Early Exit Polls Indicate a Strong [Shameless and Promotional] Public Opinion
4:48 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Is FCP that popular? Or, is The Pen that much more popular than the great FCP? Both questions are subject to debate and I'm sure there will be someone holding a clipboard along University Parks conducting a straw poll come Monday morning. The fact of the matter is this: with nearly 200 voters strong casting their opinion, FCP has emerged as a fan favorite, but we never denied or downplayed our potential. As of 11:53 AM (and before anyone else could clear their cookies and cast a second vote), FCP had garnered 34.8 percent of the vote (63 votes), while Straight From the Pen was picking up some steam, but still in second with 23.2 percent (42 votes). FCP wanted to vote for the artist formerly known as Wednesdays With Webguy, but there was no write-in vote available.

And, for those of you that have yet to cast your vote, you can do so now at BaylorBears.com. We are both shameless and promotional - just the way we like it. And, for those of you who have voted for FCP (no matter if you voted once or 20 times), we thank you. You didn't have to make it so obvious that FCPNation was practically stuffing the ballot box. But, at least you avoided the dreaded 'hanging chad'.

Speaking of voting, polls and the like...
Senior guard Curtis Jerrells is currently tied for 7th place with 3 percent of the vote in the latest vote count for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Louisville's Terrence Williams leads the field with 31 percent, followed by Marquette's Jerel McNeal (20 percent), Rhode Island's Jimmy Baron (15 percent), North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (10 percent), Belmont's Andy Wicke (7 percent) and Texas' A.J. Abrams. Along with CJ in seventh place at 3 percent is UT Martin's Lester Hudson, Pitt's Sam Young and Temple's Dionte Christmas. Haven't voted yet? You can vote online or, for the first time, vote via text. Be sure to text MB6 to 839863.

...And, here's our not-so-smooth transition into NIT-ology
Yes, it's hard to believe. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus (Pop Culture Reference #1). Yes, ESPN has Bracketology (for the NCAA Tournament), we have FCPology (for everything that is FCP) and then NITology has, well, NITology. Now, that we've straightened that out...

Some time ago (two weeks and counting), NITology released its initial 32-team field prediction - giving a No. 1 seed to Baylor in the - aptly named - BAYLOR Region. The 'BAYLOR' Region has now morphed into the Maryland Region and the Bears have slid three spots to No. 4. BU is joined by No. 1 Maryland, No. 2 Kansas State, No. 3 Saint Mary's, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Auburn, No. 7 N.C. State and No. 8 Miami (Ohio). Other notable possible NIT teams include Washington State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Providence. If you're counting at home, that's S-I-X 2008-09 opponents in the field. Six, Six opponents. Ha, Ha, Ha (pretend it's the Count from Sesame Street). And, for Pop Culture Reference #2, six is also the number of current American Idol finalists.

Behold, FRIDAY'S CLOSING LIST...
The MADNESS is back! Friday's Multimedia Miscellanea Madness

Two miscellaneous multimedia items to note: Saturday's game is available on ESPN360.com and ESPN Full Court (a pay subscription service). Also, the game will be available in Central Texas on The CW (Time Warner Channel 165/Grande Channel 15). Not in Central Texas? Here's your list of in-state and out-of-state syndicates that will carry tomorrow's game.

BaylorNation is winding down. Saturday's game is the second-to-last regular season home game for Baylor seniors Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat, Mamadou Diene and Kevin Rogers.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: The Colorado Buffaloes
• Colorado (9-18, 1-12) visits Waco in search of its first road win of the season and only its second win away from Boulder. The Buffaloes are 0-8 this season on the road and 0-6 in Big 12 play.
• Since a home win over Iowa State on Jan. 27, Colorado has lost eight-straight games, including an overtime home loss to Texas on Feb. 14.
• Colorado is 2-13 in the 2009 calendar year.
• The low-scoring Buffs, which are averaging just 63.3 points in 27 games, are led offensively by Cory Higgins (17.2 pts) and Dwight Thorne II (12.3). Higgins is shooting 48.8 percent (142-of-291) from the floor, while Thorne is shooting slightly better at 49.2 percent (116-of-239).
• Thorne and Nate Tomlinson are Colorado's biggest 3-point threats this season. Tomlinson is shooting 42.7 percent from beyond the arc, while Thorne is 41.0 percent.
• In their last outing, the Buffaloes fell behind early in the first half to Oklahoma State and managed to score just 24 points in the second half, losing to the Cowboys by 21 points, 76-55. Higgins and Thorne combined for nine points on 3-of-11 shooting, while Levi Knutson led the Buffs with 19 points (Casey Crawford added 14).

Series History
Colorado leads the all-time series 14-7 and holds a 10-5 advantage in the Big 12 era. The teams have split the last six meetings in the series with Colorado suprising Baylor in the first round of the 2008 Big 12 Championship, 91-84 in double overtime in Kansas City. Baylor is 4-3 vs. Colorado at home and has won three of the last four meetings in Waco (3-3 at the Ferrell Center). Baylor is 2-2 vs. Colorado when scoring 80-plus points.

WE PROMISE to bring back Sunday Morning Point Guard this Sunday, especially on the eve of Baylor's second Big Monday game when the Bears visit Austin to face the Longhorns. We've left you with enough anticipation and excitement that we can't leave you hanging on the edge of your seat for much longer.

As always...BE SURE TO TURN DOWN THE SOUND ON YOUR TV AND TURN UP THE VOLUME ON YOUR RADIO DIAL AT ESPN 1660 AM with The Voice of the Baylor Bears John Morris and The Man, The Myth, The Legend Pat Nunley. Pre-game gets started at 2:30 p.m. followed by the tip at 3 p.m.

AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Looking at Things Through the Windshield, Rather than the Rear-View Mirror
4:15 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

What do you think of that headline? Those words offer a powerful and positive insight, don't you think? We thought it rather apropos for today. So, where did we get this rather insightful insight? Glad you asked...You might recognize the name. The Big 12 Network's Dave Armstrong (play-by-play for last night's game at Iowa State) is a motivational speaker and has just written his first book, Driving From Here to WOW!. And, for those who may have missed it, Dave made WOW! his personal catchphrase while calling games throughout the country.

That is where the title stems. It offers insight in how to look at things through the windshield and not the rear-view mirror. Translation: Always look ahead, not back. And that, BaylorNation, is how we tie it into last night's game...It's easy to look at the previous 27 games and think 'What if this would have happened?' or 'What if that would have happened?' rather than peering through the looking glass at the games that still lie ahead.

And, while Baylor's hope for an NCAA Tournament berth may have completely diminished after last night's 71-62 loss at Iowa State, the Bears are still in line for a bid to the NIT. On top of that, the Ferrell Center could possibly be the site of first round NIT game. There's plenty of basketball yet to be played, so look through the windshield, rather than the rear-view mirror.

FCP Still Leading 'Other' by 10 Percent, J-Hill Number Three in Last Early Exit Poll
Have you voted yet? After three days, the numbers are in and FCP has garnered 37.3 percent of the popular (or un-popular) vote on the BaylorBears.com Fan Poll. 'Other' ("K" Corner, Player Notes, Cuttin' in the Baylor Line and the artist formerly known as WWW) is currently in second at 26.4 percent. A View From the Hill is in third with 20 percent. Straight From the Pen and the In-Game Blog follow in fourth and fifth place, respectively. But, when the season's over, what will FCP do? Good question.

Shameless Promotional Plug #849
VOTE FOR AGENT ZERO, CURTIS JERRELLS. Have you voted for CJ today? Now's a good time. Text the code MB6 to 839863. MB6. 839863. Tell them FCP sent you.

Have You Twittered Today?
Monday morning, Brad Sheffield (internet persona: the artist formerly known as Wednesdays With Webguy) started Baylor Athletics' Twitter Page. FCP even has one, as well. Join the Revolution.

ACHTUNG: Objects in rear-view mirror appear farther away...Always look forward, rather than back. And, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Is This Heaven? No, It's Iowa...And, It's Cold
9:36 A.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 24, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

FCP and our merry band of traveling gypsies arrived in Ames, Iowa, last night around 8:30 p.m. And, while we haven't seen Iowa in the daylight as of yet, we can assure you that it was cold (brrrrrrrr) and mounds of snow had been plowed off the runway at Ames Municipal Airport. Of course, for the last 24 hours, we've been associating Iowa with one of the greatest movies of all-time, Field of Dreams. And, according to MapQuest, we are an estimated 161 miles from the 'Field of Dreams' in Dyersville, Iowa.

The local forecast claims it's 28 degrees outside (but it feels like 20 degrees). Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa...And, IT IS COLD. Brrrrrrrr.

Early Exit Poll Numbers: FCP Leads by Wide Margin, but 'Other' Closing In
For a while yesterday, we thought the loyal readership that is FCP Nation kept clearing out its cookies and voting over and over again on the BaylorBears.com Fan Poll. FCP was staying afloat at above 50 percent for the vast majority of the day, but we have now slipped to 43.3 percent. It isn't a contest, but it's for bragging rights. Ahem, vote. Cough. Vote. That is all.

Have You Twittered Today?
Monday morning, Brad Sheffield (internet persona: the artist formerly known as Wednesdays With Webguy) started Baylor Athletics' Twitter Page. WWW even took the time to create a multimedia page on BaylorBears.com explaining Twitter. Thanks WWW!

Oh, here's shameless promotional plug #473: Baylor Athletics' Official Twitter Page | FCP's Official Twitter Page.

The Latest Bubble Watch with CNNSI's Andy Glockner
In Glockner's latest Bubble Watch published Monday, the Big 12 is slated with three postseason locks - Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas - and one team that should be in - Texas. Five more teams are in the mix, including Baylor. Here's what Glockner had to say about the Bears:

"After losing at Oklahoma State in its only game of the week, Baylor (15-10, 4-8; RPI: 57; SOS: 12) probably needs to win its last four. If the Bears can upset Texas on the road on March 2, the other three are gettable."

