Big 12 Sports Blog by Big 12 Fans

TEXAS A&M 71, BAYLOR 57: Bears shoot ice cold from field, fall to Aggies at Ferrell Center

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – For some unknown reason, the Baylor Bears haven’t been able to find a way to defeat Texas A&M on their home hardwood over the past four meetings.

Baylor (20-9, 8-7 Big 12) fell to Texas A&M (22-8, 8-7 Big 12) 71-56 on Wednesday, March 5 at the Ferrell Center, the Bears’ fourth straight loss to the Aggies in Waco.

“As far as tonight’s game, I think Texas A&M won the game,” Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew said. “They hit big shots and played very well. Josh Carter hit big shots, Donald Sloan hit big shots, and the interior did a great job defensively. I think we wanted to win so bad for our seniors that you either play great or you come out and play tight.

“I think we came out and played tight. Obviously with their interior [defense] we needed to hit some outside shots. We had some good looks early, and we didn’t make those. Their outside defense was very good.”

The Bears began the game shooting ice cold from the field and beyond the arc, hitting only 24.1 percent of their shots in the first half (7-for-29) while going 0-for-9 from the three-point line through the first 20 minutes of play.

“Physical and half court basketball favors them [Texas A&M],” Drew said. “Again, I thought it was a bit different than the first time we played. Give [Texas A&M] Coach [Mark] Turgeon the credit for doing a great job controlling the tempo and getting the style of play that they wanted.”

Swarming defense was the key to the Aggies defeating the Bears at home, as Texas A&M pressured Baylor’s guards from start to finish – with BU ending the evening making just 21.1 percent of their shots from three-point range (4-for-19).

“I thought early we had some good looks, and as the game went on we started to press a little bit more and then we took some tougher looks,” Drew said. “Early on, I thought CJ [Curtis Jerrells] had a couple of good looks and I know Lace [LaceDarius Dunn] had a good look. It was a situation where we didn’t get off to a good start. After that, we tried to go inside more and they did a good job defensively.”

The Aggies also slowed down the tempo of the game – toning down the pace to work in Texas A&M’s favor over a Baylor offense that thrives when moving at a quicker speed.

“That is what coach [Scott Drew] preaches to us; he just tells us to push the tempo up and get it into our style of game, but I think they [Texas A&M] did a good job of slowing it down, getting inside and doing what they do,” Baylor junior guard Henry Dugat said. “We had a game like that not too long ago [with shots not falling in the first half]. We know that we just have to stick with what we do and what has got us here. Eventually they are going to fall, but tonight was just one of those nights in which they didn’t.”

In addition to shooting ice cold from the field, the Bears and Aggies played a very physical game on the Ferrell Center hardwood – with Texas A&M being known as one of the tougher teams in the conference.

“That is how they play,” Dugat said. “They have good big men down low. They like to bang a lot; that is the style they play, so we are used to it. They are one of the most physical teams in the Big 12.

“I think they just keyed in on us and locked down a bit more. They did a great job defensively on us; obviously, look at the stat sheet.”

On a night that saw the Bears shoot just 33.3 percent from the field (21-for 63), not a single green and gold player hit double-digits in scoring and the team was held to a season-low 57 points.

“It was a tough night tonight; we didn’t shoot like we normally do,” Baylor center Mamadou Diene said. “We play with these guards every day; we know that they can make those shots. We just didn’t hit shots tonight, and sometimes that just happens. Tonight was just one of those nights.

“It was pretty physical, that is the Big 12. Every game is physical, but this one [against Texas A&M] was the most physical game this year.”

Baylor was led offensively by Jerrells and Diene, netting nine points apiece. Also scoring for the Bears was Dugat with eight points, Tweety Carter with seven points and Aaron Bruce with seven points.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, had four players hit double-digits in scoring – with Carter and Sloan leading the Aggies with 17 points each.

After a low scoring first half saw Texas A&M take a 26-21 lead into the break, both teams played a much better second half – with the Aggies outscoring the Bears 45-36 through the final 20 minutes of play, due primarily to A&M hitting clutch free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.

Unfortunately, the game concluded with some unneeded showboating by the Aggies, as Texas A&M’s Sloan assisted himself via the backboard for an uncontested slam dunk with the seconds ticking off the clock and the road team up by 12.

“I did not like it [Sloan’s final dunk as time ran out],” Turgeon said. “The arena was already hostile. They were throwing bottles all over the place which was ridiculous. I wish he would have just let the clock go out. The game was over.”

The Bears and Aggies return to the hardwood on Saturday – with Baylor slated to face Texas Tech on the road and Texas A&M set to host Kansas – as both teams conclude regular season conference play prior to the Big 12 Tourney tipping off on March 13.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

TEXAS A&M-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears set to host Aggies in rematch of epic five-overtime hardwood showdown

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – In approximately 24 hours, a rematch of one of the greatest games to ever hit the college hardwood tips off at the Ferrell Center.

On Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) will host Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7) as the Bears aim for back-to-back victories over the Aggies – with the game slated to be televised on ESPN2.

