sooners took the lead during a five-point possession, when Baylor's Josh Lomers fouled Longar on a dunk and was called for an intentional foul. Longar hit the first of two foul shots and tipped in the miss of the second to give OU a 42-39 lead. Oklahoma never trailed again and extended its winning streak over Baylor to 26 games, dating back to 1977.

LAST TIME OUT: No. 25 BAYLOR 116 - No. 18/16 TEXAS A&M 110 5OT
Curtis Jerrells scored a career-high 36 points as No. 25 Baylor outlasted No. 18/16 Texas A&M 116-110 in an epic five-overtime marathon at Reed Arena, snapping a 29-game losing streak to ranked teams. Jerrells scored 11 points in the final overtime and another 11 in the previous four to lead his team. He also had eight assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. Baylor won its fifth in a row and first since entering the rankings for the first time since 1969 on Monday. It broke a 15-game home winning streak for Texas A&M. Three free throws by Jerrells gave Baylor a 106-103 lead in the fifth overtime. Dominique Kirk got A&M within a point with a layup on the next possession. Jerrells pushed the lead back to 3 with his steal and layup with about a minute left. Aaron Bruce added a pair of free throws before a layup by Bryan Davis made it 110-107 with less than 30 seconds remaining. Jerrells added four more free throws and LaceDarius Dunn chipped in a pair to ensure the win. The small but vocal group of Baylor fans chanted "B-U!" incessantly as time ticked down in the final overtime and players jumped around wildly and hugged after the clock ran out. Davis, who led A&M with a career-high 30 points, made a layup with 9 seconds left in the fourth overtime to knot it at 99 and send it to the fifth OT. Jerrells scored six points in the last 1:01 of triple overtime, including the tying layup with 10 seconds left to leave it at 90-all and force the fourth overtime.

BIG 12 HONORS
Baylor players have received three weekly Big 12 honors this season, matching the school's highest single-season total (also three awards in 2001-02). Baylor has earned two player of the week awards and one rookie of the week award:
Curtis Jerrells, Big 12 Player of the Week, Nov. 19, 2007
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.
LaceDarius Dunn, Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Nov. 26, 2007
Dunn was honored after leading the Bears to to wins over Winthrop (in the championship game of the Paradise Jam) and Centenary. Dunn set then-career-highs for points with 17 in each game, shooting a combined 13-of-20 (.650) from the floor off the bench. He also shot 5-of-10 on 3-pointers and averaged 5.5 rebounds.
Kevin Rogers, Big 12 Player of the Week, Dec. 24, 2007
Rogers was honored after leading the Bears to two road victories at South Carolina and Southern that snapped a 25-game losing streak in true road games. He averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds and registered two double-doubles. Rogers had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double vs. USC and scored a game-high 21 points in a win at Southern.

BAYLOR'S SUMMER TOUR TO CANCUN
Baylor spent Labor Day weekend 2007 on a basketball tour to Cancun, Mexico. The four-day trip included two exhibition games as well as sun and fun for the Bears. Baylor beat Belize Tuff E Nuff 115-47 Sept. 1, before defeating the hometown Mexican professional team Quintana Roo 91-57 Sept. 2. Both games were played in Cancun's sweltering Kuchil-Baxal Gymnasium. The Bears were led in scoring both games by junior Henry Dugat, who totaled 25 and 20 points over the weekend. Aside from the games, the players and travel party enjoyed swimming, jet skiing, fishing and shopping on the Yucatan Peninsula.

FERRELL CENTER'S 20th YEAR
The Bears are in their 20th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 9-1 at home in 2007-08 and owns a 176-119 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 6-9 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 has six days between games before returning to action Saturday, Feb. 2, at Texas. The Bears-Longhorns game will tip at 12:45 p.m. at the Erwin Center and be televised live regionally via ESPN Plus syndicated stations.