Today is MARDI GRAS DAY, so what better way to celebrate than to proceed with tonight's festivities...
Tuesday night's game at Iowa State is the first game of the final fourth of the Big 12 regular season. Three of Baylor's final four games are against Big 12 North schools, which the Bears have fared better against in the last nine seasons. Before we diagram and dissect tonight's opponent, here's W2W4:

WHAT 2 WATCH 4
• Baylor is 6-40 in its last 46 Big 12 road games, including a 5-9 mark dating back to last season.
• Baylor is 22-29 vs. Big 12 North schools over the last nine seasons (18-71 vs. Big 12 South schools).
• Kevin Rogers has scored in double figures in 17 straight games -- the second-longest streak by a Bear this season.
• Tweety Carter has made at least one 3-point field goal in 14 consecutive games.
• Baylor is 10-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor this season.
• Baylor is 9-35 under Scott Drew when allowing 80-plus points (1-7 this season).
• Baylor has trailed at halftime in nine of its 12 Big 12 games this season.
• Baylor has made at least one 3-point field goal in 537 straight games.
• Baylor seniors Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers have accounted for 49.1 percent of the Bears' offense since arriving in 2005-06. The trio has scored 3,968 of Baylor's 8,074 points in 106 games.
• Henry Dugat is averaging 7.3 points over the last nine games (13.4 points through first 17 games).
• Louisiana natives LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter have combined for 32.3 percent of Baylor's offense this season.

Now, it's time for TUESDAY'S CLOSING LIST:

Tuesday Multimedia Miscellanea Not-So-Much a Madness as it is a minor 'Frenzy'
 

Live stats will be available, but since Cyclones.com is not a CBS College Sports site, we don't put a GameTracker icon. We link with straight text.

Who Needs a TV Guide when BaylorBears.com lists the Big 12 Network syndicated stations? That's right...Tonight's game is on the Big 12 Network. It will be shown live in Central Texas on CWTX/The CW (Time Warner Digital 165/Grande 15) and KBTX-DT2. For a complete listing of other affiliates carrying the game in-state and out-of-state, click here.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES
• After starting the season 12-5 with a 1-1 mark in Big 12 play, Iowa State has lost nine of its last 10 games -- and four of its last five at Hilton Coliseum.
• The Cyclones are led by All-Big 12 candidate Craig Brackins, who is averaging 19.9 points and 9.1 rebounds through 27 games. Brackins is shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and 68.9 percent at the free throw line.
• Diante Garrett ranks second on the team with 9.7 points, while leading the squad with 5.3 assists.
• Lucca Staiger and Bryan Peterson are the Cyclones' biggest 3-point threats; Staiger leads the Cyclones with 37.4 percent from long distance (61-of-163), while Peterson is shooting 36.7 percent (40-of-109).

Series History (Iowa State leads 10-7)
• Tuesday will mark just the 18th meeting in the series with Iowa State holding a 10-7 all-time advantage.
• Baylor is 0-7 all-time in Ames; five of its seven losses at Hilton Coliseum have been by 10 or more points. The Bears lost by four (74-70) in 2003 and nine (61-52) in 1997.
• Head coach Scott Drew is 3-3 vs. Iowa State (3-0 in Waco; 0-3 in Ames and neutral site).

Whew! We had a lot to say this morning...It must be the cold! Brrrrrrr. So, in summation, here's FCP Nation's TO-DO LIST:
* Vote FCP as your favorite blog on BaylorBears.com
* Sign up for Twitter
* Then, 'follow' Baylor Athletics and FCP
* Vote CJ for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
* Vote FCP as your favorite blog...again
* Tip-off at 8 p.m.

DON'T FORGET BAYLORNATION...Turn down the sound on your HDTV and turn up THE VOICE OF THE BAYLOR BEARS John Morris and the man that truly needs no introduction, the best color commentator and one of Baylor's best career free throw shooters, Mr. Pat Nunley. Pre-game starts at 7:35 p.m. CT and the game will tip at 8:05 p.m. TV time. We'll catch you on the flip side...AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Twitter Me This, Twitter Me That...Will Smith Goes 'BOOM'...And, the Bears Visit the 'Field of Dreams', Well Sorta
1:16 P.M. MONDAY, FEB. 23, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

What a blog-tacular Monday here at FCP. It seems like we just landed at Waco Regional Airport from our visit to Stillwater, but our bags are packed - again - as we depart for the Field of Dreams tonight...Well, Ames, Iowa, really. Don't think we have to worry about Shoeless Joe Jackson or Ray Liotta (who played Shoeless Joe in the 1989 film) walking out of the corn fields during our stay.

We will have plenty of time to preview tomorrow's night game at Hilton Coliseum as tip-off is not until 8 p.m. CT on the Big 12 Network (and, we will provide what channels that will carry the game in tomorrow's Iowa-tastic edition of FCP).

Above Video: International appreciation for BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE reached its summit Sunday night when Will Smith dropped a BOOM reference on the Oscars. No, he does not read FCP; although, it would be nice.

MONDAY'S OPENING/CLOSING LIST
Moving on...Rush The Court - our favorite college basketblog of ubiquity - appears to have written off the Baylor Bears for the remainder of the season. However, FCP believes RTC is jumping to rash conclusions. Still got four games left.

FCP and Baylor Athletics now on Twitter. That's right. Baylor Athletics and FCP have joined Twitter Nation. Baylor Athletics will fill you in on the latest in Baylor Bears Athletics (and BaylorBears.com). And, FCP will keep you in the loop on the latest in Baylor Basketball happenings. Got it? Oh, you're not on Twitter? Join now.

BaylorBears.com Fan Poll. Here's your shameless self-promotional announcement for today: the new Fan Poll on BaylorBears.com asks 'Which blog on BaylorBears.com do you read most often?' Obviously, the answer is FCP. So, go vote. FCP currently has 53.3 percent of the vote. BOOM.

Speaking of Shameless Promotions...Have you voted for CJ today? Now's a good time. Text the code MB6 to 839863. MB6. 839863. Tell them FCP sent you.

We've kept you in suspense for far too long...We've dissected, pythagorized (is that a word?) and diagramed sentences in order to determine the 10 GREATEST GAMES OF THE 2008-09 SENIOR CLASS. And, the verdict is unanimous by a landslide (plus, if we hadn't picked this game number one, we wouldn't hear the end of it)...We think you can figure if out...

Was it worth the wait? We certainly think so. This senior class has left an enduring legacy at Baylor, but their reign is not over. Baylor still has four games left in the regular season before the drive for its first Big 12 Conference title begins in Oklahoma City on March 11. In the immortal words of Will Smith...

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Hold That Thought...FCP Returns Monday
5:19 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 22, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Between the six-hour drive to Stillwater Friday, an early tip-off Saturday and an all-day notes-fest to prepare for Tuesday's game at Iowa State, FCP is on hiatus for today, but will return on Monday...If you don't believe me, check us out on Twitter (hint: BaylorFCP).

For some, it's BracketBusters Saturday; For Baylor, it's [Insert Adjective Here] Saturday...
11:11 A.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 20, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

(Technically, it's a two-day event) For 102 teams and 17 conferences, today and tomorrow will serve as the seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters event. While 13 of those 51 games will be nationally televised, the next two days will give some of those teams a chance to showcase their talents for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Most of the 'BracketBusters' are mid-majors.

Ok, now that we've gotten are long-winded introduction out of the way, the Baylor Bears face a similar fate on Saturday when they face the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater. Like last Saturday, Baylor faces another elimination game; BU is currently tied for 8th place in the current Big 12 Conference standings with Texas A&M. And, if the Big 12 Championship were to start today, the Battle of the Brazos would see game #200 in the series in the first game of the tournament.

Baylor ended its six-game losing streak on Valentine's Day with a win vs. the Aggies and now faces a favorable stretch of games that could turn the collective frowns of BaylorNation upside down. You've gotta believe. Therapy session is over, so we're moving on to the third part of our 10 GREATEST MOMENTS OF THE 2008-09 SENIOR CLASS. Yesterday featured three games from last season's NCAA Tournament run. Move over; here's Nos. 3 and 2...Did you guess them correctly?

Don't underestimate the importance of either No. 3 or No. 2...Both are huge wins for the Baylor basketball program. And, well, if FCP told you they are important, then it is so. Not really. We're sure that you can deduce what game will be NUMBER 1 on the list...

Now, it's time for FRIDAY'S CLOSING LIST:

[Insert Adjective Here] Saturday Multimedia Miscellanea Not-So-Much a Madness as it is a minor 'Frenzy'
 

Live stats will be available, but since OKState.com is not a CBS College Sports site, we don't put a GameTracker icon. We link with straight text.

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR TV SCREEN...YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY TRANSITIONED TO DTV; NOW, JUST BE SURE TO WATCH THE GAME SATURDAY.
Below is a listing of affiliates carrying Saturday's game on the Big 12 Network:

STATIONS CARRYING THE OKLAHOMA STATE GAME INCLUDE:
TEXAS MARKETS: Abilene/Sweetwater - KIDZ-LP; Amarillo - KCPN; Beaumont/Port Arthur - KBTV; Dallas/Fort Worth - KTXA; Houston - KNWS; Odessa/Midland - KOSA-DT2; San Antonio/Austin - KCWX-DT1; Sherman - KXII-DT2; Tyler/Longview/Lufkin - KFXK; Waco/Temple/Bryan - KWTX-TV (CBS), The CW (Time Warner Channel 165/Grande Channel 15) and KBTX (Digital Tier - KBTX-DT2)
OUT-OF-STATE MARKETS: Chicago, Ill. - WLS-DT2; Fort Smith/Fayetteville/Springfield, Ark. - KFTA-DT1; Little Rock/Pine Bluff, Ark. - KASN-DT1; Oklahoma City, Okla. - KOCB (The CW); Toledo, Ohio - WTVG-DT2; Topeka, Kan. - KSNT; ESPN Full Court and ESPN360.com

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
• Since losing 98-92 in overtime to Baylor last month in Waco, Oklahoma State has lost five of its last nine Big 12 games. Three of those five losses have come by double-digit margins.
• Wednesday night, the Cowboys handed Texas Tech a 92-82 defeat in Lubbock. Terrel Harris led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while James Anderson chipped in 24 points.
• Four Cowboys are averaging more than 10.0 points through 25 games, led by Anderson's 18.0-point average. Harris (14.8), Byron Eaton (14.5) and Obi Muonelo (14.2) round out Oklahoma State's double-digit scorers.

SERIES HISTORY
• Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 47-15, with the Bears winning three of the last four meetings -- all three wins coming in Waco.
• Baylor is 2-21 all-time in Stillwater and has not won at Gallagher-Iba Arena since Feb. 15, 2003. Baylor is 1-11 at Oklahoma State in the Big 12 era.
• Baylor has never swept a season series with Oklahoma State in the Big 12 era.
• Baylor has defeated Oklahoma State twice in a season only once -- 1922 vs. then-Oklahoma A&M. Both wins came in Waco.
• In the Big 12 era, Baylor is 6-21 against Oklahoma State.