The prior BU-TAMU conference contest, an epic five-overtime battle ‘til the buzzer at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena, resulted in a remarkable 116-110 Baylor victory.

After the Bears marathon victory in College Station, Scott Drew’s squad picked up just one win over the next seven Big 12 match-ups before garnering three straight W’s – as Baylor seeks to make it four on Wednesday under BU’s gold dome for the team’s home finale.

Baylor is 12-3 at home this season – and having already won on the road against the Aggies this season, the Bears look to sweep the season series with Texas A&M when they take center stage on the green and gold hoops court Wednesday night in Waco.

The Bears are currently tied for third place with Kansas State in conference standings, pushing to end the regular season on a high note in hopes of acquiring a first-round bye in the Big 12 Championship – running March 13-16 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Drew’s basketball bunch defeated Missouri 100-89 last Saturday for Baylor’s third straight win, as well as the team’s 20^th victory of the season, and the Bears hope to make it 21 on Wednesday with an NCAA Tournament birth on the line.

Although the Bears have dropped three consecutive match-ups with the Aggies in Waco, Baylor looks to end that streak when hosting Texas A&M on senior night at the Ferrell Center – where BU’s three grads-to-be, Aaron Bruce, Richard Hurd and Mark Shepherd, will be honored on Wednesday evening in a pregame ceremony.

Check back on Thursday, March 6 for postgame notes, quotes, stats and more from the annual TAMU-BU hardwood showdown in Waco…

2008 BU@TAMU: Reed Arena Revisited

First the first time, fans will be able to witness the epic showdown between Baylor and Texas A&M held on Jan. 23 at College Station’s Reed Arena – with the game scheduled to be televised on ESPN Classic beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 5.

The Bears three-and-a-half hour marathon victory over the Aggies, a 116-110 Baylor win over then-No. 16 Texas A&M, set seven Big 12 records – including longest game (five overtime periods), most points by a team (116 by Baylor in a conference game), most combined team points (226 in a conference contest), most team rebounds (70 by Baylor), most field goal attempts by a team (97 by Baylor), most team free throws made (29 by Baylor tied a Kansas State record set on Feb. 13, 1999) and most individual free throws made (20 by Curtis Jerrells).

Shortly thereafter, the rematch tips off as the Bears and Aggies get reacquainted – this time on the BU hardwood – in a Ferrell Center match-up at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (March 4, 2008): Latest news, notes and standings on the hoops hardwood…

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Keep shuffling the Big 12 standings; this year’s conference champion likely won’t be crowned until Sunday’s season finale.

Kansas, the newest leader in Big 12 men’s basketball, picked up a lopsided lights-out 109-51 victory over Texas Tech in ESPN’s Big Monday, March 3 match-up – moving the Jayhawks into first place in conference standings, a mere half-game lead over the Texas Longhorns.

Both the Horns and Wildcats put their upper-echelon records on the line on Tuesday night, March 4 in Big 12 hoops action, with Texas hosting Nebraska and Kansas State hosting Colorado.

The Wildcats aim to end a four-game skid on Tuesday evening at home, a game slated to be televised on ESPN Plus at 8 p.m. CT, while the Longhorns aim to bounce back after a disappointing loss at Texas Tech.

On Wednesday, March 5 the Big 12 boasts a triple-header of conference showdowns, as the trio of games are scheduled to be televised on ESPN’s family of channels – with two games tipping off at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus (Iowa State at Missouri and Oklahoma at Oklahoma State) followed by a much anticipated match-up featuring Texas A&M at Baylor beginning at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

After Wednesday’s games, every Big 12 team will have only one regular season contest remaining on their calendars – with eight teams ending their 2008 conference campaign on Saturday and the final four waiting until Sunday’s final buzzer to figure out where they stand come season’s end.

Here’s a quick look at those final six showdowns, beginning with the four slated for Saturday, March 8 (including television schedule and tip off times): Baylor at Texas Tech, 12:30 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus; Missouri at Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC; Kansas State at Iowa State, 3 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus; and Kansas at Texas A&M, 3 p.m. CT on CBS.

Sunday, March 9 will mark the final day of the regular season in Big 12 basketball – as the conference concludes with a hardwood double-header (including television schedule and tip off times): Colorado at Nebraska, 2 p.m. CT (no television coverage), followed by Oklahoma State at Texas, 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Check back on Friday, March 7 for the latest news, notes and standings from the Big 12 as conference hoops action heats up through the final week of the regular season…

Current Big 12 Men’s Basketball Standings (03.04.08)

                                    Big 12              Overall             Ranking (ESPN)

Kansas                         12-3                 27-3                 6

Texas                           11-3                 24-5                 9

Baylor                          8-6                   20-8                 –

Kansas State                8-6                   18-10               –

Texas A&M                 7-7                   21-8                 –

Oklahoma                    7-7                   19-10               –

Oklahoma State            7-7                   16-12               –

Texas Tech                   7-8                   16-13               –

Nebraska                     6-8                   17-10               –

Missouri                       5-9                   15-14               –

Iowa State                    4-10                 14-15               –

Colorado                      3-11                 11-17               –

Conference Standings Scenarios

As the season has worn on, it’s been proven time and time again that the Big 12 is a very competitive conference when it comes to men’s basketball.

