No. 22 Men's Hoops Hosts Norfolk State
12/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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No. 22 Baylor (10-1) vs. Norfolk State (9-5) |
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• Tuesday will mark the 2nd series meeting -- Baylor beat Norfolk State 86-58 on Nov. 13, 2009.
• Baylor remained ranked No. 22 in both top-25 polls released Monday. The Bears have been ranked in eight straight seasons, joining Kansas as the only Big 12 schools to make that claim.
• Baylor ranks 11th nationally in scoring defense (55.0) after allowing only 605 points over its first 11 games.
• Baylor has held opponents under 30 first-half points in 9 of 11 games this season, including 7 of 11 at 25 or fewer.
• Baylor is 7th nationally in 3-point FG defense at 26.6% and 37th in FG?percentage defense at 37.8%.
• Baylor also ranks 5th nationally in rebounding margin (+11.5) and 22nd in points-per-possession defense (0.87)
• Baylor and Virginia are the only Division I teams to hold all opponents to 66 or fewer points this season.
• Baylor's 11 straight games holding opponents to 66 or fewer points is its longest such streak since 1985-86.
• Six different players have led Baylor in scoring this season, which ties TCU for most in the Big 12 Conference.
• Baylor has won 11 straight games at the Ferrell Center, tying the 3rd-longest streak in the arena's 27-year history.
• Baylor is seeking an undefeated December for the 6th time in the last 8 years (accomplished just twice prior; `96, `00)
• The Bears are 52-14 in December games during the Scott Drew era, including a 28-5 record since 2009-10.
• Johnathan Motley was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday. He has led Baylor in scoring in each of the last 3 games, combining for 57 points, which is more than his previous 8 collegiate games combined (53 points).
• Baylor is 70-5 when leading at the half over the last four seasons -- 9-1 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12. BU is 173-29 when leading at the half during the entire Drew era.
• BU?has won 39% of its games (19-30) when tied or trailing at half since 2011-12, including 1-0 this season.
• Baylor is 180-82 (24 wins per season) over the last eight seasons and has made six postseason appearances?(NCAA Tournament -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT -- 2009, 2013) with six 20-win seasons.
• Baylor is coming off a 2014 NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, which made Drew the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current team to three Sweet 16s in the last five years.
• BU has six 20-win seasons in the last 7 years. BU had only three 20-win seasons prior to Drew's arrival.
• Baylor's 5 NBA?Draft picks in the last 3 years ranks 5th nationally behind Kentucky, Duke,?Kansas and Syracuse.
• Baylor has the nation's second-best postseason winning percentage over the last six years (17-4; .810).
• Baylor is one of only 12 schools nationally to play in the Sweet 16 in three of the last five seasons.
• All 31 of Baylor's regular-season games will be televised this season, including 22 games on the ESPN?family of networks. The Norfolk State game will be Baylor's 115th consecutive televised contest.
• Baylor is 14-3 in overtime games under Drew, including a 3-0 mark last season.
• Drew is coaching his 366th game at Baylor (214-151). His .586 winning percentage is best in BU history among coaches with 60+ games, and his teams have a .687 winning percentage (180-82) since 2007-08.
• Baylor is 27-10 in postseason tournaments (conference, national) over the last six seasons.
• Baylor has more Big 12 wins in the last 7 seasons (62-56) than its first 11 years in the league combined (45-131).
• Drew is tied with Kansas' Bill Self as the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big 12 Conference. Drew, who is in his 12th season at Baylor, is second only to Texas' Rick Barnes (17th season at UT).
• Baylor has the Big 12's 2nd-longest active streak with at least one 3-point FG made in 743 consecutive games.
• Baylor has 22 games on ESPN networks this season, giving BU 106 ESPN appearances in the last seven seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
• Tuesday will be the second time Baylor and Norfolk State have ever played in men's basketball.
• BU won its previous game against the Spartans, 86-58, on Nov. 13, 2009 at the Ferrell Center.
• Baylor is 14-0 against current MEAC?teams, the second-most wins the Bears have against any conference without a loss (47-0 vs. SWAC). NSU?is the only MEAC?team on BU's schedule this season.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
• Baylor has won 93% of its games when leading at the half since 2011-12. The Bears are 70-5 when leading through the first 20 minutes in that stretch (9-1 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12).
• BU has won 39% of games in which its been tied or trailing at the half since 2011-12, going 19-30 in those.
• BU has led at halftime in 75 of 124 games over the last four seasons. With wins in 70 of those 75 games, and victories in 19 of 49 games it has trailed or been tied at the half, Baylor is 89-35 since 2011-12.
