Big 12 Sports Blog by Big 12 Fans

BAYLOR VS. KENT STATE PREVIEW: Bears aim to bounce back after key injuries, host Golden Flashes Saturday on FSN

By Denton Ramsey, Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas — The Baylor Bears (2-1) return to action on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Floyd Casey Stadium to host the Kent State Golden Flashes (2-2) in a game slated to kickoff at 6 p.m.; the match-up is also scheduled to be televised regionally on FSN-Southwest.

With a wave of injuries occurring last weekend against Northwestern State (quarterback Robert Griffin, defensive back Mikail Baker, and former-backup QB Blake Szymanski — who has been named the starter in Griffin’s absence), Coach Art Briles and the Bears must now battle back.

“First and foremost, our concerns go to them and their families,” Briles said. “Then you break it down from a football standpoint and the good thing about Robert and Mikail is that they’ll get an extra year back because their injuries were early enough in the season.”

For Griffin and Baker, that means one more year of eligibility.

“In Mikail’s case, he’ll have a sixth year and Robert, this will be his redshirt and he’ll have three more after this,” Briles said. “You look at the picture and figure out if you want to look at it good or bad and that’s the good side of it. Syzmanski hurt his shoulder trying to score in the third quarter and he’s day-to-day. He’s better today than he was yesterday and he was better yesterday than he was Sunday. If he gets in a little bit of work this week, he’ll be ready to go Saturday.”

One thing remains certain — these Bears are not about to give up and will fight until the very end.

“The way we look at it is that we’ve had a couple of family members that have been side-tracked for a little bit but what we’ll do is we’ll rally up, we’ll fight and we’ll compete — because that’s what you do as a player, it’s what you do as a coach and it’s what you do as a program,“ Briles said. “And we’ve got a job to do and we’re going to do our job.

“Our guys, they’ll adjust. And they’ll fight. We’re going to dial it up, we’re going to fight hard, for Robert, for Mikail, for A.B. [Antareis Bryan, who is out with broken foot] and then for the rest of these guys on this football team and for this University — that’s what we’re going to do.”

For the Baylor Nation, the quest to be bowl-bound still remains — and the Bears will get a chance to showcase their talent to the nation this Saturday against Kent State on FSN.

“We’re not going to come walking out of the dressing room Saturday, we’re going to come charging out,” Briles said. “We’ll be coming out with an intent to make a statement.”

With Griffin looking on from the press box [a precaution to prevent the injured QB from getting hit] and Briles taking care of business on the sidelines, look for the Bears to do just that — as Baylor aims to bounce back with a big win before Big 12 play begins next weekend in Norman, Oklahoma.

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

BAYLOR-OKLAHOMA PREVIEW: Bears ready, waiting to host No. 1 Sooners in Saturday afternoon showdown at Floyd Casey Stadium

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

WACO, Texas – Sooner or later, an upset of the No. 1 team in the nation will occur on the Baylor campus.

Whether or not that miracle occurs this weekend is yet to be seen, as No. 1 Oklahoma visits unranked Baylor for a Big 12 opener on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4, at Floyd Casey Stadium – with kickoff slated for 11:30 a.m. CT on FSN.

“Obviously everybody, they either want to be No. 1, or they want to play No. 1,” Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin said. “We have the opportunity to play No. 1 this week, and we’re going to go out there and take advantage of it.”

For BU head coach Art Briles and company, Saturday means hitting the gridiron for the first time in two weeks while also hosting an explosive Oklahoma football program.

“We are glad to be back playing; it will be fifteen days since our last game,” Briles said. “We are excited to get on the field and get back to it over these next eight weeks.

“As a program, everything that they [Oklahoma] have had come their way over the last 10 years is certainly well deserved – especially what they have done in the Big 12 south. They are a very good offense, defense and special teams. They have a good football team. It will no doubt be a good test for us.”

In addition to entering Saturday’s match-up against one of the conference’s paramount programs, the Bears also kick off an eight-week marathon of Big 12 games.

“We broke the season down and look at the first four games as last season,” Briles said. “It will have been 15 days since we have been on the field and somebody blows the whistle. We feel like the next eight games are a new season. I can honestly say that and we are smart enough to understand that we will be judged by theses last eight games and not the first four.

“We’re in the Big 12, we live in Texas, we’re apart of this part of the nation. What we did in Washington, Connecticut, Louisiana, and North Carolina doesn’t matter. We recruit down here; we’re going to be judged down here so it is what we do here that matters. That makes up our 2008 season.”

Saturday’s Big 12 test will also offer quite a bit a big time challenges – but don’t look for any major changes when it comes to facing the top team in the nation.

“We aren’t looking at it that way; what we are going to do is play hard for 60 minutes, play well for 60 minutes and win a football game in 60 minutes,” Briles said. “Their rankings and all of that is going to be hyped up without us getting involved in all of that.

“What we are going to try to do is be a better football team than we were against Connecticut. We are going to get on our home turf and represent Baylor University. We’ve got our guys, our people, our university – so that is the way we are approaching the football game.”

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

BAYLOR-WASHINGTON STATE PREVIEW: Briles, Bears prep for upcoming home game against Cougars

By Denton Ramsey, Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – Week three of the college football season is nearly underway, and come Saturday afternoon at Floyd Casey Stadium the Baylor Bears football team has a chance to shine – as well as an opportunity to move above .500 under head coach Art Briles.

Last week against Northwestern State, the Bears showed what they were truly made of – garnering 537 yards of total offense in a 51-6 blowout victory over the Demons.

On Saturday, Sept. 13 at 11:40 a.m. CT, Baylor (1-1) will face Washington State (0-2) – as Briles and company aim to pick up their second straight victory at home. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on FSN.

