By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Over the years, Baylor University has developed a partnering relationship with the Fort Hood Army base by inviting soldiers to select basketball and football games.

Now, Baylor is taking basketball to the base.

The 20th-ranked Baylor men will play Hardin-Simmons, an NCAA Division III team from Abilene, Texas, at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at Abrams Gym on the Fort Hood base.

"It's a true honor to be able to play a game here in front of the soldiers and their families as a way to say thank you for what they do and how they serve all of us," Drew said at Wednesday's press conference at the base. "I know it will be a highlight our players will remember for the rest of their lives."

With no general public sales, 2,000 tickets for the game will be distributed to soldiers and their families, and officials estimate another 1,000 can be packed into the gym with additional bleacher seating. "And I can promise you, how many ever we can get in there, it's going to be loud and exciting and fun for the soldiers and their families," Drew said.

Col. Todd M. Fox, Garrison Commander at the base, sees the relationship with Baylor as a "great opportunity, a great pairing."

"Baylor is known for its excellent academic programs and outstanding athletic programs," Col. Fox said. "So, anytime we get an opportunity to have your student-athletes and your administration interact with our soldiers and their families, you provide an incredible role model for them; someone for them to aspire to, whether it be academically, with sports, or just how you live your lives based on the values of Baylor University."

Three years ago, current Baylor seniors Rico Gathers and Taurean Prince were part of the squad that got to experience a "Weekend as a Wrangler." A team-bonding trip that involved players and coaches, the two-day experience included a Leadership Reaction Course, weapons training simulation, an Air Assault Obstacle Course and training in hand-to-hand combat.

"We haven't come back since, because our coaches haven't recovered from that," Drew said. "But, it was a great experience, something our players will never forget. . . . Still to this day, we have some of the military people that trained and worked with our guys that will stop by and show up for practice, show up for games. There's a great camaraderie and friendship that have come from that."

Two months ago, Glenn Moore took the Lady Bear softball team down to Fort Hood for similar training in developing leadership, problem-solving, communication and control under pressure.

"We learned from our military some of the most basic strategies for success in competition, which centered on teamwork and trust," Moore said.

Col. Fox says sports are a huge element on the Fort Hood base.

"Soldiers are athletes, too. That's who we try to recruit, and we consider ourselves America's ultimate team," he said. "So, if you're looking for a place where people are willing to put the team first and understand the value of hard work -- not as it benefits only you as an individual, but how it benefits the collective -- the U.S. Army is where you model that every day."

While season ticket-holders and Baylor fans won't be able to attend the Dec. 16 game, it will be broadcast by FOX Sports Southwest and ESPN Central Texas radio.

Drew sees the smaller Abrams Gym as a "once-in-a-lifetime venue" for the Baylor players, who will wear III Corps patches on their game uniforms as a tribute to the unit that is "leading the Coalition efforts in the Middle East in the fight against ISIS," Col. Fox said.

"You watch those games that are being played on Army bases throughout the country, and you see the excitement from the soldiers and the small gyms that are packed and the excitement that goes into that," Drew said. "A lot of times, we're used to playing in 15,000-seat arenas. This is going to be one of those back-to-high school days. And it's going to be loud and exciting."