Big 12 Sports Blog by Big 12 Fans

BAYLOR BASEBALL UPDATE: Bears slide into six-seed, defeat Nebraska in round one action

By Denton Ramsey, Big 12 Fans Baylor Correspondent

WACO, Texas – For a season that began on a high note, then quickly turned sour, the Baylor Bears baseball team (32-24) – along with skipper Steve Smith – have got to be happy with Wednesday’s 10-4 round one victory over Nebraska (39-13-1).

BU went back to their roots on Wednesday evening in Oklahoma City – beginning with pitching perfection on the mound and ending with offensive outbursts at the plate.

“For us it all started on the mound, and Shawn [Tolleson] gave us a really good performance,” Smith said following the Bears round one victory. “[Tolleson had] very good command, kept his fastball down and didn’t make very many mistakes at all. He gave up a two strike hit and followed it up with a walk or a hit batter, and they were able to create some offense there and get a couple of runs on the board. He pitched really well, and that was as important for us as anything.”

Baylor’s offense was also awakened from a prolonged slumber, as the Bears faired well at the plate – scoring 10 runs on nine hits.

“The guys just did a great job at the plate,” Smith said. “Nebraska threw a bunch of really good arms at us, and while we didn’t get a ton of hits – you’re not usually going to get a ton of hits against those kinds of arms – we did get some free bases, and we got some timely hits.

“The big hit in the game was when they chose to take a gamble and play the infield in with the bases loaded, and that’s a gamble. Shaver’s [Hansen] bounding ball gets over the first baseman and cleared the bases, and then they had to play again after that and [Adam] Hornung got one to go through on the right side. Those two balls weren’t well struck. They were just situations where we put the ball in play and got the benefit out of it.”

BU third baseman Shaver Hansen led the way for the Bears on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in (RBI).

“We really wanted to go up there and be aggressive and to be ready to jump on that first pitch fastball if they were throwing it,” Hansen said. “The lefty [Dan] Jennings that threw today, we saw him in relief during the Big 12 games that we had during the year, and he had a pretty good slider, so being able to attack his fastball was important for us. We all went out there with a do or die attitude and we got it done.”

According to the skipper, relaxation and confidence – along with superb mound work –helped propel the Bears in Wednesday’s tourney opener.

“Our guys were relaxed and took good at bats,” Smith said. “It looked like a pretty confident, pretty mature group of guys. Ben [Booker] says we did, but we didn’t play a flawless game because he didn’t get the bunt down. But, the next couple of times up he got a base hit to load the bases before Shaver did what he did, and then he absolutely scolded that ball of the right field fence after they had answered.

“They were back in the game; they’ve still got outs to play with. That was as big as anything. We got off to a good start, they responded, and then we responded. We didn’t shut it down; we played the game all the way from start to finish.”

Freshman Shawn Tolleson picked up with W for the Bears, going 6.1 solid innings – yielding four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

“Early in the game I was able to get good command of my pitches,” Tolleson said. “I was getting my fastball down in the zone. They were hitting a lot of ground balls and infield pop ups. Later in the game I struggled a bit with control, but luckily I was able to get a few outs.”

Despite going 1-2 in their final season road woes in a pair of setbacks against Texas Tech, the Bears locked up the six-seed in the conference tournament with a blowout victory over the Red Raiders in the middle game of the three-game series.

And despite starting the season hot before taking a turn for the worse, Baylor’s baseball team compiled an impressive 31-24 regular season record while bouncing back in Big 12 play after a rough start – ending the year with an 11-16 mark in conference contests.

“After our last game at [Texas] Tech, we knew that we had to come out and bring our ‘A’ game to win this thing and do what we want to do,” Baylor junior left fielder Ben Booker said following the Bears victory. “This is a new start for us. We need to play every game like we did today. This was the ‘A’ team that we brought today, and most of the year we really haven’t brought that. Everyone knows now what we are expected to do, so we just need to bring that game out again [on Friday].