“Washington State is a very good football team; they are a team who has had a lot of success over the last few years,” Briles said. “In 2002 they played in the Rose Bowl, in 2003 they went to the Holiday Bowl where they beat Texas. Last year they won three games in the PAC-10. If they had a more suitable conference schedule last year they would have been a bowl team. They had a record of 5-7, missed out by one win to be bowl eligible. These guys who are fifth year seniors coming in after the Holiday Bowl in ’03, they have been around a program that has had a lot of success.

“They are going to come to Baylor determined, but they’re going to walk into a stadium with a bunch of determined guys on the other team too. We are still fighting ourselves and getting ready to become a really good football team, and every week is an opportunity for us to get better and that’s the way we’re approaching it.”

Once again, the Bears will be turning to freshman quarterback Robert Griffin to lead the charge on Saturday against the Cougars.

“What he did for our team, he maintained his composure, protected the football, took what the defense gave us and that is what we’re looking for,” Briles said. “We talked about his job to make everyone on the field look better and that is the point that we are getting to. Our thing with Northwestern, as it will be with Washington State, is that we are going to win upfront on both sides of the ball.

“I haven’t ever planned to be smart but I am smart enough to figure that out. If you have good O-line and D-Line with you, you’ve got a good football team and our guys are getting better upfront. That is going to give us some chances to have success this year. We are striving to become dominant on both sides up front.”

So what will the Bears do more of come Saturday at Floyd Casey: run, or pass?

“Every week is different,” Briles said. “We would like to stay balanced but it depends on how people are playing and how we feel we match up against the opponent. We aren’t going around this week thinking that all of a sudden we have arrived and we have all the answer.

“If anyone has any questions on how to play football or perform on the field we can give them the answers. We feel like we were able to come back after a disgusting opening game and perform at a better level, but we still understand that it’s the bridge we haven’t gotten to yet. We have a long way to go and a lot of things to prove before we get there.”

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-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

KANSAS STATE-BAYLOR PREVIEW: Bears return home to battle Wildcats in Saturday showdown

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

WACO, Texas – In about 24 hours, the Baylor Bears (17-8 overall, 5-6 Big 12) will be fighting for their postseason life when they face the Kansas State Wildcats (18-7, 8-3) on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Ferrell Center.

After dropping four straight conference contests, the Bears hope to end that skid on Saturday evening in Waco when they battle the Wildcats – a team coming off a surprising loss at Nebraska and currently sitting in third place in the highly competitive Big 12.

Saturday’s showdown between Baylor and Kansas State is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. CST, with the game scheduled to be broadcast live on FSN Southwest for local Texas viewers.

“We have been in a couple of close games this year; I am very proud of the effort of our team,” Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew said following Tuesday’s tough one-point OT loss to Oklahoma on the road. “We have had two heartbreakers and a lot of teams could fold from here on out.

“I think we are going to get on a roll; I am really proud of our team. I think we are going to bond from this and I think we are going to grow from this.”

For Baylor Bear fans, this weekend’s match-up on the Ferrell Center hardwood could make or break their NCAA postseason dreams.

With the Bears currently tied with the Texas Tech Red Raiders for sixth place, Saturday’s game against the Wildcats is a must-win if Baylor expects to make a push for a March Madness tournament seed.

The good news for the BU basketball team is that they are returning home, where they hold a 10-3 mark, and Kansas State has lost three straight road games.

Check back tomorrow for post game quotes, notes, stats and more from Saturday night’s Big 12 match-up between the Bears and Wildcats…

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

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL: Latest Standings, Weekend Match-Ups…

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

WACO, Texas – As of Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, the Big 12 Conference has a two-way tie for first place, with both the highly touted Kansas Jayhawks (24-2 Overall, 9-2 Big 12) and the Lone Star leading Texas Longhorns (22-4, 9-2) sitting at the top.

Nipping at their heels is Kansas State (18-7, 8-3), coming off a surprising loss on the road against Nebraska (15-9, 4-7) – currently in the lower echelon of Big 12 play.

Right behind K-State, the Aggies of Texas A&M (20-6, 6-5) and the Oklahoma Sooners (18-8, 6-5) are tied for fourth place in a conference expected to get five – and maybe even six – teams into the NCAA Tournament.

Baylor (17-8, 5-6) and Texas Tech (14-11, 5-6) are in a two-way tie for sixth place in conference play with only a handful of games remaining.

Big 12 Standings (02.22.2008)

                                    Big 12              Overall

Kansas                         9-2                   24-2

Texas                           9-2                   22-4

Kansas State                8-3                   18-7

Texas A&M                 6-5                   20-6

Oklahoma                    6-5                   18-8

Baylor                          5-6                   17-8

Texas Tech                   5-6                   14-11

Nebraska                     4-7                   15-9

Iowa State                    4-7                   14-12

Missouri                       4-7                   14-12

Oklahoma State            4-7                   13-12

Colorado                      2-9                   10-15

Saturday Showdowns

On Saturday, Feb. 23, the conference features six showdowns in Big 12 play as the final weeks of the season loom around the corner.

Those games, including television coverage and games times (all times Central), are as follows:

Iowa State at Texas Tech, ESPN+ (check local listings), 12:30 p.m.

Oklahoma at Texas, ABC, 2:30 p.m.

Kansas at Oklahoma State, CBS, 3 p.m.

Nebraska at Texas A&M, ESPN+ (check local listings), 3 p.m.

Colorado at Missouri, no television coverage, 7 p.m.

Kansas State at Baylor, FSN Southwest (locally), 7 p.m.

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