MBB Hosts Georgetown in NIT First Round
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2009
GAME CENTER: GAME 35 (NIT FIRST ROUND)
GEORGETOWN HOYAS (16-14) AT BAYLOR BEARS (20-14)
Date: Wednesdayday, March 18, 2009
Tip-Off: 8:05 p.m. CT
Location: Waco, Texas
Arena: Ferrell Center (10,284)
Television: ESPN2
Talent: Brad Nessler (pxp), Jimmy Dykes (color)
Radio: Baylor ISP Sports Network | ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM (Waco)/Sirius Satellite (Ch. 161) | BaylorBears.com
Talent: John Morris (pxp), Pat Nunley (color)
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com
Web Stream: ESPN360.com and BaylorBears.com (live audio)
Miscellaneous Multimedia: Interactive In-Game Blog (BaylorBears.com)
Series: first meeting
Tickets: (254) 710-1000
GAME NIGHT STORY LINES
• A year after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 seasons, the Baylor Bears will make their second-straight postseason tournament appearance when they host the Georgetown Hoyas in the first round of the Postseason NIT Wednesday.
• Baylor has now made the postseason in back-to-back seasons for only the second time in program history. The Bears made the 1987 NIT before advancing to the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
• It is Baylor's fourth NIT appearance (0-3 in three previous appearances) and the first home NIT game in program history.
• Baylor will make just its ninth postseason tournament appearance in program history (5 NCAA appearances) and its first NIT appearance since 2001.
• Baylor (20-14) has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time with only its fifth 20-win season in program history. Head coach Scott Drew joins legendary Baylor coach Bill Henderson as the only coaches in school history with two 20-win seasons.
• Senior Curtis Jerrells needs 28 rebounds to become just the fourth player in school history with 1,500 points and 500 rebounds. Jerrells would join Terry Teagle (2,189 points / 805 rebounds), Brian Skinner (1,702 points / 915 rebounds) and Darryl Middleton (1,677 points / 730 rebounds).
• Fifteen (15) of Baylor's 24 regular season opponents earned postseason bids to either the NCAA or National Invitation Tournaments Sunday. That is 62.5 percent of Baylor's opponents.
• Baylor's first round NIT matchup with Georgetown Wednesday on ESPN2 will be the Bears' 14th nationally televised game on the ESPN family of networks this season. Baylor had played on the ESPN family of networks 14 times in the previous 11 seasons before the 2008-09 campaign. Baylor is 5-8 this season on the ESPN family of networks (7-7 in previous 14 appearances).
SERIES HISTORY
• Wednesday will be the first meeting between the schools.
• Baylor is 4-9 vs. current members of the BIG EAST Conference. Earlier this season, Baylor defeated the Providence Friars, 72-56, at the 76 Classic on Nov. 27.
• Georgetown is the first opponent from the District of Columbia the Bears have faced.
• Baylor is 3-1 this season against first-time opponents (Harford, Portland State, Providence and Wake Forest).
GEORGETOWN SCOUTING REPORT
• Georgetown and Baylor have endured some of the same frustrations this season. Preseason ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25, the Hoyas opened the regular season 10-1 in the formidable BIG EAST, including a 74-63 win over then-No. 2 Connecticut on Dec. 29.
• The Hoyas were ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP Poll on Jan. 5.
• Georgetown finished the season 6-13 in its last 19 games, posting a 7-12 overall mark in the BIG EAST.
• St. John's ousted the Hoyas, 48-40, in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
• Georgetown is led by DaJuan Summers and BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Greg Monroe. Monroe, who was tabbed Preseason BIG EAST Co-Rookie of the Year, ranks second on the Hoyas in scoring (12.7 ppg), leads the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg), blocked shots (1.5 bpg) and steals (1.9 spg) and is second on the team in assists (2.5 apg).
• Summers leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points through 30 games.
BAYLOR REACHES POSTSEASON PLAY FOR JUST THE NINTH TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• A year after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 seasons, the Baylor Bears will make their second-straight postseason tournament appearance when they host the Georgetown Hoyas in the first round of the Postseason NIT Wednesday.
• Baylor has now made the postseason in back-to-back seasons for only the second time in program history. The Bears made the 1987 NIT before advancing to the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
• It is Baylor's fourth NIT appearance (0-3 in three previous appearances) and the first home NIT game in program history.
• Baylor will make just its ninth postseason tournament appearance in program history (5 NCAA appearances) and its first NIT appearance since 2001.
