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BAYLOR (17-8, 5-6) vs. No. 24/25 KANSAS STATE (18-7, 8-3)
Feb. 23, 2008 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 7:00 p.m. CST

PDF of complete Game Notes & Stats

RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / Sirius Satellite ch. 161)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: FSN Southwest in Texas
INTERNET VIDEO: none
LIVE STATS: live GameTracker stats at BaylorBears.com

THE GAME
Baylor returns to the Ferrell Center and attempts to end a four-game losing skid Saturday, Feb. 23, when it faces No. 24/25 Kansas State. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST and will be televised live in Texas on FSN Southwest. Baylor is 17-8 overall and 5-6 in Big 12 play. The Bears have lost four straight games, most recently a heartbreaking 92-91 overtime defeat at Oklahoma last Tuesday. Kansas State is 18-7, 8-3 in the Big 12, and coming off a 71-64 loss at Nebraska Wednesday. Baylor is 10-3 at home this season; K-State has lost three straight true road games.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• The Bears are 3-45 in the last 7 seasons vs. ranked teams & 1-4 this season.
• BU is 21-30 (.412) over the last 8 seasons vs. Big 12 North schools. The Bears are just 14-58 (.194) vs. South schools over the same span.
• Henry Dugat has averaged 19.0 points & hit 41.2% on 3s in 2 career gms vs. KSU.
• BU is averaging 81.4 points (2nd in Big 12 & 15th nationally), the school's highest average since `93-94; 2,035 pts on pace to break single-season record of 2,393.
• Baylor's 17-8 record is its best 25-game start since the `81-82 Bears began 17-8.
• BU's 17 wins is the most in the Drew Era; also most wins since winning 19 in 2000-01 (last postseason berth; NIT).
• In conference play, BU leads the Big 12 in scoring (82.3) free throw shooting (77.7%) & 3-pointers (8.2).
• Baylor's 74.5 free throw % leads the Big 12 (23rd nationally).
• BU is 15-1 this season when totaling a higher FG% than its opponents and 2-7 when not. In the Drew Era, BU is 47-8 when outshooting its opponents and 6-69 when not.
• BU's 5-guard rotation averages 58.3 points - 72% of teams scoring.
• 4 Baylor players average double-figures in scoring.
• LaceDarius Dunn is averaging 18.4 points over the last 4 games.
• Kevin Rogers is averaging 13.7 rebounds/gm over the last 3 games.
• Aaron Bruce is averaging 4.5 points over the last 6 games (shooting 16.7% 3s).
• Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 with a 2.3 blocks average in conference games.
• LaceDarius Dunn's 87.8 FT% in conference games leads the Big 12.
• Mamadou Diene is 18-for-20 from FT line the last 11 games (4-11 in first 7 games).
• LaceDarius Dunn's 41.7 3-point % (2nd in Big 12) is top all-time for a BU freshman.
• Aaron Bruce ranks 7th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,300 career points).
• Kevin Rogers has 9 double-doubles this season (3rd most among Big 12 players).
• Mamadou Diene is the Big 12's active leader in career blocks in league games (72).
• Curtis Jerrells ranks 15th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,080 career points).
• Baylor is 13-2 this season when Aaron Bruce scores in double-digits.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fifth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 53-77 at the school and a career record of 73-88 (six seasons). Drew's 53 wins rank eighth on Baylor's all-time coaching victories list (in seventh place on the list is Harry Miller with 56 career victories). Prior to Baylor, Drew spent 10 seasons at Valparaiso, the last as head coach after nine seasons as an assistant to his father Homer. During his decade at Valpo, the Crusaders earned six NCAA Tournament berths, including five straight from 1996-2000. An outstanding recruiter, Drew is responsible for five national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last eight years (No. 17 in 2006, No. 11 in 2005 and No. 10 in 2004 at Baylor; No. 6 in 2001 and No. 13 in 1999 at Valpo). He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision.