LAST TIME VS. OKLAHOMA STATE - JAN. 17, 2009
• Tweety Carter hit two 3-pointers to start overtime and finally put No. 21 Baylor ahead to stay in a 98-92 victory over Oklahoma State that was filled with wild swings.
• Curtis Jerrells led the Bears with 31 points and 10 assists, but missed a chance to win the game in regulation when he made only one free throw with 2.5 seconds left.
• Carter, who had three points while playing 32 minutes in regulation, broke the 82-82 tie 12 seconds into overtime. He hit another 3 on the Bears' next possession, then added a floater and a steal to finish with 11 points.
• Obi Muonelo had 21 points and James Anderson added 20 for Oklahoma State, which needed a 13-0 run in the second half to regain the lead after blowing a 17-point advantage built over the game's first 14 minutes.
• Quincy Acy, a freshman making his first career start for Baylor, had 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevin Rogers had 14 points, LaceDarius Dunn 13 and Dugat 12.
• Byron Eaton had 17 points, while Terrel Harris had 12 and Page 11 for the Cowboys, who had won by an average margin of nearly 24 points during their winning streak.

Tip-off for Saturday's showdown at Gallagher-Iba Arena is set for 12:45 p.m. CT on the Big 12 Network with Bob Carpenter (pxp) and Stephen Howard (color). The team arrived in Stillwater last night, but John Morris and his merry band of gypsies (FCP included) depart for Oklahoma this afternoon...Don't forget, BaylorNation...to turn down the  volume on your 42-inch flat screen HD TV and TURN UP the volume on your radio (iPhone, portable whatever player, BaylorBears.com or 1660ESPN.com) to ESPN 1660 AM with The Voice of the Baylor Bears, John Morris, and The Man, The Myth, The Legend, Mr. Pat Nunley. Pre-game begins at 12:15 p.m.

One Down, Five to Go.

AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Resistance is Futile...T-Minus 24 Days and Counting Until Selection Sunday
11:06 A.M. THURSDAY, FEB. 19, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Thanks to Rush The Court and its javascript counter in the upper right-hand corner of its page, you can sit and stare at the ticking clock that counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Selection Sunday. While watching the clock can be fun or completely cruel and tortuous (depending on the fan), the 16-9 Baylor Bears have five games that still remain, beginning with Saturday's road tilt at Oklahoma State.

Everyone should remember the Bears' clash with the Cowboys earlier this season in Waco. Down 17. Second-Half Rally. Curtis Jerrells. 31. OT. 98-92. There's your Google keyword search for the day. Now, for our daily Overused Sports Cliché of the Day - Take One Game at a Time. While it's become completely colloquial and it's tossed around the media like a beach ball, it's completely RELEVANT. You can't look past Saturday. Behind Saturday, there is another 'elimination' game, as some NCAA Tournament experts have prognosticated. These are the times that try NCAA Tournament teams' souls. And, THIS is why college basketball fandom loves this time every year.

Now, let's get back to our countdown of the 10 GREATEST GAMES OF THE 2009 SENIOR CLASS. Yesterday, we mentioned Baylor beating Mizzou, 100-89, last season at No. 10; the Bears' 68-64 win over Notre Dame to advance to the Paradise Jam Finals at No. 9; the 58-52 win at Wazzu earlier this season with No. 8; and Baylor's upset of Mizzou at the 2007 Big 12 Championship at the No. 7 spot. That leaves us with Nos. 6, 5 and 4 on our countdown. And, if you remember from yesterday, we hinted that all three occurred during last season...

Tomorrow, we'll unveil Nos. 3 and 2. Are you noticing a pattern developing? Yesterday was four, today is three, tomorrow will be two...which means Saturday should be one, right? For Friday, we'll run the usual list of suspects - Multimedia Miscellanea Madness...not so much madness as a minor 'frenzy'. Plus, we'll preview the Bears/Cowboys contest and the like. It's Thursday...which is connected to Friday. Enjoy your almost weekend. BOOM.

In Search of the 'Perfect Blog'; Nope, Nothing Here
11:11 A.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

We've made it to Wednesday relatively unscathed...That means the weekend is just around the corner and, while men's hoops will be in Stillwater Saturday afternoon, Baylor fans will have a full docket of home events, including Lady Bears softball and Bears baseball. Yesterday, we here at FCP International were in search of the Perfect Blog posting, but, there was nothing here. We searched high and low, but, there was nothing here, there or anywhere for that matter.

As much as we'd like to consider ourselves the 'Perfect Blog', we needed a day off. But, we're back and ready for the home stretch that is the final five games of the Bears' regular season. And, what better way to start it off than to highlight the 10 GREATEST GAMES OF THE 2009 SENIOR CLASS. Each of you should be able to spot 10 games easily, but did they make the list? But, in the words of ESPN's Lee Corso - Not. So. Fast. My Friends. Like our semi-successful analytical journey that was this season's Top 25 Highlights, we are going to break the 10 Greatest Games up over the next few days. So, without subjecting you to further torture, here's No. 10-7 on our list of the 10 GREATEST GAMES OF THE 2009 SENIOR CLASS (we really just like the nifty green/gray tables):

Tomorrow, we'll give you Nos. 6-4 (HINT: All three occurred last season; and, THAT game is not one of them).

The NCAA Media Mock Bracket. As the regular season hits turbo overdrive, more and more bracket pundits appear to be popping up all over the internet. One cool thing, though, is that the NCAA hosts a Mock Bracket selection in Indianapolis with 20 members of the media to go through the same exercise of filling the bracket in 12 hours that the NCAA Selection Committee goes through in five days.

In Agreement? Both CNNSI's Andy Glockner (Bubble Watch) and Seth Davis have an interesting take on the fate of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. While the Bears did garner a slight mention in Glockner's column, both are still good reads.

Additional Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship Tickets on Sale. They went on sale today at 9 a.m. You can buy them online via Ticketmater and at the U.S. Army Box Office at the Ford Center. Or, you can call (800) 745-3000. Only all-session tickets will be sold; no single-session tickets are available.

Big 12 Network analyst Rick Zvosec Covers the Baseline. Zvosec discusses the Stretch Run in the race for the Big 12 championship and a trip to the postseason for NCAA tournament hopefuls on this week's Covering the Baseline Big 12 Network blog.

And, we are still in search of the Perfect Blog. BOOM.

Here's Something You Haven't Seen Before: This Week's First (of Many) Shameless Promotional Plugs
4:31 P.M. MONDAY, FEB. 16, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Why fight it anymore? Just do what we ask and call it a day. What's that, you ask? Well, CJ STILL NEEDS YOUR VOTES! Vote early; Vote often; Vote CJ. You can even check out the latest Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Newsletter and read columnist Stacey Dale's article entitled 'The Extraordinary Senior Leader'.

CJ NEEDS YOUR VOTE! Jerrells is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. For the first time in the history of the men's basketball award, fans can vote! Yes, you. You can vote online or text your vote. If you are like FCP, you are a texting machine. All you have to do is text MB6 (that's code for Curtis Jerrells) to 839863. That's right: text MB6 to 839863. Pretty simple.

Does that jog your memory at all? Good, so vote. I'm going to continue to bother you until you vote every day (the last day is March 22). Hurry...CJ only has 3% of the vote. MB6. to 839863.

VOTE. VOTE. V-O-T-E.

I'm Not Gonna Lie...I've Got a SERIOUS Killer 'Case of the Mondays'
1:20 P.M. MONDAY, FEB. 16, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Today is just like any typical Monday along S. University Parks. Except, I've got a SERIOUS killer 'Case of the Mondays'. I'm not gonna lie. And, nothing has gone wrong today! You know the feeling when you roll out of bed and you just know? Yeah, that's FCP today. One thing that did make my weekend fairly enjoyable: Baylor's 72-68 win over Battle of the Brazos rival Texas A&M. Suh-weeeeet.

While I didn't fully expect for Baylor to jump right back into the NCAA Tournament non-bubble picture, the Bears' bubble did shrink slighly...maybe 1/10,000th of a millimeter, but it shrunk nonetheless. Baylor still has a mighty task at hand with the Bears visiting Oklahoma State (Saturday) and Iowa State (Feb. 24) - two places Baylor has had a little success, historically speaking. This is the time for which college basketball fans live. March is 13 days away, give or take a few hours. And, what is so special about March? March M-A-D-N-E-S-S. Rather than Baylor fans sweating under the pressure of winning and losing, BaylorNation should embrace these next four weeks.

Last year was a historic ride of epic proportions for Baylor basketball. Who's to say we can't make it bigger this year? It's going to be a fairly slow week here, so...

If you've got questions, I've got answers. Feel free to drop me a line with a question or comment and we can talk about it. Yup, that's what FCP's been reduced to this week...Until tomorrow, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

One Down, Five to Go; Sunday Morning Point Guard: 10,407 Strong Edition
12:40 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 15, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

No puns. No jokes. No twists. No turns. Just straight facts. The symbology of Saturday's 72-68 win over long-heated rival Texas A&M goes as follows:

• Baylor defeated A&M in Waco for the first time since Feb. 7, 2004 (Scott Drew's first season at Baylor).
• Saturday's crowd of 10,407 is the 5th-largest all-time at the Ferrell Center.
• The win snaps Baylor's six-game losing streak, the longest since a six-game streak to start the 2005-06 season - the freshman season of the current BU senior class.
• Baylor's 40-28 lead at halftime marks only the third time in Big 12 play this season that the Bears led at the break - and the first since Kansas State on Jan. 21.

• Baylor's NCAA Tournament bubble shrunk a little with the four-point win, while the loss has put the Aggies' tourney hopes on ice.

NOW, BaylorNation can rejoice and celebrate. [background music blarring] Saturday could very well be the game that rights the Baylor Bears NCAA Tournament ship, but...One Down, Five to Go. A win at Oklahoma State this Saturday could definitely provide the much-needed momentum to head into the final two weeks of the Big 12 regular season.