K-ROG NAMED TO BIG 12 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
• Senior forward Kevin Rogers was named to the 2009 Big 12 All-Tournament Team on March 14, following his outstanding individual performance during Baylor's magical run at a Big 12 title.
• Rogers averaged 13.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in four games.
• In Baylor's opening game vs. Nebraska, Rogers recorded his 24th career double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling down a career-high 20 rebounds. Rogers fell one board shy of tying the Big 12 Championship record held by Kansas' Drew Gooden (21).
BACK-T0-BACK 20-WIN SEASONS
• Baylor's 76-70 win over Texas in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals was the Bears' 20th of the season.
• It is only Baylor's fifth 20-win season in the program's 103-season history - 1946 (25-5), 1948 (24-8), 1988 (23-11) and 2008 (21-11).
• It marks the first time Baylor has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons. Baylor's four previous 20-win seasons have coincided with four of its five NCAA Tournament appearances (1946, 1948, 1988, 2008).
• Head coach Scott Drew joins legendary Baylor coach Bill Henderson as the only coaches in school history with two 20-win seasons.
LET THE BIG DOG EAT
• Senior forward Kevin Rogers extended his Baylor-record career rbounds in Big 12 Championship play to 66 boards in eight games.
• In the first game of the Big 12 Championship vs. Nebraska, Rogers grabbed a Baylor Big 12 Championship-record 20 rebounds.
• It was the first 20-rebound game by a Baylor Bear since Lawrence Roberts pulled down 20 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 15, 2003.
THE STREAK IS OVER
• Baylor's 76-70 win over Texas in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship finals on March 13 signified the end of the Bears' 24-game losing streak to the Longhorns.
• It was the first win over the Longhorns since Feb. 21, 1998, in Waco.
• It was head coach Scott Drew's first win in 14 tries vs. Texas and the first win for seniors Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat, Kevin Rogers and Mamadou Diene in 10 tries.
ONE IN FOUR ISN'T BAD
• Senior Curtis Jerrells passed Darryl Middleton (1,677) and Brian Skinner (1,702) to move into third place on Baylor's all-time scoring list.
• Jerrells, who currently has 1,730 career points, is one of only four players in school history with 1,700 or more points.
• CJ has played in all 114 career games, which ranks second-most among Baylor's 1,000-point scorers (Micheal Williams, 115).
JERRELLS IN PURSUIT OF 1,500/500
• Senior Curtis Jerrells' assault on Baylor's career record books continues during Baylor's NIT run.
• Jerrells - one of only two in Baylor history with 1,000 points, 400 assists and 100 steals - is closing in on another historical club. CJ needs 28 rebounds to become just the fourth player in school history with 1,500 points and 500 rebounds.
• Jerrells would join Terry Teagle (2,189 points / 805 rebounds), Brian Skinner (1,702 points / 915 rebounds) and Darryl Middleton (1,677 points / 730 rebounds).
DUNN, CARTER GAINING GROUND
• Baylor currently has three active members in its 1,000-point club - Curtis Jerrells (1,730), Kevin Rogers (1,294) and Henry Dugat (1,212). Rogers and Dugat joined the club earlier this season.
• Sophomore LaceDarius Dunn (942) and junior Tweety Carter (903) are closing in on becoming the newest 1,000-point club members. Dunn and Carter would become the 23rd and 24th players in Byalor history to eclipse the career plateau.
TALK ABOUT STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
• Fifteen (15) of Baylor's 24 regular season opponents earned postseason bids to either the NCAA or National Invitation Tournaments Sunday. That is 62.5 percent of Baylor's opponents.
• Baylor was 6-10 against its nine NCAA Tournament bound opponents - Arizona State (Pac-10), Kansas, Missouri, Portland State (Big Sky), Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Wake Forest (ACC).
• Baylor was 5-2 against its six NIT bound opponents - Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun), Kansas State, Nebraska, Providence (BIG EAST), South Carolina (SEC) and Washington State (Pac-10).
BEARS HAVE AN EYE FOR TV TALENT
• Baylor's first round NIT matchup with Georgetown Wednesday on ESPN2 will be the Bears' 14th nationally televised game on the ESPN family of networks this season.
• Baylor had played on the ESPN family of networks 14 times in the previous 11 seasons before the 2008-09 campaign.
• Baylor is 5-8 this season on the ESPN family of networks (7-7 in previous 14 appearances).
DOUBLING UP
• Senior Kevin Rogers recorded his 24th career double-double on March 11 when he scored 10 points and pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds in Baylor's 65-49 win over Nebraska.
• It was Rogers' first career Big 12 Championship double-double.
