Nov. 22, 2000
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Dave Campbell appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
The first recruiting returns for the 2000-2001 school year reached the dotted line stage last week, and the harvest was so good for Baylor that it had to be regarded as perhaps the most productive early-signing (fall) period in the school's history.
From basketball on both the men's and women's side, from softball, from volleyball and baseball and men's golf, the returns -- already in hand or on the way -- were such that the coaches of those sports were left with smiles that reached from here to yonder.
And while cross country coach Todd Harbour delayed the release of his early signings for a few days, he did tell the Insider that he was confident his Lady Bear signatures were strictly on the top side, so much so as to move the women's cross country team up to the Big 12 Conference's first division next year. And he was encouraged by those cross country signatures he felt sure would fall in Baylor's lap on the men's side as well.
Included in that group, he said, would be significant help for both the men's and women's track teams.
The Baylor tennis teams and women's golf also are permitted to gather signatures in the fall, and one unconfirmed report said Baylor Lady Bears golf coach Sylvia Ferdon already has in hand at least one signature for her team. But there were no official announcements from either Ferdon or the two tennis camps.
Actually, Baylor men's tennis coach Matt Knoll is expected to add several high-powered talents to his team in January, and they would be eligible immediately. That was the case last year where Zoltan Papp was concerned, and he immediately became a strong member of Baylor's conference title-winning cast.
Of course, the most widely-discussed and anticipated recruiting developments are those having to do with the talent chase for football, but those signings mainly are reserved for December (for junior college transfers who are eligible to enroll in a senior college in January) and the first Monday in February (the prizes from high school ranks mainly).
Soccer signings also are reported in February, and a new time slot for spring signings in basketball, baseball and track opens in mid-April.
But the spotlight last week was on those sports that are permitted to announce fall signings, and here is how those early signings looked from Baylor's vantage point:
| Baseball | Men's Basketball | Women's Basketball | Men's Golf | Softball | Volleyball |