And it appears as though the top teams in the standings will be a toss-up ‘til Sunday’s season finale.

There are all sorts of scenarios as far as who ends up where, but the truth is that no one will really have the final answer until Sunday’s final buzzer.

One thing is crystal clear in the conference: Kansas and Texas are the leaders, followed by a Baylor team that’s heating up, a Kansas State team that’s slumping and a trio of teams (Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) at .500 in Big 12 play.

Big 12 Weekly Honors

Baylor’s Kevin Rogers and Kansas’ Brandon Rush were recently named the Big 12 players of the week (March 3).

Rogers, a junior forward on the BU basketball team, averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Bears’ back-to-back conference victories this past week and has now garnered 12 double-doubles this season.

Rush, meanwhile, helped propel the Jayhawks into a tie for first in conference standings – averaging 18 points, four rebounds and three assists in a pair of Kansas wins.

Kansas State’s Michael Beasley once again took home rookie of the week honors in the Big 12, his sixth straight week to win the award – averaging 35 points and 13 boards in two conference contests, both losses for the Wildcats.

In addition, Beasley’s 10^th conference award (two player honors, eight rookie honors) ties a Big 12 record by matching former Texas star Kevin Durant’s 10 combined honors for the 2006-07 season (four player awards and six rookie awards).

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

No. 11 Bears sweep through QTI Baylor Classic, remain undefeated

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – The Baylor Bears baseball team is on fire, remaining undefeated after sweeping a weekend series with a trio of teams.

Steve Smith’s Bears (7-0) – ranked No. 11 in the latest Baseball America polls – picked up three more wins this past weekend in the annual QTI Baylor Classic, blowing out their opening round opponent before squeaking by in the second two games to keep their undefeated record intact.

“There are five one-run games in there, so we could easily be 4-3,” Smith said following Baylor’s 4-3 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the QTIBC finale on Sunday, March 2. “We’ve played pretty well defensively, and we’re making a lot of plays. The one thing that needs to get better is going to be the walk number for our pitchers being too high.

“We give a lot of teams free bases; [Sunday] we did it quite a bit, but we made pitches too. [Sunday is] a perfect example of that. Willie [Kempf] loaded the bases almost by himself in one inning, and [he] was able to make pitches to get out of it. He had pretty good defensive play behind him, and we’ve got a good bullpen. We’ve got a lot of good arms and some of them haven’t been out there much yet. I still like the club, and as the time goes on we’ll see better and better swings out of our offense.”

On Sunday, the Bears were not ensured of a W until the game’s final pitch – clinching yet another one-run victory on the season – taking an early 3-0 lead only to see it evaporate late prior to Baylor tacking on a seventh inning run and holding on for the win.

“A win is a win, but it’s good when you see different guys contributing and you see different guys making plays in fairly tight situations when there’s little margin for error,” Smith said. “Erik Forestiere going out today and getting six outs with a one-run lead is a pretty big deal for him. It certainly will give him a lot of confidence, and the players out there behind him a lot of confidence, knowing that it doesn’t always have to be Nick [Cassavechia] that goes in for those situations.”

Forestiere appeared to welcome the late-innings challenge, attacking the batters early and often to garner the save.

“He came in throwing strikes with three pitches right away,” Smith said. “He did that the other day when he went out there, and that’s requirement number one. It always troubles me when a guy goes in a game and the catcher’s diving for his first pitch. I’ve seen that quite a bit, and I know it’s early in the year, but that kind of thing needs to get better. Erik threw strike one and strike two right off the bat.”

Despite the near pitcher-perfect picture from the mound this season, Smith is a bit concerned about his offense relying heavily on homeruns.

“I don’t know if it’s a thought pattern or if it’s [our] approach, but we’re living on the flyball right now,” Smith said. “We’re living on homeruns, and that won’t work against good-quality pitching. [On Sunday] we got ourselves out quite a bit with a lot of big swings and lot of weak flyballs. We’re thinking long-ball too much, and that might be a carryover from the Friday night game.”

On Friday, Feb. 29, the Bears opened the QTI Baylor Classic with a major offensive outburst, crossing home plate 20 times (on 21 hits) while limiting Illinois to just six runs on nine hits.

“We got extra opportunities,” Smith said following Friday’s 20-6 Baylor victory over Illinois. “They kicked it around a little bit on defense and they left the guy out there. They weren’t in any hurry to go to their bullpen, and our guys were seeing him well and taking good swings.”

One of those taking swings for the fences on Friday night included Aaron Miller, the first Bears baseball player to hit three homeruns at Baylor Ballpark.

“Hitting is contagious, and the guys swung the bats very well,” Smith said. “Obviously he’s [Miller] got some juice in his bat; it was quite a display. He’s a pretty special kid.”

Baylor sophomore starting pitcher Kendal Volz – who picked up the win on Friday against Illinois – concurs with his skipper, adding that Miller is probably one of the toughest outs in the nation.