And, while we don't have too much to say (see: excessive Friday posts), we will give you a syndicated TV preview of next Saturday's game at Oklahoma State. That game will be on the Big 12 Network, so here's your list of syndicates carrying the game in your area:

TEXAS MARKETS: Abilene/Sweetwater (KIDZ-LP), Amarillo (KCPN), Beaumont/Port Arthur (KBTV),
Dallas-Fort Worth (KTXA), Houston (KNWS), Lubbock (KJTV), Odessa/Midland (KOSA-DT2),
San Antonio/Austin (KCWX-DT1), Sherman (KXII-DT2), Tyler/Longview/Lufkin (KFXK),
Waco/Temple/Bryan (KWTX/KWTX-DT/KBTX/DT2)

OUT-OF-STATE MARKETS: Fort Smith/Fayetteville/Springfield, Ark. (KFTA-DT1);Little Rock/Pine Bluff, Ark. (KASN-DT1); Toledo, Ohio (WTVG-DT2); Topeka, Kan. (KSNT); Tulsa, Okla. (KJRH)

ONE MORE NOTE ON SATURDAY'S GAME AT OKLAHOMA STATE: The game will be televised in Central Texas on both KWTX-TV Channel 10 (CBS) AND The CW (Time Warner Digital 165 and Grande Channel 15).

No puns. No jokes. No twists. No turns. Just straight facts. We'll return in true form tomorrow...Enjoy the rest of your celebratory Sunday. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Let It Be Known: There's 43,000 or so Minutes until Selection Sunday
4:17 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Yes, there is a countdown to Selection Sunday on the Rush The Court web site. That figure alone should tell you something: there is P.L.E.N.T.Y. of hoops yet to be played. Don't pay any attention to that clock. Put your efforts to good use like...selling out the Ferrell Center Saturday afternoon for the 199th installment of the Battle of the Brazos. Be Loud. Be Proud. Because we're running out of words since we've already exceeded our verbal quota for the day (see: previous four posts), we conclude today with FRIDAY'S CLOSING LIST:

Friday the 13th/Saturday's Multimedia Miscellanea Madness

GIVE ME MORE INTERACTIVE IN-GAME BLOG. Because Wednesday was such a huge success, the interactive in-game blog will make its debut for the women's game Saturday and return for the men's game later that day. Sweet.

Set Your TiVos...Don't forget - if you are outside the state of Texas, you can watch Saturday's FSN Southwest telecast on ESPN Full Court or ESPN360.com.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE TEXAS A&M AGGIES
• Since opening the season 15-2 after an 84-73 win vs. Baylor in College Station on Jan. 14, Texas A&M has lost five of its last seven games, including an 0-3 mark on the road.
• Four of its five losses during that stretch have come by nine points or less.
• Four Aggies are averaging in double figures with Josh Carter leading the way at 13.0 points through 24 games. Donald Sloan is second with 11.3 points, followed by Bryan Davis with 10.5 and Chinemelu Elonu with 10.0. Elonu also leads the Aggies with 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Series History; The 199th installment of the Battle of the Brazos
• Texas A&M leads the all-time series 126-72 and holds an 50-42 series advantage in Waco. The Aggies have won the last four meetings in Waco as the Bears haven't beaten A&M on their home court since Feb. 7, 2004.
• Saturday is the 199th installment of the Battle of the Brazos rivalry series.
• Texas A&M has won seven of the last eight meetings.
• It will be the second Valentine's Day meeting between the schools and the first since 1916, when A&M won, 28-14, in Waco.
• Baylor is 5-7 vs. Texas A&M in the month of February in the Big 12 era.

FCP Notes: 5 Things to Watch
• Baylor's current six-game losing streak is the longest since the Bears lost six straight at the start of the 2005-06 season - that was the freshman season of this year's senior class.
• Curtis Jerrells is five starts away from becoming the school's all-time leader in career games started.
• Kevin Rogers has scored in double figures in 15 straight games.
• LaceDarius Dunn has no assists to 19 turnovers in 10 Big 12 games.
• Baylor has been outscored by an average margin of 4.9 points in Big 12 play.

ESPN's Got Bracketology...Someone else has NITology. Yup, that's right. There is a website aptly titled NITology.com. While many of you may not care about it, we here at FCP find it rather intriguing. For those curious followers of BaylorNation, the Bears are projected as a No. 1 seed, facing No. 8 UTEP in the opening round. The remaining six in the Baylor Region - (2) Michigan, (3) George Mason, (4) New Mexico, (5) Wisconsin-Green Bay, (6) Niagara and (7) Providence. Other notable projected NIT invites as of Feb. 8 - Texas A&M, Nebraska, Saint Mary's and Notre Dame.

Rush The Court's Ubiquitous (and Resident) Bracketologist thinks...Saturday is an elimination game between Baylor and Texas A&M. He's probably right.

We have nothing left. We exceeded our daily word allotment some two posts ago, so, with that, we're outta here. If you can't make it to The Hizzeeeeee! tomorrow (because they sold all the tickets, perhaps?), then turn down the sound on your 42-inch HD flat screen and turn up the best team on the radio, The Voice John Morris and the man that needs no introduction Mr. Pat Nunley. And, if you're lucky, Ferrell Center PA extraordinare Derek Smith might give you a shout out. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Baylor's Agent Zero and FCPology's Number One Highlight, Curtis Jerrells
2:51 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

We're sure many of you thought that this moment would never come true...The top highlight of the 2008-09 season thus far. EDITOR'S NOTE: FCP can amend this list - and most certainly will - at any given time. There are six games left...Will any of those games (or plays from said games) supplant #1? Over the last week, we didn't find it difficult at all to generate 25 things that have captured our attention this season...It was troublesome finding the best moments. That leaves us with our top highlight after 24 games.

He's our AGENT ZERO. When his college career comes to a close in April, he will have peppered his name throughout the annals of Baylor basketball lore and rank in the top five of most offensive categories. Now, with the NUMBER ONE highlight by FCP standards...

That's a great list, FCP. But, where do we go from here? Thoughtful insight...Friday Multimedia Miscellanea Madness, of course. Let FCP soak in everything that is the Top 25 and we'll bring you the good stuff shortly.

Numbers 25-2...A Recapitulation
2:20 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Recap is short for recapitulation. Did you know that? In preparation of unveiling NUMBER ONE on our list of the 25 best highlights of the season thus far, let's recap Nos. 25-2...

25. Baylor 90, Centenary 55
24. Quincy Acy's perfect start
23. Baylor scores 108 points in a season-opening rout of Paul Quinn
22. Baylor's 6-0 start
21. A school-record 25 games will be featured on national or regional TV
20. Baylor connects on Scott Drew era record 95.7 percent from the FT line in loss at Texas Tech
19. Baylor opens season 9-0 at home
18. Baylor's Historic Run in the AP Top 25
17. Josh Lomers ties a career high with 14 points
16-15. Baylor's 1,000-point club welcomes its 22nd and 21st members (Kevin Rogers, Henry Dugat)
14. Curtis Jerrells' surpasses last season's assists total in 23 games
13. Baylor's 58-52 win at Washington State
12. Baylor upsets No. 14 Arizona State behind LaceDarius Dunn's 27 points
11. Henry Dugat narrowly misses a triple-double vs. Southern
10. Baylor's 98-92 OT win over Oklahoma State
9. Curtis Jerrells connects on 16 consecutive free throws
8. Dos Tres' current streak of 14 consecutive games in double figures
7. 1,000/700
6. 'The Chest Bump'
5. Quincy Acy sets Big 12 record for consecutive FG made
4. Lace's consecutive 3-point streak ends at 28
3. 1,000/400/100
2. Radar ties school record with 9 triples at K-State

And, now...The time you've all been waiting for...NUM- Nope, you'll have to wait a little bit longer.

Lace's Nickname Should Be Radar Because He Find the Basket From Anywhere
1:55 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Can you quickly name some of the nation's best sixth men in all of college basketball? Well, it should be fairly easy to start the list because one of them is a Baylor Bear. LaceDariuns Dunn, as we've mentioned here before numerous times, is one of the nation's most feared long-distance dialers. It's been long rumored that Lace's shooting range is anywhere inside the Ferrell Center, which reminds me of a famous commerical. We refer to Lace as, well, Lace or Kool, while an ESPNU crew called him the Rifleman. Lace's nickname should be RADAR because he can find the basket from A-N-Y-W-H-E-R-E. Which leads us to the number two spot on our 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS countdown. Can you figure it out? Shouldn't be hard...Here's Number Two:

Now, that leaves us with one...Center Stage. Who gets it? What will it be? You know the drill - you'll just have to wait and see.

Are You Paraskavedekatriaphobic? Then, Friday the 13th Probably Isn't Your Day...But, We're in the Final '3'
10:49 A.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

T.G.I black cat Friday. Are you - by any chance - paraskavedekatriaphobic? If you are, then Friday the 13th probably isn't your day. Paraskavekatriaphobic is the fear of Friday the 13th. Not Monday the 13th. Not Tuesday the 13th. FRIDAY the 13th. Not the movie, just the day. Today is one of the most feared (?) days of the year...For those non-Greek majors of FCPNation, that long word at the top is derived from the combination of the Greek words Paraskevi (meaning Friday), dekatreis (meaning thirteen) and phobia (meaning fear). There's your Wikipedia Greek lesson for the day...

There is nothing to fear this Friday the 13th, unless you are one of the pessimistic basketball fans that are fearing for Baylor's postseason life. While I can understand your worries and concerns, that's the beauty of playing a 16-game conference schedule. It's all for the March Madness. Tomorrow's game will be the Tipping Point for both teams. One will tip upwards, while the other will probably continue to tip downwards. And, that's your literature segment for today.

All week, FCP and his merry band of traveling gypsies have compiled, re-ordered and contemplated the five-part highlight series, simply known as SIC 'EM. Ok, that was a bit of a fib - FCP's merry band consists of, well, just FCP. It's Friday; we can stretch the truth just a bit, right? While we don't have any more sweet animated gif images to post during the highlight segment, we would still like to introduce NUMBER TRES in our Top 25...Welcome to the FINAL '3':

What's Number two? or NUMERO UNO? FCP has kept you guessing...And, you'll have to keep guessing or just check back later today to find out...Until then, remember: BOOM. DYNAMITE. THE.

