Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
BAYLOR (10-10, 1-8) at #13 OKLAHOMA STATE (19-3, 8-1)
Feb. 15, 2003 - Gallager-Iba Arena (Stillwater, Okla.) - 7:00 p.m. CST
RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (KRZI 1660/1580 AM Waco & WBAP 820 AM Dallas)
TELEVISION: Lone Star Series (Time Warner Cable channel 15 Waco)
THE GAME
Baylor faces its eighth ranked opponent in 10 games when it faces No. 13 Oklahoma State Saturday, Feb. 15, in Manhattan. Tipoff at Gallager-Iba Arena is set for 7 p.m. CST. The Bears enter the game with a record of 10-10, 1-8 in the Big 12. Baylor is coming off a 79-58 loss to No. 9 Kansas Tuesday. The Cowboys are tied for first in the Big 12 with an 8-1 league mark and 19-3 overall record after defeating Nebraska 77-70 on the road Wednesday. OSU defeated Baylor 67-64 in overtime Jan. 21 in Waco in the season's first meeting. Saturday's game will be telecast live in Central Texas by Lone Star Series and aired on Time-Warner Cable channel 15. Announcing the game will be Bill Jones (play-by-play) and Jim Haller (color analysis).
BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor's 9.1 3-pointers per game ranks 9th nationally.
- Including Saturday, Baylor has faced 8 ranked teams in the last 10 games, more than any team nationally.
- Baylor has lost 22 straight road games, dating back to a win at KSU in 2000-2001.
- Baylor's 73.6% team free throw shooting is tops in the Big 12.
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 64% of Baylor's scoring (893-of-1,392).
- Baylor is 5-0 this season when outscoring its opponents in the paint.
- In 7 of the last 9 games, the Bears' opponents have shot 50 percent or higher from the field, all Baylor losses.
- Baylor is 0-7 this season vs. ranked teams.
- Over the past three seasons Baylor is 36-1 when totaling an equal or higher shooting percentage than its opponent (8-0 in 2002-2003).
- 7 of Baylor's 8 Big 12 losses have come to ranked teams (at time of game).
- The Bears are averaging 9.1 3-pointers and attempting 26.1 per game; both figures lead the Big 12 and are on pace to break Baylor's single-season school records.
- 45% of Baylor's field goal attempts (522-1151) are 3-pointers.
- Kenny Taylor is the Big 12's most improved scorer, averaging 8.6 points more (12.5 ppg) than last season.
- Kenny Taylor is 2nd in the Big 12 in made 3-pointers, averaging 3.3 per game.
- Lawrence Roberts is 3rd in the Big 12 in rebounds, averaging 9.4 per game.
- R.T. Guinn is averaging 7.3 rebounds over the last 3 games (4.8 prior).
- John Lucas' 81.7% career free throw percentage ranks 3rd all-time at Baylor.
- 82% (164-200) of Kenny Taylor's field goal attempts are 3-pointers.
- John Lucas is shooting 60% (68-114) on field goals inside the 3-point line.
- John Lucas has scored in double-digits in 11 straight games.
- Lawrence Roberts has compiled 8 double-doubles this season, and 16 in 48 career games played.
HEAD COACH DAVE BLISS
Dave Bliss, in his fourth season at Baylor, is a 27-year coaching veteran and ranks 12th among active Division I coaches in victories with 522. The former head coach at New Mexico, SMU and Oklahoma owns a career record of 522-324 (.617). He has led teams to 15 postseason tournament appearances, including 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament. Five times Bliss has been honored as his conference's coach of the year, and he is one of only two dozen Division I coaches ever to have taken three different schools to the NCAA Tournament (UNM, SMU, OU).
Bliss took over the reigns of Baylor basketball on March 23, 1999, and was given the task of rebuilding a program that had finished the 1998-99 season without a Big 12 Conference win. Bliss proceeded to guide the Bears to a 14-15 record in 1999-2000, a 19-12 mark and into the NIT in 2000-2001 and in his third year led Baylor to a 14-16 record.
THE OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
No. 13 Oklahoma State (19-3, 8-1) is led by Eddie Sutton, in his 13th year at OSU and his 33rd year as a collegiate head coach. Sutton owns a career record of 721-281 with stints at Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky prior to OSU; he is 291-117 with the Cowboys. Sutton is currently fourth in career victories among active Division I head coaches.