• Rogers is now tied for fifth all-time with Tommy Bowman. He trails Baylor all-time leading scorer Terry Teagle (25) by one for fourth all-time.
30 TIMES THREE
• Baylor is the only Big 12 school to have three different players score 30 or more points in a game this season - Curtis Jerrells (31 vs. Oklahoma State, Jan. 17), LaceDarius Dunn (33 at Kansas State, Jan. 21) at Tweety Carter (30 at Oklahoma State, Feb. 21).
CONSECUTIVE GAMES STREAK WITH A 3-POINTER CONTINUES
• Baylor has made at least one 3-point field goal in 546 straight games - the 2nd longest active streak in the Big 12 (Texas). Baylor has connected from 3-point range at least once in every game since going 0-for-8 in a home win vs. Texas Tech on Feb. 21, 1990.
THE BEST 3-POINT SHOOTING TEAM IN BU HISTORY?
• Four of the top seven 3-point shooters in Baylor history are on the current 2008-09 Bears roster. The quartet of Curtis Jerrells (206), Tweety Carter (180), LaceDarius Dunn (166) and Henry Dugat (156) and rank fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, on the school's career list.
• Jerrells is only the fourth player in school history with 200 or more career triples.
• Dunn's 92 3-point field goals are the third-highest single-season total in school history. He is eight shy of becoming just the third player in school history with 100 or more 3-point field goals in a single season.
• Dunn's 166 career 3-point field goals are the highest two-year total (in back-to-back seasons) by a Baylor player in program history.
• The foursome has combined for 708 triples in three-plus seasons - accounting for an impressive 75.7 percent of Baylor's 935 3-point field goals.
DUNN DEAL
• In only two seasons, LaceDarius Dunn has become one of the best 3-point shooters in the Big 12. Dunn currently ranks sixth in school history in career 3-point field goals made (166), tied for third in career 3-point percentage (.392) and free throw percentage (.825).
• Dunn is currenly tied with Baylor-ISP Sports Network color analyst Pat Nunley for third all-time with a 82.5 percent career free throw percentage. Dunn trails only John Lucas III (.832) and current Baylor student manager David Wesley (.828).
IN SEARCH OF 80
• Through the first 18 games of the regular season, Baylor's potent offense scored 80 or more points nine times, averaging 83.1 points in 18 games.
• Since then, Baylor has not reached the 80-point mark in its last 16 games and was held to less than 70 points six times.
FERRELL CENTER WINS RECORD: TAKE TWO
• Baylor will get a second chance to tie the Ferrell Center single-season wins record Wednesday when the Bears host the Georgetown Hoyas.
• Baylor finished the regular season with a 13-5 home record at the Ferrell Center - one win shy of tying the facility's single-season record (14-3 in 1997-97 and 2000-01).
• Baylor is 38-14 (.731) at the Ferrell Center in the last three seasons under head coach Scott Drew.
SENIOR CLASS SCORING TRIFECTA
• Baylor seniors Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers could very well be the most prolific group of senior scorers in Baylor history by season's end. Jerrells, Dugat and Rogers are the first senior class at Baylor with three players on the school's 1,000-point scoring list.
• Together, they have scored 4,236 points, accounting for 49.2 percent of Baylor's offense since arriving in 2005-06. BU has scored 8,602 points in the 114 games.
BEARS BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
• Bear basketball is aired live via the Baylor-ISP SportsNetwork on flagship station 1660AM ESPN Radio (KRZI) in Waco and worldwide on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 161. All games are broadcast by the "Voice of the Bears" John Morris, a veteran broadcaster in his 14th season, and former BU basketball standout Pat Nunley, in his 27th season as analyst.
INSIDE BAYLOR SPORTS TV SHOW
• Inside Baylor Sports, the award winning weekly TV show that covers all aspects of Baylor athletics, returns for its 10th season in 2008-09.
• Senior Producer Robert Shiekh and Producer Lawrence Gilligan provide viewers an inside look at Baylor athletics with thorough highlights, in-depth interviews and imaginative features on all 18 sports presented in a fast-paced, entertaining style. Co-hosts John Morris and Lori Fogleman guide viewers through the best coverage of Baylor athletics on television.
• Inside Baylor Sports airs Sundays, Aug. 24, 2008 through June 7, 2009, at 10:30 p.m. CT on KCEN-TV in Central Texas. The program also airs weekly throughout the region on FS Southwest at 1 p.m. each Wednesday and is archived on the web at BaylorTV.com. Inside Baylor Sports also may been seen nationally on CBS College Sports Television.