Hustle is the Name of the Game and Baylor Has It
1:33 P.M. THURSDAY, FEB. 12, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

I'll concede this feeling - last night was a tough loss. The one that got away. Baylor was ready to pry that massive elephant off its back. When the Bears cut it to 52-49 at the eight minute mark on The Cookie Monster's MAMMOTH dunk, we thought that we could see two streaks come to a close. However, No. 2 Oklahoma put together a quick 7-0 spurt, including a ridiculously lucky shot by Austin Johnson as the shot clock expired...That swoosh was not only the ball hitting nothing by net, but it was the energy escaping the Ferrell Center. That play summed up some of the craziness that was Oklahoma's 78-63 win.

But, you still need to unpack your boxes...Quit packing the season in...It's not over until the clock hits :00 in the final game of the postseason. Don't forget...We still have the much-anticipated 199th installment of the Battle of the Brazos on Valentine's Day at the Hizzeeeeee!

Interactive and all that stuff. Last night's debut of BaylorBears.com's Interactive Live In-Game Blog was a huge success. We had more than 120 unique users. So, props to those Bears fans and to WWW who made it all happen. FCP even opined for part of the first half.

SIC 'EM if you're excited. Thursday features Part Four of FCP's 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS with Nos. 6-4. While we really wanted to include last night's game, it didn't quite make the cut, but you'll be happy with today's three highlights. So, without further ado...Nos. 6-4 sans visual aids.

Six more games are left in the regular season...And, three more at the Hizzzeeeeee! You've just gotta believe. What will be NUMERO UNO on FCP's super, scintillating, sensational 25 SIC' EM HIGHLIGHTS of the season? Well, FCP knows...You'll just have to find out.

One more plug before we peace out...Pick up the Feb. 23 edition of ESPN The Magazine. Turn to Page 71. There's a snippet on NBA-star-turned-student-manager David Wesley. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Remember This Date: Dec. 6, 1977. You May Need to Reference it Later
3:27 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Remember this date: Dec. 6, 1977. Why, you might ask? It's been a little more than three decades since Baylor last defeated Oklahoma...You may need to reference that date later. Really want to impress your friends? Dec. 14, 1954. That was the last Baylor win vs. Oklahoma in Waco. Try it...It might be a Trivial Pursuit question one day. In Baylor's 76-69 triumph at Norman in 1977, Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson led all scorers with 31 points, while former BU standout and the best color commentator in the business and current Baylor-ISP Radio Network color analyst, Pat Nunley, scored two points in 14 minutes.

Wednesday's Multimedia Miscellanea Madness

10 THINGS TO WATCH FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT
• Baylor's current five-game losing streak is the longest since the Bears lost six straight at the start of the 2005-06 season - that was the freshman season of this year's senior class.
• Baylor has lost 29 straight games to Oklahoma and has not defeated the Sooners since Dec. 6, 1977, in Norman. Baylor's last win over Oklahoma in Waco came on Dec. 14, 1954.
• LaceDarius Dunn's first made 3-pointer Wednesday will extend his streak to a school record-tying 29 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made. It would tie Tevis Stukes who accomplished the feat during the 1999-2000 season.
• Kevin Rogers has scored in double figures in 14 games.
• Baylor has trailed at halftime in seven of its nine Big 12 games this season.
• Baylor is 0-25 vs. Oklahoma in the Big 12 era and a combined 3-19 vs. OU and Oklahoma State under Scott Drew.
• Baylor is 7-1 when five or more players score in double figures this season.
• Since starting the season 9-0 at home, Baylor is 2-3 in its last five home games.
• Five BU players are averaging 27.0 or more minutes through 23 games this season - four are playing more than 30.0 minutes per contest.
• Since the 1996-97 season, Baylor is 10-68 vs. nationally ranked opponents (3-36 in Drew Era).

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Since suffering an eight-point loss at Arkansas at the end of the 2008 calendar year, Oklahoma has reeled off 11 straight wins and is the 2nd-ranked team in the nation. Oklahoma (23-1, 9-0), which is averaging 80.0 points through 24 games, has been held to less than 80 points in each of its last three games. Oklahoma's 95 points vs. Baylor on Jan. 24 was the Sooners' second-largest offensive output this season (100 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore on Jan. 5). Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Blake Griffin paces the Oklahoma offense, averaging a double-double with 22.3 points and 14.0 rebounds. Willie Warren ranks second on the team with 15.0 points, followed by Tony Crocker with 10.5 points. OU is holding opponents to 66.2 points and just 39.0 percent from the floor in 24 games. The Sooners are 9-1 away from the Lloyd Noble Center (6-1 in true road games) and have won their last four road games.

Series History
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series 34-5 and 15-2 Waco.
• Baylor is 0-11 vs. Oklahoma under head coach Scott Drew and have not defeated the Sooners since Dec. 6, 1977, in Norman (a 75-69 BU victory).
• Oklahoma has won the last 29 meetings (all 25 Big 12 era meetings).
• Last season, Baylor fell short of snapping its losing streak to Oklahoma in a 92-91 overtime thriller in Norman.

WE'RE GOING INTERACTIVE...WE'RE DOING IT LIVE.
Live and courtside from the Ferrell Center...It's BaylorBears.com's Interactive In-Game Blog. How much more publicity does this in-game blog need? You can submit comments and your analysis and even answer in-game poll questions. Awesome, huh? You can thank WWW's Brad Sheffield. Sweet.

Check back tomorrow for the fourth installment of FCP's SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS. Will tonight's game be included? You'll just have to wait and see. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Lights, Cameras, FCP: Sic' Em Highlights, Part Tres (Numbers 10-7)
11:14 A.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

On Monday, we told you that we were unveiling a five-part series originally entitled 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2008-09 SEASON. FCP owns the rights that title, so don't steal it. Monday started innocently enough with Nos. 25-21 to gently ease BaylorNation into the countdown. But, what we didn't tell you is that it's FCP's countdown, so we've thrown you a curveball or two with unveiling Nos. 20-11 at once. Not even one break. FCP even threw a fastball in your proverbial wheel house by adding visual aids to get BaylorNation brimming with excitement. Did it work? Well, in Part Tres of FCP's 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS, we present Nos. 10-7...And, you thought we'd give you five today, huh? Keep an eye out for one of the previously mentioned highlights of the season because it was so good it will be included again later in the countdown.

Before we unveil Nos. 10-7, let's take a look back at Nos. 25-11...
25. Baylor's systematic dismantling of Centenary on ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon
24. Quincy Acy begins his college career a perfect 20-for-20 from the floor
23. Baylor scores 108 points in a season-opening rout of Paul Quinn
22. Baylor starts the season 6-0 for only the sixth time in the NCAA Modern Era
21. A school-record 25 games will be featured on national or regional TV
20. Baylor connects on Scott Drew era record 95.7 percent from the FT line in loss at Texas Tech
19. Baylor opens season 9-0 at home
18. Baylor's Historic Run in the AP Top 25
17. Josh Lomers ties a career high with 14 points
16-15. Baylor's 1,000-point club welcomes its 22nd and 21st members (Kevin Rogers, Henry Dugat)
14. Curtis Jerrells' surpasses last season's assists total in 23 games
13. Baylor's 58-52 win at Washington State
12. Baylor upsets No. 14 Arizona State behind LaceDarius Dunn's 27 points
11. Henry Dugat narrowly misses a triple-double vs. Southern

And, here's Nos. 10-7...

SIC' EM HIGHLIGHTS, Part Tres (Numbers 10-7)

10. Baylor Outlasts Oklahoma State in OT Jan. 17, 2009 [Waco, Texas] Tweety Carter hit two 3-pointers at the start of overtime and finally put No. 21 Baylor ahead for good in a back-and-forth 98-92 victory over Oklahoma State. Curtis Jerrells led the Bears with 31 points and 10 assists, posting his fourth double-double this season. Freshman Quincy Acy made his first career start, recording his second career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds (both career highs). Baylor 98, Oklahoma State 92 [OT]

9. Welcome to the Curtis Jerrells Show Dec. 20, 2008 [Waco, Texas] Curtis Jerrells scored a then-season-high 29 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out seven assists to lead Baylor to a three-point non-conference win over UT Arlington. The most impressive stat of the night was Jerrells' free throw shooting as the senior made his first 16 free throw attempts and finished the night 16-for-17. A make on his last attempt would have given Jerrells the single-game school record. Baylor 76, UT Arlington 76

8. Double Figures for Dos Tres Dec. 20, 2008-present While CJ was lighting up UT Arlington for 29 points, senior power forward Kevin Rogers (aka Dos Tres) was beginning an impressive streak that is still active heading into tonight's game vs. No. 2 Oklahoma. Rogers scored 13 points vs. UTA - the first of 13 consecutive games scoring in double figures. During those 14 games, Rogers is averaging 14.4 points and 8.6 rebounds, while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor. Dos. Tres.

7. 1,000/700 Jan. 17, 2009 [Waco, Texas] Keeping with the Dos Tres theme, Rogers becomes just the seventh player in school history to score 1,000 points and grab 700 rebounds. The Dallas native pulled down nine boards vs. Oklahoma State to join the elite club that includes Brian Skinner, Jerry Mallett, Darrell Hardy, Terry Teagle, Darryl Middleton and Doug Brandt.

19 highlights down, 6 to go. What are the final six highlights of the 2008-09 season up to this point? Will tonight's game break the top 6? Who knows? FCP knows. AND. DYNAMITE. BOOM. GOES. THE. Yeah, it does.

Andy Katz: Baylor Not Alone on the Bubble
10:10 A.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Cough, cough. Ahem. For those of you - and you know who you are - that continue not to listen to the FCPisms that are presented each day, maybe you will listen to what ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz has to say about the Bears' current situation:

Don't single out Baylor. Coach Scott Drew surveyed the landscape and sees losing skids for Texas, Georgetown, Notre Dame, previously Wisconsin; all teams that were once ranked. For more substantial evidence, see Katz's blog and Sunday Morning Point Guard (2/8/09).

FCP has a lot to say today...So, sit back. It's going to a Baylor Basketball kinda day.

We're Interactive and We'll Do It Live!
3:50 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 10, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

We promised it last week...Now, it's official. Join BaylorBears.com web site aficionado Brad Sheffield (aka the artist formerly known as Wednesdays With Webguy) and our newest feature, an interactive courtside blog, as Baylor plays host the 2nd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on ESPN2 Wednesday night at 8 p.m. The special edition blog will be interactive and will allow fans to chime in with questions and comments, as well as vote on poll questions. The live blog will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

But, don't adjust your TV sets...Television game time will be somewhere around 8:10 p.m., following the conclusion of the International Qualifier match between Mexico and the U.S. Men's Soccer team.

