Men's Hoops GameDay: at No. 10 Texas Feb. 2
2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
No. 25 BAYLOR (16-3, 4-1) at No. 10 TEXAS (16-4, 3-2)
Feb. 2, 2008 • Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) • 12:45 p.m. CST
PDF of complete Game Notes & Stats
RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / KVCE 1160AM Dallas / 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: live stats at TexasSports.com
THE GAME
Baylor heads to Austin Saturday, Feb. 2, for its first-ever game against Texas as a ranked team. The game, scheduled to tip off at 12:45 p.m. CST at the Frank Erwin Center, pits the 10th-ranked Longhorns and the 25th-ranked Bears. The contest will be televised live regionally via ESPN Plus syndicated stations (KWTX & The CW in Waco/Temple). Baylor is 16-3 and 4-1 in the Big 12. The Bears had their five-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with a 77-71 defeat to Oklahoma. Texas is 16-4, 3-2 and coming off an 80-63 loss at Texas A&M Wednesday. Baylor is 7-1 away from home this season and a perfect 4-0 in true road games; the Longhorns are 11-1 in home games. The Bears have been ranked in back-to-back weeks for the first time in school history, and this season's ranking is Baylor's first in 39 years. Baylor and Texas meet for the 227th time Saturday - the most-played rivalry for both schools. Baylor has lost 20 straight games to Texas, including three losses last season by a combined 11 points.
BAYLOR TIP-INS
• Baylor is ranked 25th in the AP Poll this week (first back-to-back weekly rankings in school history).
• Baylor's 16-3 start is its best since the Bears began 24-2 in 1945-46 (SWC champs).
• Saturday marks the 227th meeting between Baylor and Texas, the most-played rivalry for both schools (UT leads 151-75).
• Baylor has lost 20 straight games to Texas dating to an 80-75 win in Waco 2-21-98.
• 4-1 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).
• Curtis Jerrells (Del Valle HS) & Mark Shepherd (St. Michael's) are Austin natives.
• 5 Baylor players average double-figures in scoring.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 (21st nationally) with 9.0 3-pointers per game.
• Baylor's 73.0 free throw % leads the Big 12.
• BU's 39.3 3FG% ranks fourth in Big 12, 36th nationally & is on pace to break the school record (38.5% '86-87).
• Baylor is 1 of 8 schools with both its men's & women's teams ranked nationally (35-4 combined record).
• BU is 14-0 this season when totaling a higher FG% than its opponents and 2-3 when not. In the Drew Era, BU is 46-7 when outshooting its opponents and 6-65 when not.
• Baylor is 6-1 this season when trailing at the half.
• Baylor is 5-0 in its last 5 overtime games (since 2003).
• Baylor has used the same starting lineup in all 19 games this season.
• 10 current BU players average between 10.4 minutes & 30.5 minutes.
• Baylor's 12 pre-conference wins mark the most in school history.
• Henry Dugat ranks 7th in scoring (16.2 ppg), 3rd in steals (2.0 spg) & 4th in 3-point shooting percentage (52.4%) in Big 12 games.
• LaceDarius Dunn's 43.3 3-point % (2nd in Big 12) is top all-time for a BU freshman.
• 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 (1,273 career points).
• Mamadou Diene is the Big 12's active leader in career blocks in league games (62).
• Baylor won the 2007 Paradise Jam, its first non-hosted tourney title since 1971.
MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
• Scott Drew is 4 coaching wins shy of moving into 7th place (52, Harry Miller No. 7 with 56) on Baylor's career coaching victories list.
• Mamadou Diene is 4 blocks shy of moving into 2nd place (102, Willie Sublett No. 2 with 106) on Baylor's career blocks list.
• Curtis Jerrells is 31 points shy of becoming the 20th Baylor player to reach the 1,000-point club (969).
• Aaron Bruce is 8 assists shy of moving into 6th place (300, Vinnie Johnson No. 6 with 308) on Baylor's career assists list.
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 52-72 at the school and a career record of 72-83 (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 TEXAS LONGHORNS
Head Coach: Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne, 1977); 434-224, 21 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: UT leads 151-75
Last meeting: UT 74-69, March 9, 2007 at Oklahoma City
Streak: UT won 20 straight
Series at Austin: UT leads 82-26
Drew vs. UT: 0-9
UT NOTES: Texas is ranked No. 10 in both Top-25 polls this week... The Longhorns have won 20 straight games vs. Baylor, and have won 13 straight in the series in Austin... Texas is 11-1 this season at home... UT is led by sophomore G D.J. Augustin, who averages 20.4 points and a league-high 5.8 assists... Junior G A.J. Abrams is scoring 17.2 points and leads the Big 12 in 3-pointers, averaging 3.0 3s per game... Sophomore G/F Damion James averages a double-double (13.2 points, 10.7 rebounds).