FERRELL CENTER WINNING STREAK AT 11
• Baylor has won 11 consecutive games at the Ferrell?Center, which ties the 3rd-longest winning streak in the arena's 27-year history. The arena record is 15 straight wins from Feb. 3, 2010 through Jan. 11, 2011.
• The Bears have defeated Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Iowa State, McNeese State, Prairie View A&M, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Southern, Texas A&M, New Mexico State and Southern during the streak.
• BU?has won 8 of its last 9 home games by double digits, and the Bears' last home loss was Feb. 4 vs. Kansas.
ONE OF TWO BIG 12 TEAMS RANKED EIGHT STRAIGHT SEASONS
• Baylor joins Kansas as the only Big 12 Conference schools to be ranked in each of the last eight seasons. The Bears were unranked in the preseason for the first time since 2009-10, but cracked the rankings at No. 22 on Dec. 22.
• Baylor has been ranked for at least three weeks in each of the last six seasons (2008-09 through 2013-14), and if the Bears are ranked in next Monday's poll, that streak will extend to seven straight seasons.
A WIN WOULD ...
• Give Baylor an 11-1 start to the season for the sixth time in the last eight years.
• Extend Baylor's Ferrell?Center winning streak to 12 games, the 3rd-longest in the arena's 27-year history.
• Give Baylor a 23-4 record over its last 27 games dating back to Feb. 12, 2014.
• Be the sixth time in the last eight years the Bears have gone undefeated in December (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014). Baylor went undefeated in December only twice prior to the Drew era (1996, 2000).
• Make Baylor 41-5 in December games since 2007-08 and 53-14 in December games during the Drew era.
• Give Baylor a 104-24 record in games before the New Year under Drew, including an 84-12 record since 2007-08.
• Give Baylor a 90-35 record since the start of the 2011-12 season.
• Make Baylor 181-82 since the start of the 2007-08 season, good for a .688 winning percentage.
• Improve Baylor's record to 15-0 all-time against current MEAC members.
BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF DREW ERA
• Baylor?and Virginia are the only Division I teams to hold every opponent to 66 or fewer points this season.
• BU's 11 straight games holding opponents to 66 or fewer points is its longest such streak since 1985-86.
• The Bears are 1 of 9 Division I?teams to hold all opponents under 70 points this season (Baylor, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Old Dominion, Virginia and William &?Mary).
• Baylor's current 55.0 points per game allowed is 9.0 points better than the Bears' best defensive season of the Scott Drew era (2010-11, 64.0 ppg allowed). The last time BU held opponents below 64 ppg was 1985-86 (61.2).
• Baylor has held 9 of 11 opponents under 30 first-half points, including 7 of 11 with 25 or fewer first-half points.
• For the first time since 2009-10, Baylor has held four Division I opponents below 50 points.
• Baylor held Memphis to 15 points in the 2nd half, tying the fewest allowed in any half of the Drew era.
LOOKING FOR 6TH UNDEFEATED DECEMBER IN LAST 8 YEARS
• A win vs. NSU?would give Baylor its sixth undefeated month of December in the last eight years. Prior to that stretch, Baylor went undefeated in?December only twice (1996 and 2000).
• Baylor is 40-5 in December games since 2007-08 and 52-14 in?December games during the Scott Drew era.
• Baylor is 43-7 in November games since 2007-08 and 51-10 in November games during the Drew era
• Baylor is a combined 103-24 in games before the New Year under Drew, including an 83-12 record since 2007-08.
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
• Baylor has benefited from a balanced scoring attack that has seen eight different players combine to score in double figures 31 times through the first 11 games.
• BU?has had six different players lead the team in scoring this season -- Deng Deng vs. McNeese State, Kenny Chery at South?Carolina, Royce O'Neale vs. SFA and at Vanderbilt, Rico?Gathers vs. Texas Southern, Taurean Prince vs. Prairie View A&M and Memphis and Johnathan?Motley vs.?Texas?A&M, NMSU and Southern.
• Baylor and TCU are the only Big 12 teams to have six different players lead in scoring this season.
• Prince leads the team with 11.4 points per game, while five other players average between 8.5 and 10.0 ppg.
MOTLEY SETTLING INTO STARTING ROLE
• Redshirt freshman Johnathan Motley has started all 11 games this season, averaging 23.5 minutes per game.
• Motley has led the Bears in scoring in the last three games after going scoreless in the previous two contests. He's combined for 57 points over the last three games after scoring 53 points over the season's first eight games.
• Motley's 57 points over the last three games raised his scoring average from 6.6 to 10.0 points per game.