“We have to [win] or we are not going to play anymore. We have been telling each other that for the last three weeks, but it hasn’t really clicked. I don’t really know what the problems have been, but today on the field you could tell it was a different team. We drew walks, we situational hit, we pitched well and there were no flaws in the game today, so that is what we need to do [on Friday].”

Baylor enjoyed a day off on Thursday before returning to the diamond on Friday, May 23 in a round two match-up with Oklahoma State. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT at Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Ballpark.

“I’m sure it will be the same as it was last night – it is intense,” Hansen said. “We are gunning for everybody because we know we can win; we think we can win. We are happy that we won, but we know that we have another good to team to face, and another good team after that. We have to take it one game at a time, one pitch at a time. It is pretty intense because we need to play our best ball and we know it.”

The Bears continue Big 12 Tourney play on Saturday, with Baylor scheduled to face Kansas State at 7:30 p.m. prior to Sunday’s Big 12 Championship.

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

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (March 7): Weekend Match-Ups, Latest Standings…

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

WACO, Texas – It certainly looks like the Big 12 title will go down to the wire.

With just two more days remaining in conference play, and a two-way tie for first and a three-way tie for fourth up for grabs, this weekend’s match-up will likely determine who will walk away with the Big 12 regular season crown.

All 12 teams have just one game left on the schedule – with eight teams ending regular season play on Saturday and the final four completing Big 12 competition on Sunday.

After the weekend showdowns, conference records will seed all 12 teams for the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, slated to run March 13-16 in Kansas City.

In addition to conference tourney placement being on the line, many of the Big 12 teams are also fighting for an opportunity to earn an NCAA Tournament berth – with Texas A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma all using this weekend’s match-ups as last minute resume builders for the NCAA Selection Committee…

Big 12 Standings (03.07.2008)

                                    Big 12              Overall

Kansas                         12-3                 27-3

Texas                           12-3                 25-5

Kansas State                9-6                   19-10

Texas A&M                 8-7                   22-8

Baylor                          8-7                   20-9

Oklahoma                    8-7                   20-10

Oklahoma State            7-8                   16-13

Texas Tech                   7-8                   16-13

Nebraska                     6-9                   17-11

Missouri                       6-9                   16-14

Iowa State                    4-11                 14-16

Colorado                      3-12                 11-18

Saturday, Sunday Showdowns

This weekend will feature all Big 12 teams in action as the conference concludes regular season play on Sunday, March 9.

The four games slated for Saturday, March 8 are as follows (with television coverage and tipoff times): Baylor at Texas Tech, ESPN Plus, 12:30 p.m. CT; Missouri at Oklahoma, ABC, 2:30 p.m. CT; Kansas State at Iowa State, ESPN Plus, 3 p.m. CT; and Kansas at Texas A&M, CBS, 3 p.m. CT.

Sunday, March 9, will mark the conclusion of Big 12 regular season action as two conference games hit the hardwood (with television coverage and tipoff times): Colorado at Nebraska, no television coverage scheduled, 2 p.m. CT; followed by Oklahoma State at Texas, ESPN, 3 p.m. CT.

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

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

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

BIG 12 MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE (Feb. 25, 2008): Horns, Wildcats tip off tonight at Kansas State

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

WACO, Texas – There’s been quite a shuffle in the Big 12 in just a week’s worth of men’s basketball games.

After facing a possible three-way tie for first place after Saturday’s showdowns in conference play, there are now three distinct positions for first through third place – while the Big 12 now boasts a four-way tie for fourth.

With big upsets in weekend contests – including a Kansas loss to Oklahoma State, a Texas A&M loss to Nebraska, and a must-win Baylor victory over Kansas State, the Wildcats second straight conference loss – two teams, Texas A&M and Kansas State, dropped out of top-25 polls.

The Texas Longhorns now sit alone as the Big 12 leader at 10-2 and Kansas, meanwhile, holds a secure spot in second at 9-3 while Kansas State rounds out the top three with an 8-4 conference record.

Tonight’s Big 12 match-up, scheduled to be televised on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m. CT as part of Big Monday, pits Texas on the road at Kansas State – as the Longhorns aim to increase their lead in conference standings.