BAYLOR RANKED IN CONSECUTIVE WEEKS FOR FIRST TIME EVER
Baylor, ranked 25th in this week's Associated Press Poll, has been ranked in successive weeks for the first time in school history. The Bears' entered the poll last week, at No. 25, marking its 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 (30 votes; 29th). The Bears have received votes in the polls in nine of 13 weeks this season.
BEST STARTS SINCE...
OVERALL: Baylor's 16-3 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 4-1 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 lost sixth game before finishing 8-8 in conference, BU's best record in 11 previous Big 12 seasons).
REVERSING ROAD FORTUNES
TRUE ROAD GAMES (4-0 in '07-08):
The Bears have won four straight games on opponents' home courts, reversing a 2-37 record in 39 true road games before this season (from 2002-03 to 2006-07).
BIG 12 ROAD GAMES (2-0 in '07-08):
Baylor is 2-0 this season on the road in Big 12 games, which snapped a 25-game losing streak prior to this season (dating to 2004).
ALL AWAY GAMES (7-1 in '07-08):
Baylor is 7-1 this season away from Waco (4-0 in true road games, 3-1 at neutral sites). The Bears were 4-41 in their previous 45 games outside of Waco before this season (from 2003 to 2007).
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 run off a 16-3 record this season, including a 4-1 mark in the Big 12 Conference.
JERRELLS EARNS SECOND BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Junior Curtis Jerrells earned his second Big 12 Player of the Week honor this week for his part in leading Baylor to a historic win over Texas A&M last week. Jerrells averaged 26.5 points as No. 25 Baylor split two games last week, an epic five-overtime win over No. 16 Texas A&M and a 77-71 loss to Oklahoma. He scored a career-high 36 points in the Bears' 116-110 marathon thriller at A&M, including 11 points in the last overtime period to clinch the win in the longest game in Big 12 history. He was also 20-of-24 from the charity stripe versus the Aggies, setting a conference record for free throws made. Jerrells followed that effort with 17 points as BU dropped a 77-71 decision to Oklahoma.
BAYLOR'S AUSTIN NATIVES
Saturday's game at Austin will be a homecoming for two Austin natives on the Baylor roster: Curtis Jerrells, a junior G who graduated from Del Valle High School in 2005; and Mark Shepherd, a senior F who graduated from St. Michael's Academy in 2003.
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 Jan. 23 in College Station, when the longtime rivals went toe-to-toe for three-and-a-half hours before Baylor prevailed 116-110 in a five-overtime marathon. The epic game (the longest in Big 12 Conference history) set seven Big 12 Conference and six Baylor school 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.
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 (11.2 ppg, 24.6 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (14.4 ppg, 30.5 mpg) and Henry Dugat (12.1 ppg, 26.3 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (9.0 ppg, 23.5 mpg); and true freshman standout LaceDarius Dunn (11.7 ppg, 20.6 mpg). The fivesome accounts for 71 percent of the team's scoring (average 57.8 points) and shoots 39.6 percent on 3-pointers.
BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Saturday's matchup vs. No. 10 Texas is Baylor's third game against a ranked opponent this season (1-1). The Bears defeated No. 18/16 Texas A&M Jan. 23, to snap a 29-game losing streak vs. ranked foes (3-42 in last seven seasons vs. Top-25 teams).
BRUCE ALMIGHTY JOINS ELITE BAYLOR TRIO IN CAREER POINTS & ASSISTS
Aaron Bruce recently recorded his 300th career assist and became just the fourth Baylor player in school history to top 1,000 points (1,273) and 300 assists (300), joining Bear greats Vinnie Johnson (1,231/308), David Wesley (1,224/316) and Micheal Williams (1,854/464).
SEASON OF FIRSTS & BROKEN STREAKS
Baylor's remarkable turnaround season has resulted in various program `firsts' and several streaks being snapped. Complete list below:
• First Top-25 ranking since 1969 (BU entered AP poll Jan. 21)
• First back-to-back weekly rankings in school history (Jan. 21 & 28)
• First win over ranked opp. since 2003 [broke 29-gm losing streak] (116-110 over #16 TAMU)
• First true road win since 2004 [broke 25-gm losing streak] (92-84 win at USC Dec. 19)
• First road win in Big 12 since 2004 [broke 25-gm losing streak] (72-70 win at NU Jan. 19)
• First 16-2 start since 1946
• First 4-0 start in Big 12 since 1998
• Most pre-conference wins in school history (12)
• First 8-team tournament title since 1968 (BU won 2007 Paradise Jam)
• First 5-overtime game in Baylor & Big 12 history (116-110 win over Texas A&M Jan. 23)
• Most Big 12 weekly honorees ever (4, Jerrells 2 POW, Rogers POW, Dunn ROW)
• Highest team 3-point percentage (.393) in school history
BALANCED SCORING
Baylor has shown a very balanced scoring attack this season, evidenced by five players averaging double-digits in scoring (Curtis Jerrells 14.4, Kevin Rogers 12.3, Henry Dugat 12.1, LaceDarius Dunn 11.7 and Aaron Bruce 11.2). 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 eight schools with both its men's (25th) and women's (6th) basketball teams ranked in the Associated Press Poll this week. Baylor joins Duke, Kansas State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Tennessee and Texas in that group. BU's men's and women's teams boast a combined 35-4 record.