Maybe I can get one of this interactive thingamagigs on my blog. Or, then again, I'll just post multiple times a day.

This Week's Third Installment of a Shameless Promotional Plug
1:19 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 10, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Wait, what's that? You didn't know? Surely, that can't be. Well, for those of you that have been living under a rock the past week or so...

CJ NEEDS YOUR VOTE! Jerrells is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. For the first time in the history of the men's basketball award, fans can vote! Yes, you. You can vote online or text your vote. If you are like FCP, you are a texting machine. All you have to do is text MB6 (that's code for Curtis Jerrells) to 839863. That's right: text MB6 to 839863. Pretty simple.

Does the graphic below suggesting the obvious jog your memory at all? Good, so vote. I'm going to continue to bother you until you vote every day (the last day is March 22). Hurry...CJ only has 3% of the vote. MB6. to 839863.

Lagniappe Tuesday, More Sic' Em Highlights...Complete with Visual Aids
12:03 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 10, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

la·gniappe (pronounced lan-yop). 1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase. 2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 3. See FCP.

It's a new holiday here at FCP, Lagniappe Tuesday. Now there's your Cajun French lesson for today.

Hopefully, yesterday's debut of FCP's five-part series, 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2008-09 SEASON, made BaylorNation collectively smile for a moment as we are trying to rid everyone of their negative approach to Baylor's latest five-game skid. At FCP International Headquarters (otherwise known outside of FCP's office as the first door around the corner), today is King Cake Day, so FCP decided to splurge a little in Tuesday's second installment of the 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS (Complete with Visual Aids). Here's Nos. 20-11, because everyone needs some Lagniappe today...

The visual aids make for a nice touch, don't you think? What's in store for tomorrow's SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS of the 2008-09 season? Only FCP knows...And, it's ok if you don't agree with our list of highlights. Blame it on our merry band of traveling gypsies parading through FCP International Headquarters...You've Gotta Believe.

FCP SPOILER ALERT: FCP advises you to go to your local newsstand and pick up the latest Sporting News (hits newsstands Wednesday or Thursday) and turn to page 86. Just do it.

AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Baylor Basketball's a Game of Two Halves and I've Got 25 Reasons Why
4:23 P.M. MONDAY, FEB. 9, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Today's landscape of college and professional sports is full of idioms: Beat to the punch. Below par. Blind-sided. Drop the Ball. Go down without a fight. Home stretch. Jockey for position. So on and so forth. For those of you that haven't quite figured it out yet, basketball - especially Baylor Basketball - is a game of two halves. While it is always easy to look at the glass as being half empty during a five-game losing streak, there are always just as many positives - if not, more - to promote. And, if I really wanted to, I can sit here every day, hammering home the same broken-record sayings and slogans, but they won't get me anywhere. You've just gotta believe that things will get better.

So, beginning this afternoon, FCP will unveil his five-part series, 25 SIC 'EM HIGHLIGHTS of the 2008-09 season. Not a very flashy title, I know, but maybe it will hammer my point home a little better. Here's Nos. 25-21...

25. The Nation is introduced to Baylor Basketball. Baylor systematically dismantles Centenary, 90-55, in front of a national TV audience as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
24. Q is Quincy and 'The Cookie Monster'. Quincy Acy, affectionately known as The Cookie Monster, sets the Big 12 Conference record for consecutive field goals made, starting the season 20-for-20.
23. Now, THAT'S an introduction. The Bears score a then-season-high 108 points as they roll to an impressive 108-50 season-opening win over Paul Quinn at the Ferrell Center.
22. 6-0 in the Modern Era. BU starts the season 6-0 for only the sixth time in the NCAA Modern Era (beginning with the 1937-38 season) and just the second time in the Big 12 era.
21. Got TiVo? A school-record 25 Baylor games will be televised at the regional or national level during the 2008-09 season, including a school-record 11 on the ESPN family of networks.

Where's Lace, Dos Tres, Hendu and CJ on the Top 25? Well, I know where they are...You just have to keep checking back here. Tomorrow's Magic Numbers: 20-16. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day and a Shameless Promotional Plug
10:27 A.M. MONDAY, FEB. 9, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

It's a new week. The slate has been officially wiped clean. [Inhale] Exhale. Rome Wasn't Built in a Day, nor were the Baylor Bears. Just remember this: Baylor is not the only national power that is struggling at the moment. Keep in mind Notre Dame and Georgetown. All great teams go through a tough stretch at different times and at different lengths. It's all a part of the game. You've just gotta believe. Now, moving on with Monday's Shameless Promotional Plug:

CJ NEEDS YOUR VOTE! Jerrells is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. For the first time in the history of the men's basketball award, fans can vote! Yes, you. You can vote online or text your vote. If you are like FCP, you are a texting machine. All you have to do is text MB6 (that's code for Curtis Jerrells) to 839863. That's right: text MB6 to 839863. Pretty simple.

AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Sunday Morning Point Guard: The Murphy's Law Edition, Part II
11:41 A.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 8, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Notre Dame. Georgetown. Baylor. What do they all have in common? On Jan. 12, all three were among the nation's top 21 teams in the AP Top 25. And, all have struggled since that poll was released. Notre Dame was 12-3 and looking to be one of the frontrunners in the BIG EAST Conference. Since then, the Irish haven't done much fighting, losing seven consecutive games and has lost its last three games by 10 or more points. Take Georgetown - the Hoyas were 11-3 after a 2-2 start to their BIG EAST schedule. Since then, the Hoyas have lost six of their last eight games...They, too, suffered a five-game losing streak before beating Rutgers on Feb. 3.

Now, on to the Bears...Baylor was 13-2 and has dropped six of their last eight games. So, keep in mind, that Baylor's current state on the basketball court is not just affecting the Bears. Notre Dame and Georgetown are going through the same stretch.

We still have seven games left...And, the Bears will welcome 2nd-ranked Oklahoma to the Hizzeeeeee! Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The Bears need your support and their fans in the stands Wedneday night when the Sooners come to town. Now is not the time to walk away. Now is the time to stand behind the Bears. One of the best - if not, the best - senior classes in Baylor basketball history will play its final home game at the Ferrell Center on March 7...They have four more home games remaining. Be sure to pack the Ferrell Center as the Bears turn it around and make their postseason run.

Last night's game in Lubbock was a tough loss. Murphy's Law: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. It happens to the best teams and those teams overcome. And, the Bears will overcome.

You've gotta believe.

Baylor's New Season Commences Tonight
1:47 P.M. SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

It's not how you start, but how you finish. Those words should resonate in the minds of BaylorNation. Baylor's 3-5 start to the Big 12 season is h-i-s-t-o-r-y. Don't talk about it anymore. You can read about it in next year's media guide. It's over and done with. It's not how you start, but how you finish. Baylor's new season commences tonight. So, this morning, I was intrigued to find that Baylor senior guard Curtis Jerrells' picture was featured on the ESPN College Basketball front page. And, why? ESPN's Bracketology, Friday edition, of course.

Now, before you overreact and think the sky is falling, Baylor is among ESPN's Joe Lundari's first four teams out of the field of 65. Thus, Baylor is team No. 66. The Bears are joined by Oklahoma State, Penn State and Michigan. So, the Bracketology travel plans for Baylor's traveling band of gypsies - John Morris, Pat Nunley, Robert Shiekh and Lawrence Gilligan - are, for the moment, on hold. No worries, though...That's the fun of following Bracketology.

Take a deep breath. We are only at the halfway point of the Big 12 schedule as we head into tonight's game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Do I need to remind you again? Step away from the panic button. No stress is good stress. Moving on...

There was a Bobby Knight siting in Lubbock today...but, it was on ESPN's College Gameday live from Spokane, Wash., on the campus of Gonzaga. Oh well.

50-Yard Line Steakhouse Blueberry Muffins are BOOM-GOES-THE-DYNAMITE Good. Do I really need to say anymore? To prove how good they are, color commentator extraordinare Pat Nunley snagged a sack-full of delicious blueberry muffins for The Voice, John Morris, who flew in this morning. That's dedication...and that's how good they are.

AS ALWAYS, remember to turn down the sound on your TV sets and turn up the volume on ESPN 1660 AM (1660ESPN.com or BaylorBears.com) and listen to The Voice J Mo and the best color commentator in the business, Mr. Pat Nunley as they call the game from rafters of the United Spirit Arena. Pre-game will start at 6:30 p.m. Be Loud, Be Proud BaylorNation. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

If You Don't Text Your Vote for CJ in the Next Five Seconds, Your Cell Phone Will Self-Destruct in...5...4...3...2...1
2:22 P.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 6, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

...AND - Nope, I'm not going to say it. While it may seem appropriate for the time, it completely ruins the anticipation of 'Will he?' or 'Won't he?' Those are the questions. However, your cell phone will self-destruct. In case you've forgotten or didn't notice the large image above stating the obvious, Baylor senior guard Curtis Jerrells is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. For the first time in the history of the men's basketball award, fans can vote! Yes, you. You can vote online or text your vote. If you are like FCP, you are a texting machine. All you have to do is text MB6 (that's code for Curtis Jerrells) to 839863. That's right: text MB6 to 839863. Pretty simple.

FCP will be shamelessly promoting your vote for CJ every day until March 22, when voting ends.

De-Bracketing the Bracket. If you know me, you know I love Bracketology. It intrigues me. It also boggles my mind that so many people have so much free time on their hands to determine the 65 tournament teams every week until Selection Sunday. Earlier this afternoon, FOXSports.com's Frank Burlison broke out his inaugural bracket project entitled Breaking the Bracket, Part I. Baylor has avoided the dreaded list of the last four schools to make the tournament for FOX as the Bears are a No. 10 seed vs. No. 7 Arizona State in Miami. That opponent should look very familiar to Bears fans...Baylor beat the Sun Devils at the 76 Classic in Anaheim. And, I believe I mentioned this back in November...I do not want to see ASU's James Harden take the court against us a second time. He's good.

AND...BOOM...GOES...THE...DYNAMITE. or was that your cell phone? MB6. 839863. Do it.

