21/22 BAYLOR BEARS (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas  Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler, 1993) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)	2/2 KANSAS (16-3, 5-2) vs. 21/22 BAYLOR (14-5, 4-3) Jan. 23, 2022 • 8:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • The Ferrell Center (10,284)  LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN Talent: Jon Sciambi (pxp), Jay Bilas (analyst), Kris Budden (Reporter) LISTEN: Learfield/ ESPN 1660 AM / 92.3 FM in Central Texas and on the Varsity Network App. Talent: John Morris (PBP), Pat Nunley SIRIUS XM: Sirius 375, XM 375, Internet 375 Baylor Social Media:
	KANSAS JAYHAWKS (16-3, 5-2 Big 12) Location: Lawrence, Kan. Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Bill Self (Oklahoma State — 1985) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            In a matchup that puts the "Big" in "Big Monday," the last two national champions will square off when No. 21 Baylor (14-5, 4-3) host No. 2 Kansas (16-3, 5-2) at 8 p.m. Monday at the Ferrell Center.
            While Baylor is riding a four-game winning streak and climbing the Big 12 standings, Kansas has dropped two in a row and got blown out by TCU, 83-60, in the Jayhawks' first conference loss at home in three years.
            "I know when we lost three in a row, we weren't very happy, so I assume it's the same for them," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "It's a Big 12 game, it's 'Big Monday,' it's the biggest platform our league has. Just like every game, you expect it to be highly contested and probably a one- or two-possession game. . . . Whoever executes a little bit better usually wins these games."
            The Bears are coming off one of those games, hitting four-straight 3-pointers in the last five minutes to pull out a 62-60 win on the road at Oklahoma. Jalen Bridges (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rebounds) knocked down three in a row, then Adam Flagler (16.0 ppg, 5.3 assists) hit the dagger with 20.7 seconds left.
            Baylor had missed 13 of its first 16 shots from distance before the 4-for-4 finish.
            "I think as long as they're good shots, we always want to take them," Drew said. "We'll play the percentages that we're going to make more than we miss because we have good shooters. And then, we've got to do everything we can to get rebounds when we're not making them. But if you're moving the ball and getting high-percentage shots, that's all a coach can ask for."
            Bridges, who went through a 1-for-20 stretch from 3-point range earlier in the season, was 3-for-5 against the Sooners and has hit 9-of-23 (39%) from outside the arc in the last six games. In two years at West Virginia, he made 36% of his 3-pointers.
            "All of us have seen him shoot it like that in practice since the summer," Drew said of Bridges. "When he got off to a slow start, we were all surprised. But he did what you want any player to do. When they're struggling you want them to work harder. He's always worked hard, and he's gone to another level, and that's paid off."
            Freshman Keyonte George (17.4 ppg, 4.6 rebounds) had his own struggles against OU, turning it over four times, missing four free throws (3-of-7) and shooting just 25% from the floor.
            "Oklahoma deserves a lot of credit with their scouting report and attention to detail," Drew said of the Sooners holding George to 11 points, his fourth-lowest output of the season. "Shooting's going to come and go. Steph Curry, we all know once or twice a year he's going 0-fer. It could be an off night, it could be the defense, but nobody can force shots to go in, and that's why usually good shooters make 35 to 40%. That means you're missing 6-of-10.
            "So, it's all the other things you really want to have: defense, assists, the rebounding. His plus-minus was tremendous (plus-12), so he did a lot of the other things."
            Kansas boasts four double-figure scorers, led by 6-8 forward Jalen Wilson, who's averaging a league-best 21.3 points per game and ranks second in rebounding at 8.8. Freshman guard Gradey Dick has had four 20-point games and is averaging 14.4 points per game, while Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar Jr. checks in with 10.2 points and 7.0 rebounds.
            Asked what Wilson brings, Drew said, "About 40 points a night." He's had four 30-point games and averaged 34 over the last two games.
            "He's been playing really well, and he's been doing it from 3, he's been doing it in the paint, he gets to the free throw line, he rebounds," Drew said. "Coach (Bill) Self's done a great job putting him in positions to be successful, and he's done a great job taking his game to another level."
            Along with George, Dick is a leading contender for National Freshman of the Year honors and projected as an NBA Draft lottery pick.
            "There's a reason he's projected as a lottery pick by most of the draft boards," Drew said of Dick, who had one of his roughest outings of the year in the loss to TCU, hitting just 3-of-13 from the floor and scoring eight points. "Anyone that has that quick of a release and can shoot at that high of a percentage is greatly valued in college basketball and in the NBA these days. He's somebody that you definitely have to know where he's at at all times, because he can make two or three 3's before you blink an eye."
            Monday night's game will be televised by ESPN, with Jon Sciambi, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden calling the action.