COMEBACK KIDS
Baylor is 6-1 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. [in its lone loss when trailing at half this season, BU erased a 16-point second-half deficit before falling by six points to Oklahoma]
JERRELLS POWERS BEARS
Curtis Jerrells is leading the Bears in scoring (14.4 ppg, 11th in Big 12), assists (3.5 apg, eighth in Big 12) and minutes (30.5 mpg) for the third straight season. Jerrells won his second Big 12 Player of the Week honor this week after exploding for 36 points in Baylor's epic five-overtime win at Texas A&M. He was named 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. The junior guard has started all 67 career games since arriving at Baylor, is a preseason Cousy Award candidate and a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's. He ranks fifth in the Big 12 with a 75.6 free throw percentage and also ranks fifth with a 2.09 assist-to-turnover ratio. Jerrells ranks eighth in school history in assists per game (3.60). He recently became the first alum of Del Valle High School in Austin to have his No. 0 jersey retired.
MR. ROGERS PILING UP DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 12.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds (fifth in Big 12) this season, and he leads the league with 11.6 rebounds in conference games. He has recorded seven double-doubles on the season, including a Big 12-best three in league games. Rogers is averaging a double-double in conference games: 13.0 points and 11.6 rebounds. He 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. Rogers 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).
VETERAN LEADER BRUCE CONTINUES CLIMB UP RECORD LISTS
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 11.2 points per game, shooting 42.4 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 93 career games played, currently stands seventh all-time with 1,273 career points (complete list of his ranking on seven different Baylor career charts below). He recently became the fourth player in Baylor history to top 1,000 points and 300 assists (along with Vinnie Johnson, David Wesley and Micheal Williams). 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 - 210
• 3-point FG %: No. 3 - 40.3%
• Games Started: No. 5 - 93
• Minutes Played: No. 6 - 2,831
• Points scored: No. 7 - 1,273
• Assists: No. 7 - 300
• Free Throw %: No. 8 - 81.3%
"FLASH" DUGAT USING ENERGY & QUICKNESS TO SPARK BEARS
Since re-entering the starting lineup in his junior season, guard Henry Dugat has used his high energy and athleticism to help Baylor to its remarkable turnaround season. Dugat has led the Bears through five conference games, averaging 16.2 points (seventh in the Big 12), 6.0 rebounds (14th in Big 12), 2.0 steals (third in Big 12) and shooting 52.4 percent on 3-pointers (4th in Big 12). He has started all 19 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.
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 fourth on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) and second in rebounds (4.3 rpg), despite playing just 20.6 minutes per game off the bench and playing through a knee injury. His 43.3 3-point percentage ranks second in the Big 12 and is on pace to be the top percentage ever recorded by a Baylor freshman (and the third-best overall single-season percentage in school history). 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 16.8 minutes off the bench in 12 games played since returning from an Oct. 25 procedure to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle (missed season's first seven games - had started all 43 games played in his freshman and sophomore seasons). Diene's 62 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 102 career blocks and his 1.85 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.
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 2-3 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 6-65 record when being outshot by opponents.
RECORD ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
Baylor's on-court success is attracting record numbers of fans to the Ferrell Center. Two of the top five attended Bears games all-time have come this season, and Baylor is within reach of breaking the single-season average attendance mark of 6,843 (set in 2001-02; BU averaging 6,378 this season with five home games remaining). Baylor saw top-five crowds this season vs. Oklahoma (10,393, No. 3 all-time) and vs. Washington State (10,193, No. 5).
OUTSIDE ACCURACY
Baylor is shooting 39.3 percent (171-435) as a team from 3-point distance. That figure ranks fourth in the Big 12 (36th nationally) and is on pace to top the school record of 38.5 percent (90-234) recorded in 1986-87.
LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA 77 - No. 25 BAYLOR 71
Baylor showed the effects of playing a 3 ½ hour game three days before as the Bears didn't have enough gas in the tank to overcome an Oklahoma squad buoyed by the return of freshman sensation Blake Griffin from injury and the Sooners downed No. 25 BU 77-71 at the Ferrell Center. The Bears made a valiant comeback as they erased a 16-point second-half deficit to take a brief lead with less than two minutes remaining, but were outlasted by Oklahoma's strong inside game. Griffin entered about 5 ½ minutes into the game with an almost immediate impact for the Sooners. He had two quick rebounds and a slam dunk to help cap a 10-0 run that put the Sooners ahead to stay - except for a 10-second span late in the game. Baylor, coming off a five-overtime thriller over No. 18 Texas A&M in their first game as a ranked team since 1969, went ahead 71-70 with 1:57 left when Henry Dugat rebounded a missed 3-pointer and drove the length of the court for a layup. The Bears didn't score again. Griffin quickly answered for the Sooners with a strong inside basket. Then after a Baylor miss, Griffin drove the baseline for his ninth straight point, making it 74-71. During the 10-0 run by Oklahoma in the first half, Baylor was outrebounded 9-0. Then the Bears missed 10 straight shots at one point after halftime that left them trailing 57-41. Curtis Jerrells led Baylor with 17 points while Kevin Rogers had 13 points and 16 rebounds. Dugat and Aaron Bruce both finished with 10 points.
THE LAST MEETING: No. 14 TEXAS 74 - BAYLOR 69 [March 9, 2007]
A 20-point second-half lead wasn't enough as Baylor was overtaken by No. 14 Texas en route to a heartbreaking 74-69 loss in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. The 11th-seeded Bears fought neck-and-neck with the third-seeded Longhorns, but fell when UT's Kevin Durant scored 24 second-half points to lead the comeback. The loss ended the season for the Bears (15-16), who won three of their last six games of the year. Craig Winder scored a basket with 1:56 left that put the Longhorns ahead for the first time since the opening minutes, and D.J. Augustin hit a basket and two free throws in the final 18.5 seconds. Texas extended its winning streak against Baylor to 20 games but not without a major scare from the Bears, who lost three times to Texas on the season by a combined total of 11 points. Baylor ran a clinic on its motion offense in the first half, hitting a sizzling 53.3 percent of its shots. A lethal combination of guard Curtis Jerrells (13 points, five rebounds) and center Mamadou Diene (eight points, nine rebounds) propelled them to a 43-25 halftime lead, a margin the Bears stretched to 20 with 17 minutes left. Texas led 2-0 but then watched Baylor build an 18-point lead in the first 12 minutes. Baylor led 48-28 with 17 minutes left, but the Bears cooled off considerably, shooting 24.1 percent from the field after halftime and going only 1-for-7 on 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Texas improved from 22.9 percent in the first half to 53.3 percent, and went to a full-court press in the final 12 minutes that gave Baylor fits. Durant also began hitting shots, going 7-for-11 after halftime to finish 8-of-24 from the field. Winder had a steal and layup that tied the game at 65-65 with 3:09 left. Diene gave Baylor its final lead by making 1-of-2 free throws with 2:13 left. Winder answered with a putback at 1:56 to put the Longhorns ahead 67-66. Texas' lead was 70-66 before Jerrells - who led Baylor with 19 points - hit three free throws to bring Baylor within one point with 45.9 seconds left. Augustin's basket with 18.5 seconds left extended the Longhorns' lead to 72-69, and Aaron Bruce missed a 3-pointer at the other end. Durant rebounded and Augustin hit two free throws with 8.4 seconds left.
BIG 12 HONORS
Baylor players have received four weekly Big 12 honors this season, the school's most-ever single-season weekly awards. Baylor has earned three player of the week awards and one rookie of the week award:
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.
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 wins and shot 54 percent from the 3-point line and 92 percent from the free throw line.
Curtis Jerrells, Big 12 Player of the Week, Jan. 28, 2008
Jerrells earned his second honor after averaging 26.5 points as No. 25 Baylor split two games last week, an epic five-overtime win over No. 16 Texas A&M and a 77-71 loss to Oklahoma. He scored a career-high 36 points and made a Big 12 and school-record 20 free throws in the Bears' 116-110 marathon thriller at A&M, including 11 points in the last overtime period to clinch the win in the longest game in Big 12 history.
Kevin Rogers, Big 12 Player of the Week, Dec. 24, 2007
Rogers was honored after leading the Bears to two road wins 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 had two double-doubles. Rogers had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double at USC and scored a game-high 21 points in a win at Southern.
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.).
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.
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.
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.
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 returns to the Ferrell Center to host Texas Tech Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Waco. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. CST and will be televised live nationally on ESPNU.