THE KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Head Coach: Frank Martin (Florida International, 1993); 18-7, 1 season
Series vs. Baylor: KSU leads 10-8
Last meeting: KSU 69-60, Jan. 17, 2007 in Manhattan
Streak: KSU won 1 straight
Series in Waco: Baylor leads 4-2
Drew vs. KSU: 1-3
KSU NOTES: K-State is 18-7, 8-3 under first-year head coach Frank Martin... The Wildcats are ranked No. 24 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the ESPN/USA TODAY coaches' poll... KSU is 4-6 this season away from home and is 2-3 in true road games (lost three straight)... The Wildcats are led by freshman sensation and national player of the year candidate F Michael Beasley, who averages 25.4 points and 12.5 rebounds (both figures lead the Big 12)... Redshirt freshman F Bill Walker averages 16.2 points and 6.6 boards... The Cats lead the Big 12 in team rebounding with a 42.4 average.

BEARS HOT START VS. LOSING SKID
After racing to four straight wins to open conference play (the fourth an epic 116-110 five-overtime win at Texas A&M) and its first national ranking since 1969, Baylor has dropped six of its last seven games. The following chart is a statistical look at the four-game start vs. the seven-game slide:

				First 4 gms	Last 6 gms
W/L Record:			4-0		1-6
Scoring margin:			+5.8		-4.9
Opp. Field Goal %:		        .401		.472
Steals:				9.3		6.0
Jerrells Assists/Turnovers:	        13/7		22/23
Bruce Scoring (3FG%):		13.8 (46.7%)	5.3 (22.7%)
Dugat Scoring (3FG%):		17.0 (55.6%)	11.6 (31.8%)

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Saturday's matchup vs. No. 24/25 Kansas State is Baylor's sixh game against a ranked opponent this season. The Bears are 1-4 vs. ranked foes this season, the win being a 116-110 victory over No. 18/16 Texas A&M Jan. 23, that snapped a 29-game losing streak vs. ranked foes. Baylor has lost three straight vs. ranked opponents since then.

HIGH-SCORING BEARS
The Bears are averaging 81.4 points per game, the second-most among Big 12 schools and the No. 15 average nationally. The 81.4 scoring average, bolstered by six overtime periods, is the highest total at Baylor since the 1993-94 team finished with an 85.5 scoring average. The 2,035 points total is on pace to break the school's single-season scoring record of 2,393 points.

SUCCESS FROM THE LINE
Baylor has been incredibly successful from the foul line this season. The Bears are shooting 74.5 percent from the line (395-530), which is tops in the Big 12 Conference and currently ranks 23rd nationally. That percentage is on pace to be the third-best figure in school history. Baylor is led individually from the line by freshman G LaceDarius Dunn (84.3%), senior G Aaron Bruce (81.8%), junior F Kevin Rogers (81.1%) and junior G Curtis Jerrells (74.3%, ninth in Big 12). In conference games, Dunn leads the Big 12 with an 87.8 percentage and Rogers ranks fourth (83.7%).

BEARS CONTINUE MASSIVE REBUILDING PROCESS
The 2007-08 season is head coach Scott Drew's fifth in the unprecedented overhaul that began at Baylor in 2003. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew has slowly and methodically turned the program around by recruiting a solid foundation of talented high school players that, after earning valuable playing experience, are posting impressive results. After fighting their way to a 15-16 record last season (the first in the Drew Era without restrictions), the Bears have run off a 17-8 record this season, including a 5-6 mark in the Big 12.

BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT: "IN GUARDS WE TRUST"
Baylor's strength in 2007-08 once again lies in its talented backcourt full of combo guards. The Bears utilize a rotation of five guards that each average 20-plus minutes per game. The quintet is made up of four veterans; senior Aaron Bruce (9.6 ppg, 23.0 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (15.4 ppg, 30.9 mpg) and Henry Dugat (11.9 ppg, 26.7 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (9.0 ppg, 24.4 mpg); and true freshman standout LaceDarius Dunn (13.0 ppg, 21.0 mpg). The fivesome accounts for 72 percent of the team's scoring (average 58.3 points) and shoots 38.2 percent on 3-pointers.