On Tuesday, Feb. 26, Oklahoma State travels to Missouri for an 8 p.m. hardwood battle slated to be televised on ESPNU.

Eight teams shoot for higher positions in the conference when facing off against Big 12 opponents on Wednesday, Feb. 27, beginning with an ESPN-televised contest as Kansas travels to Iowa State for a 6 p.m. CT tip off.

At 7 p.m., two conference match-ups – Oklahoma at Nebraska (not televised) and Texas Tech at Texas A&M (ESPN+) – will give fans and coaches alike a better understanding of where teams sit in conference standings.

Baylor, sitting amongst a pack of teams in a four-way tie for fourth place, heads to Colorado for a game slated to be televised locally on FSN Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT to close out a full-slate of Big 12 games on Wednesday.

After a three-day break from NCAA men’s basketball action, all 12 teams return to the hardwood on Saturday, March 1 – Nebraska at Oklahoma State (12:30 p.m., ESPN+), Texas A&M at Oklahoma (1 p.m., ESPN), Missouri at Baylor (3 p.m., ESPN+), Texas at Texas Tech (3 p.m., CBS), Iowa State at Colorado (4 p.m., ESPN Classic) and Kansas State at Kansas (8 p.m., ESPN).

Current Big 12 Men’s Basketball Standings (02.25.08)

                                    Big 12              Overall             National Ranking (ESPN)

Texas                           10-2                 23-4                 5

Kansas                         9-3                   24-3                 7

Kansas State                8-4                   18-8                 –

Texas A&M                 6-6                   20-7                 –

Baylor                          6-6                   18-8                 –

Oklahoma                    6-6                   18-9                 –

Texas Tech                   6-6                   15-11               –

Nebraska                     5-7                   16-9                 –

Missouri                       5-7                   15-12               –

Oklahoma State            5-7                   14-12               –

Iowa State                    4-8                   14-13               –

Colorado                      2-10                 10-16               –

Conference Standings Scenarios

Regardless of Monday’s outcome, the worst case scenario for the Horns would be a half-game lead over Kansas (if Texas falls to Kansas State) in Big 12 standings.

Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s conference contests, meanwhile, will have major impacts on area standings as the results from the college hardwood pour in late Wednesday evening – and based on Big 12 positioning alone the conference standings may not change much, although there will likely be a two-way tie for fourth place come Thursday morning.

Weekly Notes: Big 12 Hoops

Eleven of the 12 conference teams have an overall record of .500 or better, tied with the highly touted Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the highest percentage of teams of any conference.

In addition, the Big 12 has six teams with 18 wins or more – with only the Big East (seven teams) boasting a higher number of squads with 18-plus victories.

The conference also leads the nation in victories and winning percentage against 2008 nationally-ranked non-district opponents.

Seven teams also sit amongst the top-65 according to RPI ratings – a major factor in deciding NCAA tournament teams – including Texas (5), Kansas (8), Oklahoma (24), Kansas State (31), Baylor (39), Texas A&M (54) and Texas Tech (63).

Big 12 Weekly Awards

On Monday, Feb. 25, the Big 12 Conference announced the weekly award winners in NCAA men’s basketball action – with Texas and Kansas State both receiving the honors for individual achievements.

This week’s player of the week was awarded to Longhorns sophomore guard D.J. Augustin, who averaged 23.0 points and 6.0 assists in Texas’ two conference victories this past week.

Rookie of the week honors for the week of Feb. 25 once again went to Kansas State’s NBA-bound Michael Beasley – where despite his Wildcats two-game losing streak this past week, the freshman-phenom scored a league-record 44 points in a loss to Baylor (while shooting a picture perfect 15-of-15 from the charity stripe and pulling down 13 rebounds).

Beasley’s rookie of the week honor was also the fifth consecutive time for Kansas State’s young star to garner the award, and the ninth overall for the freshman forward this season – one shy of the Big 12 record for combined honors set by former Texas star Kevin Durant (four player honors and six rookie honors) one year ago.