It's an Interactive Bubble Blog Kinda Friday
11:01 A.M. FRIDAY, FEB. 6, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Interactive? Blog? Bubble? The? Well, there's no the, but you've read it write (sans the bubble, of course, but you'll find out later). BaylorBears.com's In-Game Basketball Blog will go INTERACTIVE for Wednesday's ESPN2 showdown with Oklahoma at the Ferrell Center. FCP, how can it be interactive? Simple. It's called CoverItLive.com. And, to the knowledge of the artist formerly known as Wednesdays With Webguy, BaylorBears.com will become only the second school to use it for in-game basketball blogging, joining the Wisconsin Badgers. It's a very cool idea and it allows YOU, the fan, to submit questions and comments and we'll answer them in-game. Pretty neat, huh? Here's a CoverItLive demo video of how it works.

Ah, Friday. The end of the work week. The beginning of the weekend. And, travel day. The Baylor Bears depart for Lubbock this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in preparation for Saturday's game at Texas Tech on the 'U'. The Bears are scheduled to practice at the United Spirit Arena tonight at 7 p.m., with dinner afterwards. Where, you might ask? Well, I'll fill you in on that tomorrow.

Now, it's that time you've all (Yes, All of you) been waiting for...FRIDAY'S OPENING LIST that is the WEEKEND PREVIEW:

Saturday Multimedia Miscellanea Madness

A few Miscellaneous Multimedia Notes of Note: Saturday's game is on ESPNU (Time Warner Digital Channel 436 and Grande Digital Channel 129) at 7:05 p.m. (that's what we call a TV tip time). I assure you - according to my handy dandy Excel spreadsheet - that Saturday's game WILL BE on Sirius Channel 161. Trust me.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (11-11, 1-6)
• Since its 73-61 loss at Baylor in January, Texas Tech has lost five of its last six games, including a late-second 81-80 loss at Oklahoma State Wednesday night. T
• Texas Tech is 10-3 at the United Spirit Arena this season and 1-3 after starting the season 9-0 at home. Tech's lone home win in Big 12 play was a 63-55 victory vs. Colorado on Jan. 20.
• John Roberson and Alan Voskuil pace the Red Raiders offensively with 14.6 and 13.9 points, respectively, through 22 games. Roberson and Voskuil are the only Red Raiders averaging 30 or more minutes overall and in Big 12 play. Roberson is averaging 6.3 assists overall and 6.9 assists in Big 12 games.

Series History
• Texas Tech leads the all-time series 73-44, but Baylor has won the last three meetings and 5 of the last 6, including a 73-61 win earlier this season at the Ferrell Center.
• Baylor is 5-6 under head coach Scott Drew.
• Four of Baylor's last five wins vs. Texas Tech have come by 10 or more points.
• Texas Tech leads the series in Lubbock 42-12. Baylor's 86-73 win last season was its first win in Lubbock since 1998.

9 Things to Watch For Saturday
• Baylor has won three straight against the Red Raiders -- all against Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight -- and is 5-6 under head coach Scott Drew.
• LaceDarius Dunn currently owns a streak of 27 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer made -- the third-longest streak in Baylor history. He is one game shy of tying former teammate Aaron Bruce (28) for the second-longest streak. He has made at least one 3-point field goal in 51 of his 53 career games.
• Baylor has trailed at halftime in six of its eight Big 12 games this season.
• Baylor is 6-38 in its last 44 Big 12 road games (5-7 in its last two seasons after starting 1-31).
• Baylor's senior class has amassed 55 victories (55-47 in three-plus seasons) and needs eight more wins to become the winningest senior class in school history.
• In the last nine games, Quincy Acy and Kevin Rogers are shooting a combined 55.3 percent from the floor (73-of-132), while the rest of the team is shooting 39.7 percent (167-of-421).
• Baylor seniors Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers have accounted for 49.2 percent of the Bears' offense since arriving in 2005-06. The trio has scored 3,835 of Baylor's 7,789 points in 102 games.
• Curtis Jerrells is seven starts away from becoming the school's all-time leader in career games started.
• Kevin Rogers has scored in double figures in 13 straight games.

ESPN's Bubble Watch
Let's be frank. According to ESPN.com, Baylor is on the proverbial Bubble. No, not that kind of bubble. The NCAA Tournament Bubble. Is it fair? Well, that's subject to interpretation. The fact of the matter is that Baylor is one of three Big 12 schools mentioned to be on that Bubble, joining Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Here's ESPN's analysis on the Bears - and before you e-mail me and tell me that our record is 15-7 and not 14-7, the 14 wins represent Baylor's Division I victories; Paul Quinn = NAIA:

Baylor [14-7 (3-5), RPI: 51, SOS: 17] The Bears' at-large hopes might be on life support because of their current four-game losing streak. Baylor has lost six of its past nine games, including a 75-65 defeat against Kansas on Monday night. The Bears have a couple of decent nonconference victories (Providence and Arizona State), but they are only 2-7 against RPI top-50 teams. Worse, Baylor has beaten only one Big 12 team of consequence (Oklahoma State) and lost to three other teams (Texas A&M, Missouri and Kansas) in NCAA at-large contention.

With that said, it should be a great weekend to be a Baylor Bear (to borrow a line from head football coach Art Briles). The season begins tomorrow. 0-0. Eight games to go until OKC. But, you already knew that. And, I'll keep reminding you of that, especially tomorrow. See you in Lubbock. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

ESPN has Bracketology, I've got FCPology. Adding '-ology' to the End Just Makes it Sound Important...
11:37 A.M. THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Pardon the terse beginning this morning, but have we learned anything since the start of basketball season? Every great team goes through droughts at some point in the season. Exhibit A: Four Top 25 teams lost last night with three of them getting pummeled, including Wake Forest which is now 17-3 overall (4-3 in the ACC). I don't think the sky is falling on the Demon Deacons quite yet. And, how about No. 3 Duke losing by nearly 30 to No. 10 Clemson, 74-47? Or, unranked Missouri defeating Texas by four in Austin? The Longhorns are just a 1.5 games ahead of the Bears in the Big 12 standings and 15-6 overall (BU is 15-7).

Take into account Exhibit B: Baylor's seven losses have come against potential NCAA Tournament teams - Wake Forest, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Kansas. Exhibit C: Baylor is still mentioned in the field of 65 for every NCAA Tournament projection.

Have you ever tried adding '-ology' to end of a word to make it sound important or more academic? You haven't? You should try it sometime. When I take FCP and add '-ology', it makes FCPology. It has a great ring to it, does it not? Here's six bracket projections, including the 'Mother of all Bracket Matrices'...

For a few weeks, I thought The Hoops Report completely forgot about the Bears. The Hoops Report posted its weekly Bracketology on Monday with the Bears as a No. 10 seed in the Glendale, Ariz., Region against - gasp - No. 7 South Carolina. If it would be anything like the meeting on Jan. 2, that would make for great March Madness TV. I'm just saying...

Rivals' Drive for 65. I'll stay in reverse order on this one. Rivals' Last Four Out: Saint Mary's Miami, Georgetown, Providence. Rivals' Last Four In: Notre Dame, Dayton, BAYLOR, Texas A&M. Baylor is listed as a No. 12 seed in Rivals' Drive for 65, while the Aggies are a No. 11 spot.

Minneapolis is beautiful in March...Just not when it's minus-3 outside. CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm released his latest Projecting the Field Wednesday afternoon. Like The Hoops Report, Palm fancies the Bears as a No. 10 seed, but this time against Nick Calathes and No. 7 Florida in Minneapolis. Other teams of note in the Indianapolis Region with Baylor - No. 4 Kansas and No. 6 Arizona State.

wall·flow·er: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains on the sidelines of a social activity. See: Baylor (according to The Bleacher Report). Baylor is mentioned as one of three Wallflower picks for the tournament in the Big 12, but only Texas A&M (No. 10) and Baylor (No. 11) are projected to earn a postseason bid.

CNNSI FanNation's The Seed Report. If you haven't noticed, there is trend beginning to form with these projections. Baylor is now being slated anywhere between a 10 and 12 seed. And, Sports Illustrated's Andy Glockner thinks Baylor will indeed be a No. 10 seed, but its upcoming schedule will determine its ultimate fate. Oh, South Carolina is also a 10 spot. And, who can forget the No. 7 seeds: Arizona State, Minnesota, Tennessee and Villanova.

Behold: The Mother of All Bracket Matrices. You didn't think I'd really explain it, did you?

Jerrells Takes a Slide in Latest Rivals.com Power Rankings. CJ took a bit of stumble in the latest Rivals.com Point Guard Power Rankings as the senior is rated as the 19th-best point guard in the country. But, Lace fell a little harder, dropping to No. 25 in the Shooting Guard Power Rankings.

Keep an eye open tomorrow as FCP previews Saturday's game at Texas Tech. That game will tip at 7:05 p.m. on the 'U' - ESPNU, that is. Remember last season's trip to Lubbock? Does 38 points ring a bell? That's all I've got on the docket today. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

CJ One of 10 Finalists for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
1:41 P.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Not to be lost in the hoopla that is National Signing Day, senior guard Curtis Jerrells was selected as one of ten finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award on Wednesday. CJ is joined by fellow men's finalists A.J. Abrams (Texas), Jimmy Baron (Rhode Island), Dionte Christmas (Temple), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Lester Hudson (UT Martin), Jerel McNeal (Marquette), Andy Wicke (Belmont), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Sam Young (Pitt).

The entire release can be found here; CJ's Lowe's Award profile here; and online voting here. Do you have unlimited text messaging or can send five messages in 3.7 seconds? Good. Because you can vote via text...Text the code MB6 for Jerrells to 839863. Do it early. Do it often.

Did I mention text voting? Ok, just wanted to make sure I covered everything.

One more thing before I go...I noticed the 'BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE' sign in the Bear Pit at Monday's game against Kansas. Great work.

Tomorrow's Thursday. Know what that means? It means the weekend is almost here, which means Baylor will be back in action. Until tomorrow...AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

National Signing FCP Day, Crisis Management Edition
9:55 A.M. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Yesterday was a sad day, I'm sure, for most of you...And, I'm not talking about Baylor's loss to 21st-ranked Kansas on Big Monday...No FCP blog. Yeah, I typed roughly 100 words, but it wasn't in typical rousing or apparent ego-boosting fashion. FCP has now become solace for fan anguish. And, while I appreciate and always look forward to the inbox influx of e-mails (influx = 2-3 emails), all I will do is continue to tell you two words. Be. Patient. The first eight Big 12 games are in the books...You can't hit the rewind button and have a do-over or take a mulligan for that shot that almost went in. Today begins anew. There is no need for WOULDAs, SHOULDAs or COULDAs. There is no need to jump off the FCPNation and, certainly not, the BAYLORNation bandwagon. You have to ride out the storm...The nation's best teams go through rough patches in the regular season.