SEASON OF FIRSTS & BROKEN STREAKS
Baylor's turnaround season in 2007-08 has included various program `firsts' and several streaks being snapped. Complete list below:
• First Top-25 ranking since 1969 (BU ranked in Jan. 21 & Jan. 28 AP polls)
• First back-to-back weekly rankings in school history (Jan. 21 & 28)
• First win over ranked opp. since 2003 [broke 29-gm losing streak] (116-110 over #16 TAMU)
• Most wins since 2000-01 (17)
• First true road win since 2004 [broke 25-gm losing streak] (92-84 win at USC Dec. 19)
• First road win in Big 12 since 2004 [broke 25-gm losing streak] (72-70 win at NU Jan. 19)
• Best start (16-2) since 1946
• First 4-0 start in Big 12 since 1998
• Most pre-conference wins in school history (12)
• First 8-team tournament title since 1968 (BU won 2007 Paradise Jam)
• First 5-overtime game in Baylor & Big 12 history (116-110 win over Texas A&M Jan. 23)
• Most Big 12 weekly honorees ever (4: Jerrells 2 POW, Rogers POW, Dunn ROW)

BEARS MORE SUCCESSFULL vs. BIG 12 NORTH
Over the last eight seasons Baylor has had much more success against Big 12 North schools than those in the South. Baylor is 21-30 (.412) the last eight seasons vs. Northern schools and just 14-58 (.194) vs. teams in the South.

BEARS QB JERRELLS BURSTS INTO 1,000-POINT CLUB
Curtis Jerrells recently became the 20th player in Baylor history to reach the 1,000-point plateau and has now climbed to 15th on BU's career scoring list. He is leading the Bears in scoring (15.4 ppg, eighth in Big 12), assists (3.5 apg, ninth in Big 12) and minutes (30.9 mpg) for the third straight season. He has twice earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors this season: Jan. 28 after exploding for 36 points in Baylor's epic five-overtime win at Texas A&M; and Nov. 19 after leading leading Baylor to the championship of the 2007 Paradise Jam (was named tournament MVP). The junior guard has started all 73 career games since arriving at Baylor, was a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's, and a Cousy Award nominee. In conference games, Jerrells ranks second in scoring (17.5 ppg), eighth in assists (3.2 apg) and fifth in steals (1.6 spg). Jerrells ranks ninth in school history in assists (261) and 15th in scoring (1,080). He recently became the first alum of Del Valle High School in Austin to have his No. 0 jersey retired.

TRUE FRESHMAN DUNN PUTTING TOGETHER BREAKOUT SEASON OFF BENCH
True freshman LaceDarius Dunn has made an immediate impact on a Baylor squad stocked with talented guards. The highly recruited rookie from Monroe, La., is second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and fifth in rebounds (3.8 rpg), despite playing just 21.0 minutes per game off the bench and playing through a knee injury. His 41.7 3-point percentage ranks second in the Big 12 and is on pace to be the top percentage ever recorded by a Baylor freshman (and the fourth-best overall single-season percentage in school history). Dunn is shooting 84.3 percent (59-70) from the line and his 87.8 free throw percentage in conference games leads the Big 12. Dunn was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Nov. 26 after leading BU to wins over Winthrop in the Paradise Jam championship and over Centenary and he has notched four 20-plus scoring games. Dunn is the highest-rated BU signee in recent memory (rated the nation's No. 24 recruit by Scout.com). He was named the "Best Perimeter Scorer" among incoming Big 12 newcomers by Rivals.com.

MR. ROGERS PILING UP DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 12.2 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds (fifth in Big 12) this season. He has recorded nine double-doubles on the season, including five in league games - the third-highest total among Big 12 players. In conference games Rogers is averaging 12.5 points (19th in Big 12) and 10.6 rebounds (third in Big 12). He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 24 after averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while leading Baylor to road wins at South Carolina and Southern. Rogers was named to the 2007 Big 12 All-Improved team after a sophomore season in which he doubled his scoring (12.8 from 6.1 ppg) and nearly doubled his rebounding from his freshman season (7.6 from 4.0 rpg).

VETERAN BRUCE CLIMBING RECORD LISTS
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 9.6 points per game, shooting 37.9 percent on 3-pointers, 81.8 percent from the foul line and continuing his climb up the school's all-time records lists - most notably the career scoring chart. Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with 99 career games played, currently stands seventh all-time with 1,300 career points (complete list of his ranking on seven different Baylor career charts below). He recently became the fourth player in Baylor history to top 1,000 points and 300 assists (along with Vinnie Johnson, David Wesley and Micheal Williams). The guard was selected a preseason All-Rolls Royce (All-American) fourth-team selection by ESPN.com's Dick Vitale and was named the Big 12's "Best Leader" by the Sporting News preseason publication prior to his final season in Waco.
BRUCE ON BAYLOR'S CAREER RECORD LISTS
• 3-point FGs: No. 3 - 213
• 3-point FG %: No. 4 - 39.5%
• Games Started: No. 4 - 98
• Free Throw %: No. 5 - 81.7%
• Assists: No. 5 - 310
• Minutes Played: No. 5 - 2,938
• Points scored: No. 7 - 1,300