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

Baylor ends skid, knocks off Kansas State at rowdy Ferrell Center

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

WACO, Texas – The Baylor Bears men’s basketball team is back on track.

And Head Coach Scott Drew couldn’t be happier about his young team’s terrific turnaround.

After dropping four straight conference contests, Baylor (18-8, 6-6) used a solid second half surge in a 92-86 come-from-behind victory over Kansas State (18-8, 8-4) on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Ferrell Center.

“After the last two press conferences, this one’s a lot more enjoyable for our coaching staff and players,” Drew said. “I’m very proud of the team effort. We did a great job in the second half holding them to 37 percent [shooting], and then us only missing two free throws and shooting a high percentage at 58 percent, where we really moved the ball and took high-percentage shots. Much needed win; it feels great.”

Saturday’s win comes at a good time for the Big 12’s Bears, pulling BU into a four-way tie for fourth place after both Kansas and Texas A&M fell on a college hardwood day filled with upsets.

“I really felt that down the stretch, everybody made big plays,” Drew said. “I was also very pleased because I know how tough the last couple of games have been, not only on our players, but also on our fans, and it was great to see them be rewarded after a couple of sleepless nights as well.”

Curtis Jerrells led the way for Baylor, netting 24 points and dishing out seven assists in the Bears six-point win over the No. 24 Wildcats.

“I can assure you, I stepped up to the free throw line for the first time, and I saw OU players and OU fans, and I kind of couldn’t put it past me,” Jerrells said. “Kool [LaceDarius Dunn] here, he kind of got into me when I was shooting those last ones. I told him he kind of ticked me off, but he did what he had to do to make me mad and to make me not miss, so that was a good job.

“My teammates did a good job of picking me up, [along with] my family, my friends and coach. I really wanted to blame myself for it, but those guys picked me up and put me over the hump.”

Four of Jerrells’ teammates also hit double figures in scoring, with Kevin Rogers (18 points and 10 rebounds), LaceDarius Dunn (16 points, seven rebounds and two steals), Tweety Carter (12 points and three assists) and Aaron Bruce (11 points) all chipping in as Baylor ended a four-game Big 12 skid.

“We still have a couple of games left, so I don’t want to talk too soon and say something out of line,” Rogers said. “We just came out and played as a team today and did some things that we weren’t doing in those last two games, and fortunately we came out with a victory.”

Baylor fell behind early before a hot shooting streak briefly put the Bears on top, but shortly thereafter BU lost some momentum as the Kansas State Wildcats took a 44-38 lead into halftime.

“That’s the reason that we did what we did in the offseason; for the last five minutes of games, to try to close those things out because we lost so many close ones last year,” Rogers said. “In a game like this, that offseason work really paid off.”

The second half was all Baylor, as the Bears battled back from a short-lived deficit and regained control of a must-win game against a very talented Wildcats basketball team – as Kansas State’s Michael Beasley set a new conference record with 44 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

“I don’t know if there’s a better two-man performance that I’ve seen personally than what Beasley and [Bill] Walker put on, but the big thing that I look at is our bench,” Drew said. “Our bench had 32 points and their bench had five, so again it was a great team effort.

“The other thing is that I thought we did a very good job on the boards considering that they’re so good on the boards. Kevin [Rogers] had 10, LaceDarius [Dunn] had seven, and I think we did a very good job limiting them to not as many boards as they normally get.”

Kansas State’s Walker added 31 points for the Wildcats – as he and teammate Beasley contributed to a majority of the KSU scoring.

“All week coach’s been talking about playing as a team, and when we went into halftime, those two guys were beating us by themselves,” Jerrells said. “It takes a team, and you see that we had five guys in double figures, and we just outplayed them as a team tonight.”

The Bears next challenge comes on Wednesday, Feb. 27, as Baylor travels to Colorado to face the Buffalos in an effort to gain ground in the race for a postseason birth.

“Every game is big in the Big 12,” Drew said. “Every game matters, and we’re just going to focus one at a time.”

Baylor’s match-up with Colorado on Wednesday is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. and will be televised live (locally) on FSN Southwest.

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