For football, soccer and track, today is National Signing Day. For us, it is National FCP Day. Ok, so not really, but just play along...In three-plus days, Baylor will open the second half of its Big 12 season at Texas Tech on Saturday. You remember Baylor's first game against Tech this season, don't you? It should bring a smile to your face. I'll jog your memory - Dunn's Second-Half Run Propels No. 23 Bears Past Texas Tech, 73-61.

Check out that photo to the right. See that? That's right - that's the ever-important meeting between President George W. Bush and yours truly...All you can see is the back of President Bush's head, but it's him. And, FCP - stoic as always.

Back to the matter at hand for a brief moment...Be Patient. Erase Baylor's 3-5 start to the Big 12 from your memory. It's not how you start, but how you finish. Which scenario is better? Getting hot late in the season and making a deep postseason run or Getting hot early, fizzling out late in the season and going 'One and Done' in the tournament (or 'Two and Q'). Option A is so much better. I hope you took notes. End of discussion.

CBS Projects the Field Last Week...And I Just Realized it on Monday. I keep forgetting that CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm does a special Projecting the Field every week and I discovered last week's predictions the morning of Big Monday. And, well, let's face it - I was preoccupied. Nevertheless, FCP's here to tell that Palm projected Baylor as a No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech in beautiful Dayton, Ohio (Midwest Region).

Bracketology is a Science, but Bracketography isn't listed in the Dictionary. In keeping with the ever-changing hobby of predicting the NCAA Tournament field of 65, Bracketography.com unveiled its latest ponderings earlier this week. And, it appears Baylor has found itself in the toughest bracket of the tournament predictions thus far. Baylor is slated as a No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 and presumed SoCon champion Davidson. In the top part of the bracket awaits No. 1 North Carolina (and No. 16 East Tennessee State). Those four are paired with: No. 5 UCLA, No. 12 Providence, No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 VMI. As it stands today, eight Baylor opponents (and probably nine if you include the yet-to-be-decided SWAC automatic bid) are projected in the field. Impressive.

With that said, it is back to the basketball grind for me. Every fan goes through this once in a while (or in some cases, after every game) - Relax. Be Patient. Put your panic button on ice. We've still got eight more games and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. I leave each of you with sage advice: Worrying is like a rocking chair; it may give you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere. Write that down. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

A Little R&R Never Hurt Anyone
5:31 P.M. TUESDAY, FEB. 3, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

As you've probably can tell, FCP is following the men's basketball team's schedule and took Tuesday off...Last night was full of excitement and emotions...And, by the time everything was over, the last media member left and Wednesday's With Webguy (on hiatus) finished updating the web, it was 1:30 a.m. and I was in desparate need of sleep. A little R&R never hurt anyone, right? We'll be back tomorrow in full force to help soothe BaylorNation as the Bears prepare for the second half of the Big 12 season...AND, THE DYNAMITE WENT BOOM.

Call It What You Will, But Big Monday Will Be Big...GINORMOUS, in fact
12:45 P.M. MONDAY, FEB. 2, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Go ahead; look it up. Ginormous IS in the dictionary...It was one of Merriam-Webster's latest editions last year. And, really, any adjective can fit in the title, including Cutting In the Baylor Line's Justin Cange's term 'Our Waterloo' (in reference to the Texas game last Tuesday). Tonight is our Waterloo. Tonight is not Big Monday. It is GINORMOUS Monday. It is big for both teams, but for the Bears in particular. Tonight is the apex of the Big 12 regular season. The first half of the regular season ends tonight. Realistically, beginning on Saturday, everyone starts anew at 0-0 in league play. The first eight games will be over and now the teams will look at the final eight. A win tonight puts Baylor at 4-4 after eight games - one game behind last season's 5-3 pace. Have you forgotten last Wednesday's lecture?

Step away from the panic button. With a 16-game Big 12 schedule, you cannot judge a team after just seven games. Home court advantage is still very critical in the Big 12 - on Saturday, Mizzou had a tremendous home court advantage with a sellout crowd. It was loud, but it CAN NEVER be as loud as a sold out Ferrell Center crowd tonight, can it? FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY, THE FERRELL CENTER WILL BE THE HOST FOR ESPN'S BIG MONDAY. Baylor. Kansas. ESPN. Big Monday. Got goosebumps, yet?

POP QUIZ: Give me the date, opponent and score of Baylor's only other Big Monday game at The Hizzeeeee. February 12, 2001. Baylor 85, No. 6 Kansas 77. While the new Top 25 polls have not been released yet, all things indicate that KU will be ranked for tonight's game. Now, that I've got your attention, here's MONDAY'S OPENING LIST:

Just Another Manic Monday's Multimedia Miscellanea Madness (Yes, ESPN will be in magnificent HIGH DEFINITION AND ESPN360.COM):

Bracketology's a Science and it is considered a college major at some schools...The forever College Basketblog that is drenched in ubiquity, Rush The Court, released its latest Weekly Bracketology and it looks as though the Bears are falling hard in the eyes of RTC. The ubiquitous folks at RTC have the Bears as a No. 11 seed against No. 6 Syracuse...With the Orange winning. An interesting note: Baylor is set up in the same bracket as Utah State, Kansas, Western Kentucky, Xavier, Wake Forest and Jacksonville. Wake is projected as a No. 2 vs. the No. 15 Dolphins. 

Guess What time it is FCP Nation? It's everyone's favorite game - Where in the World is Baylor Going. Week five of ESPN's Super Bracketology Joe Lunardi's Bracketology is out and, for the first time, BU is staying within relative driving distance of Central Texas (not so much relative as less than a day's drive)...BU has gone from Tobacco Road to a two-week stay in the Land of 10,000 Lakes to the "City of Brotherly Love" to...The BBQ Capital, Kansas City. BU has dropped in Lunardi's latest Bracket four spots to No. 11 against No. 6 Villanova. So, if you're scoring at home, Inside Baylor Sports' Robert Shiekh and Lawrence Gilligan, The Voice John Morris and the man that needs no introduction Pat Nunley have logged 5,548 bracket miles...Here's your Bracketology Tracker:

Jan. 5 - No. 8 seed vs. Michigan (Greensboro, N.C.), EAST REGION (1,178 miles)
Jan. 12 - No. 6 seed vs. Dayton (Minneapolis, Minn.), EAST REGION (1,074 miles)
Jan. 19 - No. 7 seed vs. Florida State (Minneapolis, Minn.), MIDWEST REGION (1,074 miles)
Jan. 26 - No. 7 seed vs. Notre Dame (Philadelphia, Pa.), SOUTH REGION (1,585 miles)
Feb. 2 - No. 11 seed vs. Villanova (Kansas City, Mo.), SOUTH REGION (637 miles)

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS
KU (17-4) is 6-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2004-05. Kansas is 4-3 away from Lawrence (3-2 in true road games), posting a 13-1 home record. Sherron Collins leads all KU scorers with 18.3 points and 34.2 minutes through 21 games. Collins is shooting 43.1 percent from the floor (129-of-299) and 37.2 percent from 3-point range (45-of-121). Aldrich is averaging nearly 10.0 rebounds after 21 games, pulling down 208 boards. He ranks second on the team in scoring (15.0), while leading the team in blocked shots (53).

Series History
Kansas leads the all-time series 13-1 -- the lone Baylor win coming at home on ESPN's Big Monday on Feb. 12, 2001. Baylor defeated the then-No. 6 Jayhawks, 85-77. Baylor is 1-5 vs. Kansas in Waco. All but two games have been decided by 10 points or more.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TONIGHT:
* The State Farm Baylor Hour, hosted by the one-and-only John Morris, will be held outside the Ferrell Center prior to the Kansas game, beginning at 6 p.m. The show will feature former BU players and analysis leading up to the game. A tent will be set up outside the front entrance of The Hizzeeeeee; for $10, the first 500 fans can purchase a BBQ sandwich and side item from Rudy's, a drink and a Baylor mini-basketball. Sound like a good deal? Well, it is. Just don't be the 501st fan...But, all fans are encouraged to come early and participate in the radio show.
* Whiteout. It's my favorite office product and it will soon be your favorite marketing promotion...All fans in attendance for Monday's game will receive a free Baylor Basketball t-shirt, courtesy of Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. Wear it and WHITEOUT the Ferrell Center.
* BIG MONDAY.
* Be sure to Pack the Ferrell tonight for quite possibly the biggest game of the season...And, if you can't make it to the Ferrell, be sure to turn down the volume on your flat-screen TVs and turn up ESPN 1660 AM on your radio or visit 1660ESPN.com with The Voice of the Baylor Bears John Morris and the best color commentator, Mr. Pat Nunley.

Be Loud. Be Proud. Sic' Em. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.

Super Bowl Sunday (Almost Monday) Morning Point Guard...The Fred Rogers Edition
10:41 P.M. SUNDAY, FEB. 1, 2009
CHRIS YANDLE  (EMAIL)

Apparently, Baylor's Fred Rogers can ball, scoring a team-high 18 points in Saturday's loss 89-72 loss at Missouri. Excuse me? Fred? Yeah, that's right. In The Associated Press' recap on Saturday, Mr. Dos Tres was inadvertently referred to as Fred Rogers. No, not that Fred. So, for those keeping track, Kevin has been called Kenny Rogers and now Fred Rogers. We are crossing our fingers for a Dos Tres Rogers reference by season's end.

I opted to forgo my Sunday morning ritual that is Sunday Morning Point Guard - no, I'm not declaring for the NBA Draft. Instead, I was diligently working on game notes for Baylor's Big Monday showdown vs. Kansas...We landed around 10:30 p.m. Saturday and was up until about 3 a.m. Sunday finishing up notes and then it was off to the Ferrell Center to work the women's basketball game and, finally, men's basketball pre-practice interviews. Then...

I watched the Super Bowl...I was cheering for my hometown New Orleans Saints because I didn't care of the outcome either way, but it was a good game nevertheless. And, then, a one-hour episode of The Office followed. Fantastic.

Tomorrow's a big game...H.U.G.E. But, you already knew that. But, we can save that discussion for tomorrow. AND, BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE.