Griner 'Hands Down' Player of the Year
12:05 a.m., SATURDAY, Feb. 4, 2012

Delaware's Elena Delle Donne leads the planet in scoring, and Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike is averaging a double-double.

But when it comes to the national Player of the Year, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey has her own litmus test.

"I firmly believe if you had a 100 coaches lined up and they had one pick, Brittney Griner is the first player they'd take," Mulkey said of her 6-foot-8 All-American post, who's averaging 22.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and a national-best 5.4 blocks per game.

On pace to break nearly every NCAA record in the books, Griner is nine points shy of becoming the first women's player in the history of Division I basketball to score at least 2,000 points and block 500 shots. She should get that with room to spare when the top-ranked Lady Bears (22-0, 9-0) face Kansas State (15-6, 6-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.

"Points are cool, but I've been thinking about the blocked shot record more than anything," said Griner, who had 510 career blocks and needs 154 more to break the record set by Louella Tomlinson of Saint Mary's. "It's definitely an accomplishment (2,000 points, 500 blocks), and I'll be happy."

It's just another ho-hum moment for Griner on her walk of greatness.

"When her career is over and she's done play, I would imagine she's going to hold a lot of records that may never be broken," Mulkey said. "And I'm always of the belief that records are made to be broken. Some she will hold, I don't know if I'll ever see them broken again."

Beyond the numbers, though, is how Griner affects the game. Pretty much every team the Lady Bears play completely changes their attack because of Griner's presence in the paint, including a five-out attack that Texas Tech used to spread the floor and try to bring the 6-8 center away from the basket.

"Those other players that are being mentioned, while they are outstanding players, they don't change the approach a team takes to the floor offensively," Mulkey said. "Brittney Griner changes everything you try to do in your offense. Those other players may have the same numbers she has. But they don't change how a team approaches a game offensively. Brittney Griner does that. It's hands-down who the best player in the country is."

Griner posted one of her 15 double-doubles this year in the first meeting with Kansas State, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 76-41 dismantling of a Wildcat team that was in second place in the league and ranked 22nd nationally at the time.

"For me, I look at (Griner), and I am in awe," said 5-8 junior guard Brittany Chambers, who leads K-State with 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. "It's definitely not someone I would want to play against every night, that's for sure."

'You Can't Put a Price Tag' on Heisman, 10 Wins
11:15 a.m., SATURDAY, Jan. 7, 2012

Nearly a month after winning the Heisman Trophy, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III can't go anywhere in town without being swarmed by adoring fans and autograph seekers.

Such is the price of fame.

But it's also lifted the national brand of Baylor football to unparalleled heights, coach Art Briles said, "because of all the accolades that go with it just from the respect standpoint."

"You can't put a price tag on it," Briles said this week as he reflected on a 2011 season that will be remembered for a long time to come. "And then just the way, of course, that Robert represents himself, which reflects directly on our university and our football team. That part right there is something we can really be proud of, because Robert is a great ambassador for not only Baylor but for college football and college athletics in general. Our national brand right now is up there pretty good."

As Briles put it, arguably it's never been higher. With Kansas State, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech all losing their bowl games, Baylor could move into the top 10 when the final BCS Standings are released next week.

The Bears (10-3) posted just their second 10-win season in program history, set a litany of records in a 67-56 win over Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl and play an exciting style of offense that "allows opportunities like (winning the Heisman Trophy) to happen," Briles said.

"You can go to any part of America," Briles said, "and if someone's remotely interested in college football and you say Baylor football, they're going to know what you're talking about and they're going to know some people involved in that football team.

"It's the culmination of a lot of things, when you start looking at the Heisman, winning the football games we did this year playing what some people say was the fifth- or sixth-toughest schedule in America, and then coming out of that with 10 wins. Finishing third in the Big 12 Conference and setting some pretty amazing records along the way that had been standing for years and years, not just within our program but nationally. Those are things that people notice."

With a recruiting "dead" period over, Briles is already seeing the Bears' success paying dividends.

"Just since the (bowl) game, we've had numerous phone calls - guys that are interested in Baylor and the direction of our football program, the style of play, the way our guys conduct themselves," he said. "We're certainly getting phone calls answered and phone calls delivered that we hadn't been getting the last four years, without question."

Partly because of the Heisman Trophy and the FBS bowl-record 777 yards total offense the Bears put up in the Alamo Bowl, "we're on two quarterbacks right now that we weren't on six days ago," Briles said.

And that's the key. Baylor has to strike while the iron's hot.