“We all know he [Miller] can hit, and [on Friday] he just showed his potential,” Volz said. “He’s a great hitter; one of the best hitters. Throwing against him in all of the intrasquads in the fall, he’s one of the best hitters that we’ll throw to, and we could say that about almost every hitter on our team. There aren’t too many times you’ll see that, or even hear about that.”

According to Miller, it took a total team effort for the BU victory – and he credits the team’s overall ability to Baylor being able to smoke 21 hits in the QTIBC opener.

“We’ve always had the ability to do something like that, and I think we’re going to do it quite a bit more,” Miller said. “[Against Illinois,] we showed a little bit about what our lineup can do. Up and down the lineup, [we had] doubles, home runs, just absolutely killing the ball. Once we get in a flow, it’s going to be a really hard lineup for opposing pitchers to attack.”

Miller’s exactly right – especially with a lineup as offensively packed as the Bears – and against Illinois, every single player in the lineup picked up at least one hit.

“It definitely does [help] with the way Adam [Hornung] is swinging, and Dustin [Dickerson] behind him,” Miller said. “Dustin had three doubles today, and Beamer [Weems] ahead of me got a few hits. There are really no weaknesses in our lineup.

“I really feel bad for other teams when you come out and guys are swinging this well. Landis [Ware] had three hits in the nine-hole, and when teams are swinging it that well, there’s just really not much you can do.”

Baylor followed Friday’s blowout win with a come-from-behind victory on Saturday, March 1 against Illinois-Chicago – falling behind early before battling back with a four-run seventh to garner a 5-4 win.

“This game was about pitching and defense,” Smith said. “We played it really well on the defensive side. Beamer [Weems] and Shaver [Hansen] on the left side of the infield were really, really good, and Beamer showed that he is in fact a human with that error in the ninth; but he made some tremendous plays, as did Shaver.

“Shaver’s play when he had to come get that ball [in the eighth inning] was a great play. I couldn’t be more pleased with how we’re playing defense in the infield. They’ve been really, really good.”

Junior outfielder Ben Booker was Saturday’s hero for the Bears, blasting a two-run triple that temporarily gave Baylor a 4-3 lead before BU pitching hung on to clinch the win.

“That lefty [Chris Kovacevich] was throwing all kinds of off-speed,” Booker said. “When the count got to 3-1 and he threw me another off-speed pitch I was like, ‘he might as well throw it again.’ He left it up and I put a good swing on it, but I saw that center fielder going after it and I thought ‘please just let it drop one time.’ It was good for us.

“This team is veteran enough where once we get down one or two runs it’s not a big deal because up and down the lineup everybody hits the ball pretty well. Our pitchers throw the ball well, and when you get up two or three and have Nick [Cassavechia] coming in, one of the best relievers, you feel solid once you get the lead.”

Senior center fielder Paul Miles, who picked up a hit and also crossed home plate in Saturday’s BU victory, was happy to see Baylor’s deep and talented team pull together once again for a one-run win.

“The day before we came out and really put a ton of hits up there, and then the next day we’ve got to come out and win close games,” Miles said. “That’s a good thing about this team. One day we can do it by beating guys pretty well, and then the next day we can come and pitch, play, throw the ball around and win one-run ball games. That’s pretty good for our team dynamic. We can get it done a lot of ways.”

Sophomore third baseman Shaver Hansen agrees with his teammate, dropping in two hits in Sunday’s finale against Stephen F. Austin – a 4-3 Baylor victory.

“Early in the season it builds a lot of confidence being able to come back and win,” Hansen said. “[We have had] timely hits, our pitchers never give up, and everything is kind of adding up. As long as we can get the win, that’s all that matters.”

However, according to Hansen – as well as the coaching staff – the team needs to learn to quit relying on the long-ball if they expect to continue their highly successful season.

“We’ve been popping it up in the air, which is something we need to shy away from,” Hansen said. “We’ve had the wind blowing the last couple of days, and that has benefited us. When that doesn’t happen, and when we get a guy that’s going to have pretty lights-out stuff, we need to be able to square the ball up and hit it on a line or on the ground.

“That’s what we’re going to work on in practice. That and bunting. We’ve missed on a couple of bunts and things like that, so we need to get that done; [we need to work on] the little parts of the game and not so much the long-ball.”

Practice makes perfect; so far, the Baylor baseball team has done just that – remaining perfect thus far with a 7-0 record.

The Bears aim to keep that record intact when they face Louisiana Tech in a two-game series at Baylor Ballpark beginning on Tuesday, March 4 and concluding on Wednesday, March 5.

Check back on Friday, March 6, for the latest news and notes from the green and gold baseball team as the Bears look to continue their winning ways…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 100, MISSOURI 89: Bears rally from double-digit deficit, defeat Tigers 100-89 for third straight Big 12 victory

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – With the second half nearing the 14 minute mark, the Baylor Bears found themselves down by 13 points at home against the Missouri Tigers when Head Coach Scott Drew called a timeout.

At that time, the Bears men’s basketball team was down 69-56 with 14:16 remaining – before making the run they needed to deadlock the game, and eventually win the contest.