• Motley has 11 blocks in his last two games after blocking five shots over his first nine games.
O'NEALE DOES IT ALL
• During his four years of Division I basketball, Royce O'Neale has 1,042 points, 637 rebounds, 323 assists, 133 steals and 37 blocks in 112 games played.
• Including his two seasons at Denver, O'Neale has 24 career games played touching all five stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).
• Last season, O'Neale became the first player in program history to post 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in the same season. He ranked second on the team with 110 assists and fourth with 205 rebounds in 2013-14.
• O'Neale currently ranks 9th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.6) and 10th in assists (3.5), making him the only Big 12 Conference player in the top 10 in both categories.
GATHERS FILLING BIG SHOES
• Rico?Gathers spent his first two seasons at Baylor backing up big men Cory Jefferson and Isaiah Austin, but with those players gone to the professional ranks, he's stepped into the starting lineup as a junior.
• Gathers is averaging close to a double-double with 9.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
• Gathers leads the Big 12 and ranks 10th nationally in total rebounding (10.5), and he's 3rd nationally with 4.9 offensive rebounds per game.
• Gathers also leads the Big 12 with 5 double-doubles this season and 23 career double-digit rebound games, and he's 2nd among active Big 12 players with 12 career double-doubles.
• In his 14 career starts, Gathers is averaging 10.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
FREEMAN LEADS BAYLOR BENCH
• Redshirt freshman Al Freeman has led Baylor in bench scoring in six of the last seven games.
• Freeman scored season-highs of 10 points in two straight games before going scoreless against Southern.
• Freeman averages 19.4 minutes per game, most of any Baylor reserve.
PRINCE'S ROLE INCREASING
• Taurean Prince entered the season averaging 5.2 points in 11.2 minutes over 62 games played in two seasons, but he is leading the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game in 24.5 minutes per game.
• Prince scored in double figures in a career-best seven straight games prior to behind held to 4 points vs. New Mexico State. His longest previous double-figure scoring streak was two games.
• Prince has also led or tied for the team lead three times this season, equaling the number of times he led the team in scoring over his first two seasons.
WITH CHERY LIMITED, OTHERS STEPPING UP
• Baylor starting point guard Kenny Chery missed 5 starts with a foot injury before returning to the starting lineup against New Mexico State.
• In his absense, Lester Medford moved from his starting shooting guard position to run the point, Royce O'Neale moved from small forward to shooting guard and Taurean?Prince filled the open starting small forward spot.
• Medford had 30 assists and only 7 turnovers in his 5 starts at point guard, while Prince (14.4 ppg), O'Neale (11.6 ppg) and Rico?Gathers (11.8 ppg, 11.0 rpg) all increased their production with Chery out or limited.
• Redshirt freshman Al?Freeman led the team in bench scoring in all five games Chery didn't start.
• Additionally, walk-on Austin Mills averaged 8.0 minutes per game while backing up Medford at point guard in the games Chery missed.
DREW IS PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WINS LEADER
• Scott Drew holds Baylor's school record with 214 career wins as head coach.
• Drew became the all-time wins leader by defeating Texas on March 14, 2014 for his 202nd Baylor victory, passing Bill Henderson (201 wins; 1941-43 and 1945-61) for the all-time wins mark.
• Drew's .586 winning percentage is the best ever by a Baylor coach with 60+ games at the helm.
UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS
• Baylor has enjoyed unprecedented success over the last seven-plus seasons under 12th-year head coach Scott Drew. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Baylor is 180-82 (24 wins per season) and has made six postseason appearances?(NCAA -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT?-- 2009, 2013) and posted six 20-win seasons.
• Prior to 2007-08, Baylor won only 135 games in the first 11 seasons of the Big 12 era (12.3 wins per season).
• Baylor has made 13 postseason appearances (six under Drew) and won 20+ games just nine times (six under Drew) in the program's first 108 seasons.
DREW AMONG NATION'S ELITE
• Head coach Scott Drew is the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current program to three Sweet 16 appearances in the last five seasons.
• Drew (44) is joined by Arizona's Sean Miller (46), Ohio State's Thad Matta (47), Florida's Billy Donovan (49), Kansas' Bill Self (51), Kentucky's John Calipari (55), Michigan State's Tom Izzo (59), Louisville's Rick Pitino (62), Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (67), Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (67) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (70).
UP NEXT
• Baylor opens Big 12 Conference play with a road trip to Oklahoma for a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday on ESPNU.
• BU then returns home to host Kansas in its Big 12 home opener at 8 p.m. on Jan. 7, also on ESPNU.