BRUCE JOINS ELITE BAYLOR TRIO IN CAREER POINTS & ASSISTS
Aaron Bruce recently recorded his 300th career assist and became just the fourth Baylor player in school history to top 1,000 points (1,300) and 310 assists (309), joining Bear greats Vinnie Johnson (1,231/308), David Wesley (1,224/316) and Micheal Williams (1,854/464).

"FLASH" DUGAT USING ENERGY & QUICKNESS TO SPARK BEARS
Since re-entering the starting lineup this season, junior guard Henry Dugat has used his high energy and athleticism to boost Baylor during its turnaround season. In Big 12 Conference games, Dugat is averaging 13.5 points (13th in the Big 12), 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals (sixth in Big 12) and shooting 42.5 percent on 3-pointers. He has started all 25 games this season after finishing his sophomore year in the sixth man role. Dugat earned the nickname "Flash" from former teammate Tim Bush due to his quickness and style of play similarities to Dwyane Wade.

"THE MAYOR" BACK TO SHOT-BLOCKING WAYS
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot junior from Senegal, has averaged 3.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 17.1 minutes off the bench in 18 games played since returning from an Oct. 25 procedure to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle (missed season's first seven games - had started all 43 games played in his freshman and sophomore seasons). He leads the Big 12 in blocks in conference games this season with a 2.3 average. Diene's 72 career blocks in Big 12 play is the most among the league's active players. His 112 career blocks and 1.84 career average are both second all-time at Baylor behind only current Phoenix Suns Brian Skinner's 346 total and 3.36 average (1994-98). Named the Big 12's "Best Shot Blocker" by the Sporting News preseason publication, Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman (2.3 bpg) and was third (1.6 bpg) in an injury-plagued sophomore season. He is referred to as "The Mayor" due to his huge popularity across campus.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
One significant statistical indicator to Baylor's success in winning games is field goal percentage, offensively and defensively. This season, Baylor is 15-1 when totaling a higher shooting percentage than it opponents, and conversely is 2-7 when its opponents shoot a higher percentage. Further, in five seasons under Scott Drew Baylor has accumulated a 47-8 record when outshooting opponents and a 6-69 record when being outshot by opponents.

SURPASSED LAST SEASON'S WIN TOTAL
The Bears' 17 wins in 2007-08 are the most in the Drew Era (surpassing last season's 15) and mark the most at Baylor since the 2000-01 squad finished 19-12 (last BU team to participate in postseason; first round of NIT).

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
• Scott Drew is 3 coaching wins shy of moving into 7th place (53, Harry Miller No. 7 with 56) on Baylor's career coaching victories list.
• Aaron Bruce is 4 assists shy of moving into 4th place & 6 shy of 3rd place (310, Jay Shakir No. 4 with 314; David Wesley No. 3 with 316) on Baylor's career assists list.
• Curtis Jerrells is 60 points shy of moving into 14th place (1,080, Roddrick Miller No. 15 with 1,094) on Baylor's career scoring list.
• Aaron Bruce is 60 points shy of moving into 6th place (1,300, Darrell Hardy No. 6 with 1,360) on Baylor's career scoring list.
• Aaron Bruce is 3 3-pointers shy of moving into 6th place (129, Texas A&M's Bernard King No. 6 with 132) on Big 12's career 3-pointers in conference games list.
• Aaron Bruce is 4 3-pointers shy of moving into 2nd place (213, Roddrick Miller No. 2 with 217) on Baylor's career 3-pointers list.
• LaceDarius Dunn is 1 3-pointer shy of moving into 2nd place (58, John Lucas III No. 2 with 59 in 2002) on Baylor's freshman 3-pointers list.

LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA 92 - BAYLOR 91 OT
Oklahoma's Tony Crocker converted a four-point play with 7.3 seconds in overtime and Baylor's Curtis Jerrells missed two potential game-winning or game-tying free throws with 1 second left to give the Sooners a miracle 92-91 win at the Lloyd Noble Center. Crocker was fouled by Aaron Bruce while making a 3-pointer from the left wing and then hit his free throw to give Oklahoma a one-point lead. Kevin Rogers rebounded Jerrells' second miss but missed a layup at the buzzer. Baylor lost despite erasing an eight-point deficit in the final 3 minutes of regulation to force the game into overtime, and opening the extra period with a 7-0 run. Crocker gave Oklahoma a realistic chance at the win when he hit a 3 from the right wing to cut the deficit to 89-88 with 19.7 seconds left. Bruce hit two free throws to give Baylor a three-point lead, but then got caught under Crocker on what proved to be the game-winner. Jerrells led Baylor with 29 points, Rogers scored 18 and Tweety Carter had 17. Jerrells drove past Blake Griffin to tie the game at 75 with a layup that hung on the rim before falling through the net as the buzzer sounded. Jerrells hit a 3-pointer to make it 70-66 with 2:41 left in regulation and ignite the Bears' comeback, and he also hit two tying free throws with 14.2 seconds remaining. He answered Crocker's two foul shots with the layup at the buzzer. The game was marked by a skirmish that resulted in the ejection of Baylor's Mark Shepherd and Richard Hurd and an Oklahoma strength coach, as well as a technical foul to Griffin.

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 10-3 at the Ferrell Center this season and is 27-9 in its last 36 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06).

THE LAST MEETING: KANSAS ST. 69 - BAYLOR 60 [Jan. 17, 2007]
Baylor let an 11-point second half lead slip away en route to dropping a 69-60 game to Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum. The Bears played much of the game without leading-scorer Kevin Rogers and Aaron Bruce was injured after being hit in the mouth late in the first half and receiving four stitches during halftime. Rogers was plagued by early fouls and totaled just two points and five rebounds in a season-low 12 minutes. Bruce, who led the Bears with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half, was 1-for-11 in the second half. Tied at 39 at the half, KSU took a 40-39 lead 13 seconds into the second on a Luis Colon free throw. Baylor's defense then shut down the Cats for nine and a half minutes during an 11-0 run. Bruce, fouled by Colon with an elbow to the head, hit a free throw to give Baylor a 51-40 lead with 12:53 remaining. K-State, which missed its first 15 shots in the second half, hit its first field goal of the period at the 10:14 mark to cut the lead to 51-42. The Wildcats finally took the lead at 59-58 on Cartier Martin's 3-pointer with 5:07 left. KSU hit two layups and six free throws as Baylor missed seven 3-pointers to seal the 69-60 win. Henry Dugat capped Baylor's big run with a follow shot underneath and a breakaway basket after Bruce made a long pass across court on his knees. Fouled by Lance Harris, Dugat made the free throw and the Bears had a double-digit lead with Rogers having spent most of the game on the bench with foul trouble. Rogers fouled out with 3:15 left as the Bears lost for the 31st time in their last 33 true road games, a streak that dates back to Dec. 30, 2004. Baylor has lost 19 straight Big 12 road games. Rogers picked up his third foul with 9:03 left in the first half and went to the bench. He went back to the bench with foul No. 4 early in the second half and did not score until hitting a short jumper with 8:38 to play, putting the Bears on top 53-46.

FERRELL CENTER'S 20th YEAR
The Bears are in their 20th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 10-3 at home in 2007-08 and owns a 177-121 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.

PARADISE JAM CHAMPS
Baylor earned the 2007 Paradise Jam championship with an impressive three-game run Nov. 16-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bears defeated Wichita State (64-55), Notre Dame (68-64) and Winthrop (62-54) to earn the title at the eighth annual tournament. Baylor overcame second-half deficits in both the semis (down 10 to N.D) and the final (down six to Winthrop) to earn the title. Curtis Jerrells was named the tournament MVP after leading the Bears with 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and Aaron Bruce also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. The title marked Baylor's first in-season tournament championship (excluding the Baylor-hosted Dr Pepper Invitational) since winning the 1971 Holiday Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. (last eight-team tournament title was the 1968 East Carolina Classic in Greenville, N.C.).