"The climb's hard, but sustaining is harder," Briles said. "What we've got to do is make sure we do whatever we can as a university, as a football team, to stay proactive as possible to keep that brand high. Because when you get to the top, people try to cut you down. So what we've got to do is make sure we put everything full force into making sure Baylor stays right where it needs to be, and that's up toward the top."

In at least one area, though, Briles and the Bears remain in a holding pattern.

After meeting with Briles this week, Griffin III is expected to mull over his options this weekend and decide by Tuesday whether he will return for his senior season or enter the 2012 NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline. A consensus All-American, RG3 threw for a school-record 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns and added 699 yards and another 10 TDs rushing.

"It' all dependent on Robert's decision, quite honestly," Briles said. "If he decides to come back, then we're probably not going to take a guy, or we might take a high school guy. If he goes into the NFL, then we have to speed up the process a little bit. Right now, we're just sitting on the runway, and we're waiting to see which way the plane's going to take off. But hopefully it lands in Waco."

If RG3 does return, Briles believes the Bears will be a preseason top five nationally, "no question." One poll already has them at No. 7.

But if he leaves with a year of eligibility remaining, the controls will be handed to senior-to-be Nick Florence, sophomore Bryce Petty or possibly a transfer out of the junior college ranks. In his only action of the year, Florence threw for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the second half of a 66-42 win over Texas Tech.

Regardless, Briles has to replace the all-time leading receiver (Kendall Wright), single-season rushing record-holder Terrance Ganaway, two of the five offensive linemen (center Philip Blake and right guard Robert T. Griffin) and three defensive starters (tackles Tracy Robertson and Nicolas Jean-Baptiste and middle linebacker Elliot Coffey).

Wright finished with 302 career catches for 4,004 yards and 14 touchdowns, all school records, while Ganaway broke the one-year-old rushing record with 1,547 yards and 21 TDs.

"We're losing some dynamic players, which happens every year," Briles said. "We're losing some guys that have contributed for a long time. And that's a compliment to them that they were able to come in and contribute early and get in on the ground floor and help get it to this level."

But Briles said there are young players "waiting in the wings, chomping at the bit and ready to go to work."

"What we've been doing is recruiting good football players, because that's all we're going to recruit. If you can't play, we're not going to recruit you," he said. "Now what they've got to do is turn their talk and their anticipation into action, which they will. I'm just indebted and grateful to the guys that we've had to clear the path, because some of these guys have been here since Day 1. And they've done a great job of opening doors for us."

With Jarred Salubi, Glasco Martin and Oregon transfer Lache Seastrunk next in line at running back, Briles is hoping for another smooth transition. Last year, Ganaway came out of the pack to replace record-setting running back Jay Finley.

"It's kind of the same place where we were sitting a year ago," Briles said. "We had just lost the all-time leading rusher in Baylor history and wondering what was going to happen. We had three or four guys that we thought were really good, and Terrance ended up being the main guy and having a pretty good year. Now he's the all-time leading rusher. So our plan is to be sitting here a year from now saying the same thing, because that's how you do it when you get the right people in the right situations."

The situation is similar at center, where Blake replaced All-American J.D. Walton, who's in his second year as a starter for the playoff-bound Denver Broncos. "And Philip's going to be an NFL guy. He'll be drafted this spring," Briles said.

At that spot, the list of candidates includes redshirt freshman Tim Smith, sophomore Stefan Huber, freshman Desmine Hilliard and possibly Ivory Wade moving from right tackle.

Competing for Coffey's spot in the middle will be redshirt freshman Bryce Hager and junior college transfer Eddie Lackey. Backups Nick Johnson and Kaeron Johnson will be joined by freshmen Beau Blackshear, Donald Bryant and Suleiman Masumbuko to give the Bears good depth at the defensive tackles.

"As far as personnel, honestly, we just had a staff meeting this morning (Wednesday), first time back since the bowl game," Briles said. "Right now, we're going through self-evaluation of coaches, and then we're doing personnel. So once we kick around personnel after we get past ourselves, then we'll have a lot more definitive answers."

With wide receivers coach Dino Babers leaving after four seasons to take the head coaching job at Eastern Illinois, Briles has one spot on his staff to fill. And while it's not official, he said we know "what's going to happen."

Spring football will begin the week of March 19, following the university's spring break, and will wrap up around April 14 after the Easter break. Maybe by then, the Bears will come down from the clouds of a euphoric season.

"When that clock read zeroes the other night, we enjoyed that," Briles said of the bowl-game victory in San Antonio. "It was fun to share it with the people that love Baylor. I like seeing people that love a university, that care about a university and the people that are involved it have smiles on their faces. That's the payoff, because that's what it's all about is having people happy about something they love."