“This team, we have been through so much we were just thinking in our heads that there is just too much time left,” Baylor junior forward Kevin Rogers said. “Early leads mean nothing. We were able to come out and execute and play how we know how to play. Any lead is easy to break into, we just need to slow ourselves down and get back to the basics and get stops and score.”

Shortly thereafter, Baylor (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) did just that – clawing past prior problems by pressing the opponents in the backcourt, playing daunting team defense and garnering sharp shooting from the Bears gifted guards – to pull off an 11-point victory, 100-89, against Missouri (15-14, 5-9).

The BU guards, proving throughout the season that they can and will successfully survive by making a high percentage of their shots from beyond the arc, went on a patented Bears run – scoring 14 unanswered behind consecutive three-pointers by LaceDarius Dunn to give Baylor a 70-69 lead with 9:13 remaining in the game.

“We wanted to make [Saturday’s match-up with Missouri] exciting,” Drew said. “The team showed their togetherness and heart. In the second half, being down and finding a way to win is a sign of a team with experience, good leadership and a lot of courage.”

The Bears and Tigers were tied, 77-77 with 6:34 left, prior to Baylor’s senior Mamadou Diene – scoring a season-high 10 points – and Rogers stepping up offensively with back-to-back baskets to put the Bears on top for good.

“Our whole team knew the importance of this game,” Drew said. “Give a lot of credit to Missouri, they played a great game. Defensively, we just weren’t very sharp for 25 minutes of the game. In the last 15 minutes we did a much better job blocking out.”

Blocking out, or lack thereof, was one of the main reasons behind the Bears allowing the Tigers to take a big lead and remain in the fight – although Baylor finally managed to pull together and deadlock Missouri in team rebounding with 41 apiece.

“We played with effort,” Baylor sophomore guard Tweety Carter said. “The first half we came out and we didn’t look like we had the energy defensively. Starting with me, I wasn’t energetic out there like I normally am until the second half. It has to be a 40 minute thing, so we have to continue to get better at that.”

With that being said, the Bears did what was necessary to pick up a much-needed win on a day filled with upsets – including a Texas A&M blowout loss at Oklahoma and a Texas loss to Texas Tech – to give the BU basketball team their 20^th win of the season, as well as their third straight conference victory.

“Nationally, people look at a 20-win season as a pretty big deal,” Drew said. “That is why when a team can reach a 20-win season, it is something to obviously be proud of. At the same time, I don’t think anyone says that they just want to win 20 [regular season games], and the good thing is we have a lot of basketball left.”

For Baylor’s Carter and company, the credit goes to God – as well as teamwork.

“You have to give credit to God for bringing us together,” Carter said. “A lot of us had other opportunities to go to other schools and play for other coaches; when Coach Drew recruited us, he told us that one day it would be a special day for us at Baylor. We need to continue to get better. [Our current 20-8 season] is a great start for us, but we just need to continue to get better.”

The Baylor big men, primarily Diene and Rogers, played a significant role in the victory – especially during the Bears second half rally as the home team’s forwards/centers came through in the clutch.

“Well I think our bigs always have an impact on the game with the standpoint that a lot of times they create advantages with their screens and their play,” Drew said. “I thought [in Saturday’s game against the Tigers] they did a great job finishing and scoring inside.”

Forward Delbert Simpson, a junior transfer from Tyler Junior College, scored a career high in both scoring and blocks while coming off the bench – netting 10 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks on Saturday afternoon at the Ferrell Center.

“It was a great day for me, but a better day for our team,” Simpson said. “I contributed to the team where I feel like I could help out today. I want to win, and the team wants to win. We are a family.”

Baylor’s hoops family also did a phenomenal job of hitting the glass and blocking out late in the second half after a dismal first half left the Bears in a halftime deficit.

“That [second half rebounding] was a major thing,” Simpson said. “With this game in particular, we had to come in and hit the boards to be victorious.”

For the Bears, seven players hit double-digits in scoring – including Henry Dugat (18), Carter (17), Dunn (16), Curtis Jerrells (14), Rogers (12), Diene (10) and Simpson (10) – as the Baylor guards once again came to the rescue.

“They’ve got quick guards; actually I think they’ve got the best guards we have played all year,” Missouri junior forward Lee Lyons, who led the Tigers with 22 points and 15 rebounds, said. “They [Baylor’s guards] are quick, and they can shoot the ball. So you really can’t guard them. In my opinion, I think they are the best guards in the Big 12.”

Rogers also picked up his 12^th double-double of the season on Saturday, and his fifth straight, muscling in 12 points while pulling down 12 boards as Baylor picked up their first 20-win season since 1987-88 – a season that saw the Bears break into the postseason NCAA Tournament.

Currently (as of March 2), the Baylor men’s basketball team is tied for third place with Kansas State with 8-6 records in Big 12 standings – with the Bears owning the tie-breaker if the teams are deadlocked by season’s end – while the Aggies, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech battle it out for fifth.