BIG 12 HONORS
Baylor players have received four weekly Big 12 honors this season, the school's most-ever single-season weekly awards. Baylor has earned three player of the week awards and one rookie of the week award:
LaceDarius Dunn, Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Nov. 26, 2007
Dunn was honored after leading the Bears to to wins over Winthrop (in the championship game of the Paradise Jam) and Centenary. Dunn set then-career-highs for points with 17 in each game, shooting a combined 13-of-20 (.650) from the floor off the bench. He also shot 5-of-10 on 3-pointers and averaged 5.5 rebounds.
Curtis Jerrells, Big 12 Player of the Week, Nov. 19, 2007
Jerrells was honored after leading Baylor to wins over Wichita State and Notre Dame at the Paradise Jam tournament. He averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two wins and shot 54 percent from the 3-point line and 92 percent from the free throw line.
Curtis Jerrells, Big 12 Player of the Week, Jan. 28, 2008
Jerrells earned his second honor after averaging 26.5 points as No. 25 Baylor split two games, an epic five-overtime win over No. 16 Texas A&M and a 77-71 loss to Oklahoma. He scored a career-high 36 points and made a Big 12 and school-record 20 free throws in the Bears' 116-110 marathon thriller at A&M, including 11 points in the last overtime period to clinch the win in the longest game in Big 12 history.
Kevin Rogers, Big 12 Player of the Week, Dec. 24, 2007
Rogers was honored after leading the Bears to two road wins at South Carolina and Southern that snapped a 25-game losing streak in true road games. He averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds and had two double-doubles. Rogers had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double at USC and scored a game-high 21 points in a win at Southern.

RECORD ATTENDANCE NUMBERS
Baylor's on-court success is attracting record numbers of fans to the Ferrell Center. Three of the top six attended BU games all-time have come this season, including the record crowd of 10,521 vs. Texas (Feb. 16). The single-season average attendance record of 6,843 (set in 2001-02; BU averaging 6,811 this season with three home games remaining) is within reach. Top-six crowds also came this season vs. Oklahoma (10,393, No. 4 all-time) and vs. Washington State (10,193, No. 6).

BAYLOR'S SUMMER TOUR TO CANCUN
Baylor spent Labor Day weekend 2007 on a basketball tour to Cancun, Mexico. The four-day trip included two exhibition games as well as sun and fun for the Bears. Baylor beat Belize Tuff E Nuff 115-47 Sept. 1, before defeating the hometown Mexican professional team Quintana Roo 91-57 Sept. 2. Both games were played in Cancun's sweltering Kuchil-Baxal Gymnasium. Baylor was led in scoring both games by junior Henry Dugat, who totaled 25 and 20 points. Aside from the games, the players and travel party enjoyed swimming, jet skiing, fishing and shopping on the Yucatan Peninsula.

BEARS RETURN HIGH PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Baylor in 2007-08 returned all five starters, nine of 12 roster players and nearly all of its statistical production. The Bears return 90.6 percent of last season's points, 86.9 percent of rebounds and 94.5 percent of assists.

MOST EXPERIENCED BEAR SQUAD IN YEARS
For the first time in years, Baylor took the court in 2007-08 with a predominantly upperclassman, experienced team. After several seasons of young, inexperienced teams, the Bears returned nine lettermen, including seven lettermen with multiple letters. The roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Veteran Aaron Bruce is the just the fourth four-year senior to play at BU in the last eight seasons. Baylor's '07-08 returnees entered the season with a combined 246 career starts under their collective belts, the highest such number at BU in over a decade.

EARLY 2009 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, Anthony Jones of Houston (Texas) Yates High School and Russian Artem Valov of Three Rivers Community College. Jones, a senior at Yates, is rated 46th nationally by Rivals.com and is a consensus top-70 recruit. He is rated No. 51 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 62 by Scout.com. Jones averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds last season as a junior for a Yates squad that finished 25-8 in 2006-07. A 6-10 forward, Jones is rated No. 8 among the nation's forwards by Rivals.com and ranked as the fourth-best recruit in the state by TexasHoops.com. Valov is a junior college sophomore who was recently named a preseason NJCAA first-team All-American. He is rated the No. 12 junior college recruit nationally by Rivals.com's JucoJunction.com. The 6-9 forward helped lead Three Rivers to a 26-11 record and into the second round of the NJCAA tournament. Valov was named to the 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament team. Valov finished his freshman season with averages of 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

NEXT UP...
Baylor travels to Colorado for a Wednesday, Feb. 27, matchup against the Buffaloes. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. MST/8:30 p.m. CST at the Coors Events Center and will be televised live in Texas on FSN Southwest.