Alamo Bowl to Remember For Many Reasons
10:10 a.m., MONDAY, Jan. 2, 2012

When I think back on Baylor's 2011 football season, and particularly on Thursday's memorable 67-56 win over Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl, there will be many lasting images.

When there's a combined 1,397 yards and 123 points, there's obviously a ton of offensive highlights to take from that game: Terrance Ganaway's 89-yard TD sprint in the third quarter and Heisman winner Robert Griffin III's joy-stick moment, when he somehow scrambled away from a three-man sack and scored on a 24-yard run that says everything about him.

Shoot, there were even some memorable defensive plays, like Sam Holl stripping Washington running back Chris Polk for a fumble that linebacker Then there was the mad post-game dash, where cornerback K.J. Morton chased down RG3 for an impromptu dogpile. "He's like my big brother, on and off the field," Morton said of Griffin III.

But I think the two that will stick with me for a long time to come were seeing the grief on the face of senior offensive tackle Robert T. Griffin, whose mother had died of cancer just five days before the game; and the uttery joy on the face of Army Commander Lynne Blankenbeker, who flew back from Afghanistan in time to enjoy the game with her daughter, Shannon, a member of Baylor's Golden Wave Band.

"Oh, my gosh! This was so exciting," Lynne said. "I can't even imagine a better homecoming than coming home and surprising my daughter on the field, watching this amazing game in a year when Baylor couldn't have done any better, sports-wise, all around."

For "Big Griff," there was the satisfaction in knowing that this is exactly where his mother would have wanted him to be. From his freshman year at Euless Trinity High School until the Iowa State game this season, when she was first diagnosed with cancer, Brenda Griffin had never missed one of his games.

"God has a plan for everything," said Robert T. Griffin, who wrote "MOM" on the towel around his waist. "So I'm just going to do what my mom was always happy about, which was to play football. Today, I played as hard as I could. I never gave up. And I did it for my mom. I mean, it's hard. But then again, I can't do anything about it . . . she left because of cancer. But she will always be with me, and I will always keep God first."

I would imagine that the 2011 Valero Alamo Bowl will be one that few in the crowd of 65,256 will ever forget, much less the millions that tuned in on ESPN for a game that lasted well past the midnight hour on the east coast.

And each one probably has his favorite memory. But those are mine, and I'm sure they will be for a long time to come.

Coffey One of Only Survivors From 2007 Signing Class
11:55 p.m., FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2011

When Elliot Coffey looks around the locker room these days, he can't help but notice all the missing faces.

From Baylor's original 2007 signing class of 28 that included 22 high school seniors, Coffey and offensive guard John Jones are the lone survivors that will suit up for the 17th-ranked Bears (8-3, 5-3) when they host No. 22 Texas (7-4, 4-4) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for their final game at Floyd Casey Stadium.

"I'm just so honored and blessed that I've made it this far," said Coffey, a 6-foot, 235-pound middle linebacker that leads the team with 90 tackles. "We had some guys who had their Senior Day last year, but there were so many guys from my signing class who didn't make it all the way through. It's just awesome that we're still around and we're making a difference and we're going into Senior Day the way that we are."

In Coffey's first three seasons, the Bears went in knowing it was their last game. And then last year, they were in the middle of a disappointing four-game season-ending losing streak. This time, they're riding the four-game winning streak of a "November to Remember."

"The thing about it is I didn't take time to sit back and look at the season until (Sunday). That was really the first time I had looked back at the month of November," he said. "And that's probably for the best, because you have guys like (strength coach Kaz Kazadi) screaming at you every day, making sure you're focused and you're recovering, because you've got another game coming.

"Kansas wasn't the best team in the conference, but we had to go out and fight our butts off for that win. So if you're going into the Oklahoma game thinking, `Oh, man, we got a win in overtime,' you don't win that game. So I think just for a second, I'm going to sit here and look back, because (defensive coordinator Phil Bennett) has been telling us: `People will remember November and December.' Just the way we ran through November, it's something I'll never forget."

Coffey also hasn't had time yet to reflect back on a Baylor career that started at safety and ended up at middle linebacker. The ultimate team player - he was actually a high school cornerback - Coffey was moved to outside linebacker after his redshirt season and then switched to the middle under new defensive coordinator Phil Bennett.

"I imposed my will on Elliot," Bennett said. "He's probably not a Mike (middle) linebacker. But he's come in and he's given us leadership, he's given us direction. And when he didn't play well, it was short-term. He responded, came back and played his best game Saturday (in a 66-42 win over Texas Tech)."

In his five seasons, Coffey has played under two head coaches, three coordinators and no less than three position coaches.