OSU NOTES: The Cowboys are led by junior guard Tony Allen, who leads the four OSU players averaging in double figures with 15.4 points per game... Junior forward Ivan McFarland, who prepped with Baylor sophomore Kenny Taylor at Willowridge High School in Houston, Texas, is among those who average in double figures scoring (11.4 ppg) while also pacing the team with a 7.3 rebound per game average.
THE OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Baylor by a 39-11 margin and has won the last 11 meetings, including a 67-64 overtime victory earlier this season in Waco. The teams have met 14 times as Big 12 Conference opponents; OSU has won 12 of those contests, including two games in Big 12 Tournament play (1997 and 1999). Baylor is 1-16 against OSU in Stillwater. The two teams first met in Waco during the 1917-18 campaign with OSU taking a 24-20 victory.
BLISS vs. OKLAHOMA STATE
Baylor head coach Dave Bliss is 11-11 in his career against Oklahoma State. Most of those meetings came while he was the head coach at Oklahoma, playing OSU as a Big Eight Conference foe; Bliss was 9-3 against the Cowboys while at Oklahoma. Bliss is 0-7 against OSU while at Baylor after going 0-1 during his time at New Mexico and 2-0 during his tenure at SMU.
3-POINT PROPENSITY
The Bears are averaging 9.1 made 3-pointers and 26.1 attempts per game this season. Both of those figures top the Big 12 Conference and are on pace to break Baylor's single-season school records (273 made, 783 att.). In three previous seasons under Dave Bliss, Baylor has finished no lower than fourth in 3-point field goals or attempts in the conference rankings. Last season's squad established a new school record with 273 made 3-pointers (9.1 per game). Kenny Taylor is second in the Big 12 with 65 made 3-pointers (3.3 per game). Baylor has made at least one 3-pointer in 342 consecutive games (dating back to Feb. 21, 1990).
NATION'S ROUGHEST STRETCH
Seven of Baylor's first nine Big 12 Conference games have been against nationally ranked opponents (all losses), including five-straight to open the conference season. No other Division I team in the nation has faced such a stretch.
MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- John Lucas is third on Baylor's career free throw percentage list, at 81.7% (94-115), [David Wesley owns the top mark - 82.8% 1989-1992].
- Lawrence Roberts is 3 blocks shy of 6th place on Baylor's career blocks list.
- John Lucas has 211 career assists and is 24 shy of moving into 7th on Baylor's career list (passing Roddrick Miller - 234 from 1994-98).
- Kenny Taylor's 65 3-pointers is 1 shy of tying Roddrick Miller (66, 1997-98) for 7th place, and 2 shy of 6th place (Wendell Greenleaf 67, 2001-02) on the school's Top 10 single-season list.
- John Lucas has made 95 career 3-pointers, and is 3 treys shy of moving into 6th place on Baylor's career list (passing Patrick Hunter - 97 from 1997-98)
BEARS' STELLAR SHOOTING FROM LINE
Baylor as a team is shooting 73.6 percent, the best mark in the Big 12 Conference. Four Bear players are shooting 80 percent or higher from the line including: Carlton Dotson (16-18, 89 percent), Terrance Thomas (16-18, 89 percent), John Lucas (44-52, 85 percent - 3rd in Big 12) and Matt Sayman (41-51, 80 percent - 6th in Big 12).
TAYLOR AND BEARS QUICK TRIGGER WITH 3-POINTERS
Sophomore Kenny Taylor is currently second in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point field goals made, averaging 3.3 per game. He is shooting 40 percent from 3-point distance. Taylor has attempted 164 3-pointers this season. Treys account for an incredible 82 percent of the 200 shots he has taken. As a team, the Bears have taken 522 of their 1,151 shot attempts (45%) from behind the arc.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
Baylor's prized freshman class of 2001, John Lucas, Lawrence Roberts and Kenny Taylor, has improved significantly in 2002-03 on its impressive performance last season. Through 20 games the sophomore trio from Houston has accounted for 58 percent of the team's points, 37 percent of rebounds, 51 percent of steals and 52 percent of assists. Production in every category is up from the trio's fabulous freshman season.