STORY LINES

• No. 21 Baylor hosts No. 2 Kansas in a "white out" in front of a sold-out crowd on ESPN's Big Monday.

• This matchup features the last two national champions (BU in 2021, KU in 2022).

• Baylor has won the last two meetings in Waco, the first time that has happened in series history.

• Seven of Baylor's eight wins over Kansas have come under the direction of Scott Drew.

• BU's four wins over Kansas since 2018 are tied for the most in the conference.

• Monday is the 44th series meeting. BU is 4-5 in the last 9 meetings after starting 4-30 in the series.

• 34 scouts from 16 NBA teams are credentialed for the Bears battle against the Jayhawks.

• Baylor is coming off a 62-60 road win at Oklahoma despite shooting a season-low .362 from the field, its lowest FG% in a win since shooting .317% in a 74-49 win at Kansas State last season (1/25/22).

• The Bears had a season high 30 second-chance points against the Sooners, the most since they had 32 against Washington State on 12/23/2010.

• Baylor is 11-1 against top-10 ranked teams over the last 3 years, beating Nos. 5, 9, 6, 6, 10, 6, 1, 6, 8, 5 and 8.

• Baylor is 9-4 in home games against top-10 teams over the last 7 seasons (6-26 prior to 2016-17).

• Baylor's 46-10 Big 12 record over the last four seasons is the best of any Power-5 team.

• BU is 160-92 in Big 12 play in 13 seasons since 2010 after going 59-149 in the league's first 13 seasons.

• After a one-week absence from the AP Top 25, The Bears are back in the top 25 and have now been ranked in 67 of the last 68 AP Polls.

• All five of BU's losses have come against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25, and in the top 25 of the latest NCAA Net rankings.

• The Bears are the second best offense in the nation (best in the conference) according to Ken Pom (119.7 Adj. Efficiency rating), averaging 80.6 points per game. 

• With a KenPom experience rating of 1.72, the Bears are the second-youngest team in the Big 12.

• BU has won 73-straight when shooting a higher percentage than its opponent (last loss March 2, 2019 at K-State).

• Baylor is 24-8 against AP top 25 teams over the last four seasons, the nation's best mark against ranked teams. 15 of those wins came against top 25 teams away from home.

• Eleven of Baylor's 12 starting point guards during the Scott Drew era have earned All-Big 12 recognition.

• Baylor's starting point guard has earned All-Big 12 recognition in 17 of 18 seasons since 2004-05.

• Adam Flagler and Keyonte George were named to the Wooden Award Mid-season Top-25. BU is one of three schools with multiple players on the list (Kansas and North Carolina).

• George Has eight 20-point games this season, the most by a BU freshman since Aaron Bruce (9) (2004-05).

• George's 17.4 points per game rank third among freshman in Division I.

• Baylor's starting guard trio of George, Flagler and LJ Cryer ranks as the fourth-highest scoring backcourt trio in college basketball (47.1 ppg).

• Flagler, George and Cryer are all in the top-12 in the Big 12 in points per game, one of four schools to have multiple players and the only one to have three in the top-12.

• George's 32 points at West Virginia were the most by a BU freshman since LaceDarius Dunn's 38 at Texas Tech (3/8/08).