"Early on, I was one of those knuckleheads that was like, `No, I like what I'm doing, I think my footwork's good. I think I'll do it my way.' And that didn't work, didn't work at all," he said. "The more I listen to (linebackers coach Jim Gush) and the more I learn from him, the better everything gets, the more plays I make. I'm able to shed blockers and get in position to make plays. It's been great."

Coffey came to Baylor in what he refers to as the "darkest of days." In his redshirt season in 2007, the Bears finished 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the Big 12 under then-head coach Guy Morriss. Their closest conference game that season was a 20-point loss at home to Colorado.

"You don't ever want to limit what you're capable of doing. But after my first year, I was like, `What am I doing here?''' he said. "There was just so much pessimism that was still floating around the program from guys who had been defeated for so long that they had just accepted that as their fate. There were guys when coach (Art) Briles got here that did not buy into his system, didn't buy into coach Kaz's system, felt like what they were doing was the right way and they would win doing it their way. And that wasn't the situation at all."

Slowly but surely, Coffey said, attitudes changed. Once the players started buying in, you could see the tides turning. Baylor ended a 16-year bowl drought last season and has posted 15 wins over the last two years.

"I thought last year was going to be the year, and it turned into this year being the year where we really took that giant step to separate ourselves from where we were," he said. "My freshman year, it was like a monumental thing to think that we could even win a game in the Big 12. And now, just to approach the games the way we do, knowing that we're a solid team. Coach Briles says we're a great team, and we have great players It's just great to see that it's changed the way it has, because it's night and day compared to what it used to be."

Here are bio capsules on Baylor's other 13 seniors:

PHILIP BLAKE, 6-3, 320, C, Toronto, Ontario (Tyler Junior College): Three-year starter in the line, Blake moved from tackle to center last year and has made 36 consecutive starts. Blake was named to the preseason Rimington Trophy watch list and 2nd-team Midseason All-Big 12 by Phil Steele. An August 2011 graduate with a degree in sociology, he was selected 23rd overall in the 2011 CFL Canadian Draft by the Montreal Alouettes.

THOMAS DRAPER, 6-3, 200, WR, Dallas (Highland Park): Part of a 15-1 team at Highland Park that lost to Lake Travis in the 2007 Class 4A Division II state championship, Draper is a walk-on receiver who joined the Baylor program in 2008. This year, he was a second-team pick on the Academic All-Big 12 team.

TERRANCE GANAWAY, 6-0, 240, RB, DeKalb, Texas (University of Houston): The Big 12's leading rusher this season with 1,195 yards and 14 touchdowns, Ganaway is just 23 yards shy of the single-season school record set by Jay Finley last year. He's the only player in program history to top the 200-yard mark twice and came up four yards shy of Finley's single-game record with 246 yards on a school-record 42 attempts in last Saturday's 66-42 win over Texas Tech. The former University of Houston transfer graduated in December 2010 with a degree in general studies.

ROBERT T. GRIFFIN, 6-6, 330, OL, Euless (Navarro): Expected to follow in the footsteps of Baylor offensive linemen who have gone high in the NFL draft (Jason Smith, J.D. Walton, Danny Watkins), the massive Griffin was a first-team pick on Phil Steele's Midseason All-Big 12 team and an honorable mention All-American. He has started 20 of the previous 24 games and ranks second on the team with 56 knockdowns

NICOLAS JEAN-BAPTISTE, 6-2, 335, NG, Houston (Strake Jesuit): Former walk-on that's turned into one of the best success stories in college football, Jean-Baptiste earned a scholarship in '09, broke into the starting lineup last year and is now one of the most dominate d-linemen in the league. He leads the team with eight tackles for losses, ranks 2nd with 3.5 sacks and also has three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Second-team Midseason All-Big 12 pick by Phil Steele, he graduated in May with a degree in general studies.

JOHN JONES, 6-4, 320, OL, Cedar Hill: One of three players off Cedar Hill's 2006 state championship team that signed with the Bears, Jones has played in 35 games and made five starts in Baylor's o-line. This season, he's been a valuable reserve as a back-up at left guard. He graduated from Baylor in August with a degree in sociology and plans to become a coach.

TRAVIS McCLAIN, 6-1, 190, WR, Weatherford: One of three former walk-ons who were awarded scholarships prior to the 2011 season, McClain played in 10 of the team's 13 games last season and has 19 career games to his credit as a backup receiver and special team performer.

BEN PARKS, 6-1, 210, K, Argyle: Splitting time with Aaron Jones on kickoffs this year, Parks has averaged 63.1 yards on 45 kicks and leads the team with 12 touchbacks. Parks beat out incumbent Shea Brewster to win the full-time kicking job as a true freshman in 2008, hitting 39-of-44 extra points and 6-of-9 field goals with a long of 42 in a win over Texas A&M.

REGGIE RICE, 5-11, 220, LB, Houston (New Mexico Military): After two seasons at New Mexico Military, Rice redshirted in 2009 and then played in seven games last year, making special-team tackles in wins over Kansas State and Texas. The former walk-on was awarded a scholarship in August and played in two of the team's first three games.

TRACY ROBERTSON, 6-4, 280, DT, Houston (Lamar): One of just six true freshmen who played in 2008, Robertson has been an invaluable d-lineman who has started at both end and tackle. The team leader this year with four sacks, Robertson has made 12 career starts at end and another 13 inside at tackle. He recorded two sacks at Kansas State and one each against Iowa State and Texas Tech.

BRYAN SWINDOLL, 6-3, 230, TE, Miami, Fla. (Westminster Christian): Another former walk-on that was awarded a scholarship in August, Swindoll was nicknamed "Sunshine" by the coaches because of his long, golden locks and resemblance to the quarterback in the movie, "Remember the Titans." Off the field, he's made three mission trips to Kenya and is on pace to graduate in May with a double major in philosophy and economics.

ISAAC WILLIAMS, 6-0, 200, RB, Los Angeles, Calif. (El Camino College): Williams has rushed for 122 yards on 36 carries (3.4-yard average) over the last two seasons. His career high came in last year's win over Kansas, when he rushed for 53 yards on nine carries.

KENDALL WRIGHT, 5-10, 190, IR, Pittsburg, Texas: Baylor's all-time leading receiver, Wright has set single-season marks this year with 95 catches for 1,406 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also holds all the career records with 289 receptions, 3,747 yards and 28 TDs. A preseason All-Big 12 pick, he was named to Phil Steele's Midseason All-Big 12 team and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist.

Compliance Corner: All I Want For Christmas is . . .
4:30 p.m., THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2011

Hey, Christmas is just around the corner. And I'm sure your favorite student-athlete has a wish list. I know I do.

So here's this week's Compliance Corner question for Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Keith Miller:

Q: Can I give a student-athlete a Christmas gift?

A: No, it is not permissible to give a student-athlete a Christmas gift, a get-well gift, birthday gift or any gift, because it would be considered an extra benefit. An extra benefit is a serious violation that not only affects Baylor University, but it also makes the student-athlete immediately ineligible to compete for Baylor.

Here is the bylaw from the NCAA Compliance Manual that addresses extra benefits:

NCAA Bylaw 16.02.3 Extra Benefit

An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation. Receipt of a benefit by student-athletes or their relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution's students or their relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g., international students, minority students) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability. (Revised: 1/10/91)

Now, if you want a copy of my wish list . . . or more importantly, if you have a compliance question, you can send me an e-mail at Jerry_Hill@baylor.edu, and I will pass it on to Keith. Consider it your Christmas gift to Keith. I'm pretty sure it's not seen an extra benefit, even for our Compliance staff, and it would make Keith a happy man.

Compliance Corner: Can RG3 Come Speak at My Church?
12:55 a.m., FRIDAY, Nov. 25, 2011

It's been so long ago, it seems like a different life. But as the volunteer College Director at my church in the early 1990s, I recruited Baylor players and coaches for a part of our Sunday morning service that we called "Bear Testimonials."

I hate to leave anyone out, but I specifically remember special visits from J.J. Joe, Derek Draper and former running backs coach Ken Rucker. Nearly 20 years later, those Sunday mornings remain special.

In this week's installment of Compliance Corner, I ask Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Keith Miller about any NCAA or in-house rules regulating such visits. And I'll confess, if there were any procedures back then, I didn't know about them.

Q: If I want to ask Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III or one of the other student-athletes to speak at my church, what do I need to do?

A: There are many NCAA rules having to do with promotional appearances by student-athletes. Thus, Baylor's Compliance staff closely analyzes requests for student-athlete promotional appearances. An individual/organization can request a student-athlete appearance by filling out and submitting an online form at the following website: http://www.baylorbears.com/comm-outreach/bay-donation-requests.html

Note that several restrictions apply and requests must be made a minimum of two weeks prior to the proposed event. The website and online form set forth other Baylor and NCAA guidelines. Note that student-athlete appearances may not interfere with class or other educational commitments and, if the request meets all requirements, it is still up to the student-athlete whether to attend.

If you have a compliance question or anything concerning NCAA rules and regulations, send me an e-mail at jerry_hill@baylor.edu and I will pass it on to Keith.