The Bears final two regular season challenges come this week – a home date with Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, and a road game against Texas Tech on Saturday, March 8 at 12:45 p.m. CT on ESPN Plus – as Baylor aims to finish the season on a strong note with a postseason invite on the line…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (March 1, 2008): Conference Standings, Weekend Contests…

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – With weekend match-ups on the horizon, the Big 12 Conference has a lone leader in men’s basketball standings in the Texas Longhorns (24-4, 11-2 Big 12).

However, things could change come Saturday night’s hardwood finale as Kansas (25-3, 10-3) is a mere game back of first place, Kansas State (18-9, 8-5) holds down third, while Baylor (19-8, 7-6) and Texas A&M (21-7, 7-6) aim to breakout of a deadlock for fourth.

Right behind the Bears and Aggies are four conference teams tied for sixth place, with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech sandwiched in between the elite and cellar teams of the Big 12 with 6-7 marks.

Texas is currently on an eight-game winning streak, with Oklahoma State (won four), Nebraska (won three) and Baylor (won two) also putting streaks on the line in Saturday’s hardwood action; Colorado (lost four) and Kansas State (lost three), meanwhile, hope to end conference skids.

The regular season officials ends on Sunday, March 9, before the Big 12 Tourney tips off in preparation for March Madness postseason invites and the Big Dance…

Big 12 Standings (02.29.2008)

                                    Big 12              Overall

Texas                           11-2                 24-4

Kansas                         10-3                 25-3

Kansas State                8-5                   18-9

Texas A&M                 7-6                   21-7

Baylor                          7-6                   19-8

Nebraska                     6-7                   17-9

Oklahoma                    6-7                   18-10

Oklahoma State            6-7                   15-12

Texas Tech                   6-7                   15-12

Missouri                       5-8                   15-13

Iowa State                    4-9                   14-14

Colorado                      2-11                 10-17

Saturday Showdowns

On Saturday, March 1, the Big 12 Conference features six showdowns as the final week of the season looms just around the corner.

Those games, including television coverage and scheduled tipoff times (Central Standard Time), are as follows: Nebraska at Oklahoma State, ESPN Plus (check local listings), 12:30 p.m.; Texas A&M at Oklahoma, ESPN, 1 p.m.; Missouri at Baylor, ESPN Plus (KWTX and “The CW” in Waco), 3 p.m.; Texas at Texas Tech, CBS, 3 p.m.; Iowa State at Colorado, ESPN Classic, 4 p.m.; Kansas State at Kansas, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

MISSOURI-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears, Tigers set to claw it out on the hardwood Saturday afternoon in Waco

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Baylor (19-8, 7-6 Big 12) hits the Ferrell Center hardwood on Saturday afternoon, March 1 with back-to-back victories in their rearview mirror, battling Big 12 rival Missouri (15-13, 5-8) in a game slated to tipoff at 3 p.m. CT.

Saturday afternoon’s match-up between the Bears and Tigers is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN Plus (KWTX and “The CW” in Waco, Temple and Bryan areas), with Fred White and Bob Sundvold calling the action.

Scott Drew’s Bears are coming off a 68-57 victory over Colorado on Wednesday evening, Feb. 27 in Boulder – the team’s first win in the Rocky Mountains since the Big 12’s inception – and aim for win number 20 of the season on Saturday.

Missouri, meanwhile, fell at home to Oklahoma State in a two-point thriller, 75-73 on Tuesday night, Feb. 26.

After the MU-BU showdown on Saturday afternoon, Baylor has two games remaining in conference play – a rematch with Texas A&M, this time at home, and a road trip to Lubbock to face Texas Tech in the regular season finale.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Aggies will travel to Waco for a battle with the Bears at the Ferrell Center and is slated to tipoff at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2; also, the epic five-overtime Baylor victory at Reed Arena will finally be broadcast on national television when ESPN Classic airs the marathon game at 5 p.m. prior to the start of the rematch.

The BU men’s basketball team concludes Big 12 play on Saturday, March 8 at Texas Tech – where the Bears aim to finish strong before the annual conference tournament, March 13-16 in Kansas City, in hopes of a postseason invite to the NCAA Tourney.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 68, COLORADO 57: Bears prevail over Buffalos, garner second straight Big 12 victory

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – On a cool evening in Boulder, Colorado, the Bears clawed to an 11-point 68-57 victory over the Buffalos in Big 12 action on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at the Coors Events Center.

For the Baylor Bears men’s basketball coaching staff, that means its time to break out the razor as an ongoing winning tradition lives on, after BU Head Coach Scott Drew and company – including Matthew Driscoll, who was the first to be initiated after forward Kevin Rogers and center Mamadou Diene shaved the assistant coach’s head after last weekend’s must-win over Kansas State – began the ritual as a way to motivate the team.

“We lost a lot of games in a row,” Drew said. “So for motivation, with each win, we shave a head; tonight it was Coach [Jerome] Tang’s turn. We played great defensively, taking away the back door shots and taking away the three-point shots.”

With the win, Baylor (19-8, 7-6 Big 12) moves into a two-way tie for fourth place with Texas A&M (21-7, 7-6) – as the Aggies picked up a 98-54 blowout victory over Texas Tech at Reed Arena, dropping the Red Raiders into a four-way tie for sixth place – while Colorado (10-17, 2-11) remains in the conference cellar.