TAYLOR BIG 12's MOST IMPROVED SCORER
Sophomore Kenny Taylor owns the highest increased scoring average in the Big 12 Conference from last season to this. During 2001-02, Taylor averaged 3.9 points per game. This season he has raised his scoring average to 12.5, an increase of 8.6 points per game.
ROBERTS LEADING BAYLOR'S YOUNG CUBS
After sitting out two of the season's first three games with a stress fracture in his left leg (fibula), All-Big 12 forward Lawrence Roberts has returned to lead Baylor with 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds (3rd in Big 12) per game while recording 19 blocks (11th in Big 12). He has tallied eight double-doubles this season. The sophomore set the Big 12 freshman scoring record last season with 498 points.
LAST TIME OUT: NO. 9 KANSAS 79 - BAYLOR 58
Baylor couldn't withstand a 10-0 Kansas run to end the first quarter and fell to the No. 9 Jayhawks 79-58 at the Ferrell Center.
Nick Collison drove for a short bank shot with 3:34 left in the first half, starting a 15-0 run for the Jayhawks. That included the final 10 points before halftime for a 41-28 lead.
Kansas proceeded to score the first five points of the second half. The Jayhawks led by as many as 26.
R.T. Guinn had 15 points for Baylor. The 6-foot-10 center hit five 3-pointers and also grabbed 10 rebounds. John Lucas added 15 points, Lawrence Roberts 12 and Matt Sayman 10.
Baylor hit 11 3-pointers, two more than its Big 12-leading season average, but was outscored 50-12 inside the paint. The Jayhawks had a 35-28 rebounding lead.
Baylor, despite hitting just two of its first nine shots, led 8-6 when Roberts made a free throw with 14:11 left. The Jayhawks tied the game when Michael Lee scored an easy basket after a backdoor pass from Jeff Graves.
Kenny Taylor's 3-pointer put Baylor back in front, but after Collison's dunk, Keith Langford had consecutive three-point plays.
THE LAST MEETING: NO. 13 OKLAHOMA ST. 67 - BAYLOR 64 OT [Jan. 21, 2003]
Despite a second-half comeback and a Herculean effort by Lawrence Roberts Baylor lost 67-64 in overtime to No. 13 Oklahoma State at the Ferrell Center.
Roberts recorded possibly the best game of his college career in the loss, totaling 21 points, 17 rebounds and three steals. His 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime.
OSU's Tony Allen scored the game-winning basket with 38.6 left in overtime. He added a free throw to make it 66-64.
Baylor had one more chance, but with the shot clock winding down and Allen in his face, Terrance Thomas couldn't get off a desperation shot with 2.5 seconds left. Victor Williams then hit a free throw after being fouled on the inbounds pass.
Roberts scored the Bears' only points in overtime, stealing a pass from Williams and driving for a layup and scoring a tip-in on a missed Kenny Taylor layup.
After Melvin Sanders hit a 3-pointer to put OSU ahead, Roberts had his tip-in with two minutes left to put Baylor ahead 64-63. But the Bears didn't score again.
Two missed 3-pointers by the Cowboys and two turnovers by Baylor set up the winning sequence.
After Roberts' 3-pointer to tie it at 60, OSU had one more chance in regulation. But Williams' 3-pointer was off the mark as time expired.
Oklahoma State started the second half with a 9-1 run and built a 44-34 lead four minutes into the second half. Baylor then put together a 15-4 run to take a 49-48 lead on an R.T. Guinn jumper with 9:12 remaining.
The Bears never extended that lead, and Oklahoma State was back in front when Allen had a steal and a layup with 6:31 left to make it 51-49.
BAYLOR IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
As of Feb. 10, Baylor's average of 9.0 3-pointers per game ranked ninth amongst NCAA Division I teams. The Bears are led in that department by Kenny Taylor, who ranked 19th nationally with an average of 3.3 treys per contest.
ROAD WOES
Baylor has lost 22 straight decisions in games played on their opponents' home court. That 22-game losing streak dates back to a 63-55 victory at Kansas State on Jan. 13, 2001.
BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Saturday's game at No. 13 Kansas is Baylor's eighth in its last 10 games against a nationally ranked opponent. The Bears are 0-7 this season against ranked foes. Baylor was 1-6 last season in such contests, with an 81-80 win over No. 22 Missouri in Waco being the lone victory. The Bears are 1-13 in their last 14 games against nationally ranked foes.
MONUMENTAL COACHING MATCHUPS
This season the Bears play six games featuring matchups of current college coaching legends. This season Baylor's Dave Bliss, who ranks 12th among the nation's winningest active coaches with 522 career wins, faces four other coaches who rank among the list's top 11. Baylor plays two games against the second winningest coach, Texas Tech's Bob Knight (No. 2 - 801) and Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State (No. 4 - 721). Earlier this season Bliss recorded victories against the active leader in coaching victories, Mount St. Mary's Jim Phelan (No. 1 - 828) and Davey L. Whitney of Alcorn State (No. 11 - 559).
LOTS OF NEW BRUINS
The 2002-03 Baylor roster includes nine new players: four high school players (Will Allen, Corey Herring, Steve Raquet and Tommy Swanson), four junior college transfers (Carlton Dotson, Robert Hart, Ellis Kidd and Terrance Thomas) and a four-year transfer (Patrick Dennehy). Dennehy, a transfer from New Mexico, is a redshirt this season.
FERRELL CENTER'S 15th YEAR
The Bears are enjoying their 15th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center. Baylor is 8-5 at home in 2002-2003 and owns a 135-89 all-time record in the arena, which opened in November 1988. The Ferrell Center is a golden-domed structure that seats 10,284 for basketball games.
TRANSFERS FIND HOME AT BAYLOR
The 2002-2003 Bear roster boasts two players who transferred to Baylor from Division I schools, and a third who previously played at a DI institution. A fourth transferred from a DIII school.
THE LOBO TRANSFERS
Baylor's 2002-2003 roster includes two former players from the University of New Mexico, where Dave Bliss and his staff previously coached. Neither Patrick Dennehy or R.T. Guinn played under Dave Bliss at UNM, though Guinn was recruited to New Mexico by Bliss and staff. Dennehy played at New Mexico under current Bear assistant Rodney Belcher, who was not a part of Bliss' staff at UNM, but joined Baylor this off-season. Both players were starters at New Mexico.
BEARS INK NELSON IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Baylor signed big-man Tyrone Nelson of Hempstead (Texas) High School to a national letter of intent in the early signing period. A 6-9 forward/center, Nelson averaged 29 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks as a junior at Hempstead in 2001-2002. He was named to the TABC Class 3A All-State first team and MVP of District 25-AAA following his junior year. A highly sought recruit nationwide, Nelson is included on several national top-100 recruiting lists. He was rated the 60th-best recruit by TheInsidersHoops.com, No. 64 by Basketball News, No. 70 by The Sporting News, No. 79 by PrepStars, No. 90 by RivalsHoops and No. 125 by Hoop Scoop. Street & Smith's named Nelson an honorable mention prep All-America.
NATION'S LONGEST COACHING DUO
Baylor boasts Division I basketball's longest-tenured current coaching tandem. Bear assistant coach Doug Ash has been Dave Bliss' top aide for all 28 years Bliss has been a collegiate head coach. The Bliss and Ash duo began at Indiana University in the early 1970s when both were assistants under Bobby Knight. When Bliss became head coach at Oklahoma in 1975, he took Ash with him. The pair has been together ever since, at SMU, New Mexico and Baylor.
BAYLOR GAMES ON THE NET
The radio broadcast of all Baylor basketball games can be heard live on-line on Baylor's official website, www.BaylorBears.com, or at www.yahoo.broadcast.com.
BIG-12 PRESEASON PROJECTIONS
Baylor's 2002-2003 edition has been projected in preseason polls to finish anywhere from sixth to 12th in the Big 12 Conference. The league's coaches picked the Bears to finish eighth in preseason balloting, and the conference media projected Baylor ninth. The highest projected finish for Baylor was sixth, by Basketball News.
UP NEXT...
Baylor plays the second of a two-game road stint Wednesday, Feb. 19, when it faces Kansas State in Manhattan. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m. CST at Bramlage Coliseum.