“This was a huge win tonight – every win in the Big 12 is a huge win,” Drew said. “It starts with experienced players and teams. We’ve been on the losing end of the floor; we just needed more experience and more maturity.”

Rogers had a breakout game in Boulder, leading the BU men’s hardwood team with 24 points and 11 rebounds – going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe en route to his 11^th double-double of the season.

“If it takes a double-double for us to win every night, that’s what I’ll do,” Rogers told the Waco Tribune Herald. “With the guards we have, people key on them and I was able to make some shots. I always try to play with confidence and good things happen.”

Guard Henry Dugat also played a significant role in Wednesday’s BU victory over CU, netting 21 points – starting and staying hot from long range on 5-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and hitting every free throw attempted (6-for-6) – while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out an assist.

“We did a good job of controlling the tempo,” Dugat said in a FSN television interview following the Bears 11-point win. “We control our own destiny, and we can go as far as we want to go.”

Colorado, despite any and all efforts to remain in the game – including holding Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells to just five points and four assists – was led in scoring by guard Richard Roby with 17 points.

“I thought we did a good job on their [Baylor’s] leading scorer, Curtis Jerrells, but [Henry] Dugat and [Kevin] Rogers hurt us,” Colorado Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “With a team like that, it is hard to keep everyone down.”

After taking a 34-22 lead into the break on hot first-half shooting, the Bears somewhat cooled down – shooting 36 percent in the second half after hitting 50 percent though the first 20 minutes of play – before cruising to their second consecutive Big 12 victory while breaking the .500 barrier in conference play.

“This game meant a lot to us,” Drew said in a radio interview after Baylor’s 68-57 victory at Colorado. “Our guards did a real good job of getting the ball to Kevin Rogers, and Henry Dugat had a hot hand tonight. We also played great defense and did a good job of getting to the line and making free throws.”

The latest Big 12 standings (Thursday, Feb. 28) have Baylor and Texas A&M holding a two-way tie for fourth (7-6) – with Texas (11-2), Kansas (10-3) and Kansas State (8-5) leading the pack – while a sandwich of teams (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech) sit in a four-way tie for sixth (6-7).

With a mere three games remaining in the regular season – as well as three head shavings tentatively scheduled for the coaching staff – the Baylor basketball team aims to finish the season strong in high hopes of receiving a postseason invite to the NCAA Tourney.

“We haven’t looked too far ahead,” Drew said. “We always look to the next game.”

For the Bears, that next game is a match-up with Missouri on Saturday, March 1 at the Ferrell Center – with tipoff slated for 3 p.m. CT in Waco and scheduled to be televised on ESPN Plus.

After Saturday’s showdown, Baylor’s final two Big 12 games of the regular season are at home against Texas A&M on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. CT, and on the road against Texas Tech on Saturday, March 8 at 12:45 p.m. CT.

For the latest Baylor basketball news, scores and standings, check back on Saturday evening, March 1 after the Bears and Tigers face off at the Ferrell Center, for postgame quotes, notes, stats and more…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR 10, TEXAS SOUTHERN 1: Bears blast Southern, improve to 4-0 overall

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – The Bears baseball team remains undefeated after a 10-1 victory over Texas Southern University (TSU) on Tuesday evening, Feb. 26 at Baylor Ballpark.

Tuesday’s offensive outburst gives Baylor (4-0) an eight-game winning streak over Texas Southern (1-3), as the Bears have now defeated Southern in every mound match-up thus far – starting with the team’s first showdown on April 28, 2004 in Waco, a 10-3 BU victory over TSU.

“This one was pretty sharp; that was a goal, to try to play well, and that started on the mound with our guys throwing strikes,” Baylor Head Coach Steve Smith said. “Most of our free bases that we had given up over the weekend had to do with the mound – either bases on balls, hit batters or a wild pitch here and there.

“Wade [Mackey] only walked two guys, one of the guys that reached by error we picked off, and so they only got two or three free bases tonight, and we had over 20.  From that standpoint, we played the game itself pretty well.”

Mackey (1-0), the Bears starting pitcher against Southern, tossed 5.2 solid innings for Baylor – allowing a mere three hits and three walks, while surrendering no runs and striking out four, through 22 batters faced.

“Given what I asked him [Mackey] to do, which was basically to throw a lot of fastballs right at guys, he did a good job,” Smith said. “They [Texas Southern] throw you a soft left-hander, with the wind blowing in your face, and that is a recipe for a lot of fly ball outs. The guys knew that going in, and they did a good job of trying to stay on top of the ball and stay away from that.

“We hit the ball square more often than not, and we hit some balls really well. The ball [Ben] Booker hit that they caught against the fence, I really thought that ball was going out even with the wind. I don’t know that I’ve seen him hit a ball that well in a game.”

Wind or no wind, Mackey makes his way to the mound with the same mindset every time out – painting the corners of the zone while minimizing bases on balls.

“The ball’s never going to go anywhere when the wind is blowing like that, so it’s not a bad thing,” Mackey said. “It’s something that you know in the back of your mind; if the ball gets up it’s probably not going to go out. As far as pitching, it doesn’t really change my thinking.

“[My approach is] pretty much the same as last year; I just try to go out there and get comfortable. I want to throw strikes; I really don’t like walking people.”

In addition to the Bears beginning their 2008 campaign with an unscathed mark while being ranked as high as No. 13 by Baseball America, Baylor’s Kendal Volz was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday, Feb. 25.

“He’s a lot more comfortable, and his body language on the mound looks a ton more confident,” Smith said. “His command of his stuff is better. He just pounded the strike zone the other day with three pitches, and his velocity was 92-96 the whole time he was out there. He’s just continuing to get better as he matures, as any player will do with the more opportunities they get.”

Junior shortstop Beemer Weems also had a breakout game for the Bears against Southern, garnering his first multi-hit game of the season while driving in a run.

“My swing’s felt good all year,” Weems said. “It’s just been my timing, and I felt like my timing kind of kicked in today – it felt good to get a couple of hits.”

Weems and the Bears made the necessary adjusts in Tuesday’s windy showdown with Southern, taking a 3-0 lead after three innings of play and never looking back.

“You kind of have to [adjust to weather conditions],” Weems said. “If you hit the ball in the air with the wind blowing in like that, they’re just going to catch it, so you really try to get on top of the ball and hit hard ground balls and line drives. That’s your best bet at getting on [base].”

Pitching, as always, was also a key to picking up another victory on the diamond.

“Wade [Mackey] came out there and threw strikes and did really well, and for the most part the defense did really well,” Weems said. “We [the Baylor offense] kept the ball out of the air, so it was a pretty good turnout today.”

The Baylor lineup also packed on a number of runs after picking up three consecutive one-run victories to begin the season, as the Bears capitalized with 10 runs on 10 hits against Southern en route to a nine-run W.

“For the conditions, we did a pretty good job of keeping the ball out of the air and trying to hit it on the ground to make them make plays,” junior right fielder Adam Hornung, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, said. “We hit a few balls well too; [Ben] Booker hit that ball to the wall that would probably have gone out any other day. We did a good job of laying-off of a lot of pitches, and we didn’t strike out much, so that was a plus.

“It [playing in wintry weather conditions] is something you go through each year. Starting in February, you’re going to play in some cold weather. The cold weather’s not bad, but [playing in the] wind and cold is pretty rough.”

Whether cool weather arrives or not, the Bears aim to keep their hot streak alive this weekend when they host the QTI Baylor Classic – beginning on Friday, Feb. 29 and concluding on Sunday, March 2.

“The thing that’s different about this weekend is that everybody we play will have played [this season],” Smith said. “We’re not going to have the advantage that we had against Purdue. We clearly had an advantage in that series defensively because they hadn’t even been outside.”

The upcoming Baylor baseball tourney includes a trio of home games against Illinois, Illinois-Chicago and Stephen F. Austin (SFA).

“We won’t walk into this weekend with that kind of advantage because everybody’s had a chance to be outside and play some games,” Smith said.

Baylor’s QTI tourney begins on Friday, Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. CT against Illinois, followed by a Saturday, March 1 match-up at 6:30 p.m. CT with Illinois-Chicago, and wraps up on Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m. CT against SFA.

Other tournament showdowns include Illinois-Chicago and SFA playing on Friday at 2 p.m. CT, Illinois facing SFA on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, and Illinois and Illinois-Chicago facing off on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.

“We’ve played in different tournaments over the years, and it’s actually kind of fun playing three different teams in three days,” Weems said. “It should be a lot of fun seeing new faces every day, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com

BAYLOR-COLORADO PREVIEW: Bears prep for Big 12 battle with Buffalos, shoot for second consecutive conference victory

By Denton Ramsey, NCAA Sportswriter/Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Baylor (18-8, 6-6 Big 12) swings through Colorado (10-16, 2-10) on Wednesday, Feb. 27 for a Big 12 match-up, pitting the Bears against the Buffalos in Boulder’s Coors Events Center.

The game, which is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on FSN Rocky Mountain, will air on FSN Southwest in Texas.

Head Coach Scott Drew’s Bears are fresh off a 92-86 victory over the slumping Kansas State Wildcats, losers of three straight contests after Monday’s loss to the Longhorns, and aim to plow ahead in conference standings on Wednesday at Colorado.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. CT, Baylor and three other conference teams held onto a four-way tie for fourth place – with the Bears joining Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Texas Tech with .500 records in the tightly contested Big 12.

Unfortunately for Baylor Bears fans, the BU men’s basketball team is 0-5 in Boulder since the Big 12’s inception.

However, Drew and company have been prone to beginning, as well as breaking, long-standing school and conference streaks – and in the team’s last meeting, on Jan. 30, 2007 in Waco, the Bears prevailed 97-83 at the Ferrell Center.

With Baylor’s postseason hopes and dreams on the line, the young and talented Bears shoot for another Big 12 victory on Wednesday evening against the Colorado Buffalos.

Check back on Wednesday, Feb. 27 after the game’s conclusion, for post game quotes, notes, analysis and more…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com