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BAYLOR (13-12, 4-10) at TEXAS A&M (13-12, 5-9)
March 5, 2003 - Reed Arena (College Station, Texas) - 7:00 p.m. CST

RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (KRZI 1660/1580 AM Waco)
TELEVISION: Lone Star Series (Time Warner Cable ch. 15 Waco/Temple

THE GAME
Baylor renews its Battle of the Brazos series Wednesday, March 5, when it travels to College Station to face Texas A&M. Tipoff at Reed Arena is set for 7 p.m. CST. The Bears enter the game with a record of 13-12, 4-10 in the Big 12, and have lost two straight games; most recently a 72-59 setback to Colorado Saturday. The Aggies are 13-12 and 5-9 in the league and on a three-game losing skid. Texas A&M lost 69-64 to Oklahoma Saturday. Baylor (ninth) trails the Aggies (eighth) by one game in the Big 12 standings. Wednesday's game will be televised live statewide by the Dodge Ram Lone Star Series and can be viewed in the Waco/Temple area on Time Warner Cable channel 15 [full TV listings]. Announcing the game will be Will Johnson (play-by-play), Reid Gettys (analysis) and Kandace Krueger (sideline).

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor has won 2 straight games, and 5 of its last 7, against Texas A&M.
- Dave Bliss' teams have won 8 of their last 11 games vs. Texas A&M.
- Baylor's 9.1 3-pointers per game ranks 6th nationally.
- Baylor's 72.6% team free throw shooting is tops in the Big 12.
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 66% of Baylor's scoring (1,141-of-1,733).
- 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).
- 8 of Baylor's 10 Big 12 losses have come to ranked teams (at time of game).
- The Bears are averaging 9.1 3-pointers and attempting 26.4 per game; both figures lead the Big 12.
- 45% of Baylor's field goal attempts (661-1,458) are 3-pointers.
- Baylor is 5-0 this season when outscoring its opponents in the paint.
- Baylor is 29-3 under Dave Bliss when recording 40 or more rebounds (7-0 this year).
- Junior center R.T. Guinn was born in Bryan, Texas.
- Lawrence Roberts is averaging a double-double (15.3 ppg/10.2 rpg) this season.
- Kenny Taylor is the Big 12's most improved scorer, averaging 8.4 points more (12.3 ppg) than last season.
- R.T. Guinn and Kenny Taylor are among Baylor's top 3-point shooters of all time (by percentage), Guinn is No. 3 on the career list (41.2%), Taylor is No. 4 (39.6%).
- Kenny Taylor leads the Big 12 in made 3-pointers, averaging 3.2 per game.
- Lawrence Roberts is 2nd in the Big 12 and 13th nationally in rebounds, 10.2 per game (10.9 in conf. games).
- John Lucas is Baylor's career leader with a 82.8% career free throw percentage.
- 82% (204-249) of Kenny Taylor's field goal attempts are 3-pointers.
- Lawrence Roberts has compiled 12 double-doubles this season; and 20 in 53 career games played.
- R.T. Guinn has scored in double-digits in 6 of the last 7 games.
- Kenny Taylor has made a 3-pointer in 19 straight games.
- R.T. Guinn leads the team with 71 personal fouls and 3 foul-outs.
- John Lucas has made 9 straight free throws (last 6 games).

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 525. The former head coach at New Mexico, SMU and Oklahoma owns a career record of 525-326 (.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 TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Texas A&M (13-12, 5-9) is led by fifth-year head coach Melvin Watkins, who owns a 94-109 record in seven seasons as a collegiate head coach and a 52-89 mark at College Station. Prior to taking over at Texas A&M, Watkins spent two seasons at the helm of the UNC-Charlotte program, guiding the 49ers to a 42-20 record.

TAMU NOTES: The Aggies are led by senior guard Bernard King, who is averaging 17.5 points and 5.6 assists... King is the leading scorer in Big 12 Conference history with 1,950 career points... Texas A&M has lost three straight games... The Aggies are 9-4 at home this season.

THE TEXAS A&M SERIES
Wednesday marks the 187th meeting between the Bears and Texas A&M; this is the second-longest rivalry in Baylor's history, trailing only the series with Texas (216 games). The Aggies lead the series 117-69, though the Bears have won two straight and five of the last seven meetings, including a 77-69 victory earlier this season in Waco. Texas A&M leads 68-26 in games played in College Station and has won the last two meetings at home. The series has been even since the 1986-87 season, with the teams splitting 34 games.

BLISS vs. TEXAS A&M
Dave Bliss is 16-11 all-time against Texas A&M and 5-2 while at Baylor. Most of his history with the Aggies came while at Southern Methodist, where he was 9-9 against A&M. Bliss was 2-0 against the Aggies while at New Mexico, and he has won eight of his last 11 games against Texas A&M.

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 15.3 points (12th in Big 12) and 10.2 rebounds (2nd in Big 12, 13th nationally) per game while recording 27 blocks (12th in Big 12). He has tallied 12 double-doubles this season, was named NABC All-District 9 and was selected Big 12 Player of the Week Feb. 17.

3-POINT PROPENSITY
The Bears are averaging 9.1 made 3-pointers and 26.4 attempts per game this season. Both of those figures top the Big 12 Conference. 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 leads the Big 12 with 81 made 3-pointers (3.2 per game). Baylor has made at least one 3-pointer in 347 consecutive games (dating back to Feb. 21, 1990).

BEARS' STELLAR SHOOTING FROM LINE
Baylor as a team is shooting 72.6 percent, the best mark in the Big 12 Conference. Three Bear players are shooting 80 percent or higher from the line including: Carlton Dotson (16-18, 89 percent), Terrance Thomas (16-18, 89 percent) and John Lucas (51-59, 86 percent ‾QUOTE] 3rd in Big 12).

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- John Lucas is currently Baylor's career free throw percentage leader, at 82.8% (101-122), [topping David Wesley -- 82.8% 1989-1992].
- Lawrence Roberts' 66 career blocks are 5 shy of moving into 5th place on Baylor's career list (passing Frank Williams -- 70 from 1985-88).
- John Lucas has 231 career assists and is 4 shy of moving into 7th on Baylor's career list (passing Roddrick Miller -- 234 from 1994-98).
- Kenny Taylor's 81 3-pointers are 19 shy of 2nd place (Melvin Hunt 100, 1999-00) on the school's Top 10 single-season list.
- Baylor is 37 made 3-pointers shy of tying for 2nd on the team single-season list (265 -- 1994-95).
- Baylor is 14 steals shy of tying for the 8th-most team thefts in a single-season (232 -- 1990-91).
- John Lucas has made 105 career 3-pointers, and is 19 treys shy of moving into 5th place on Baylor's career list (passing David Wesley -- 123 from 1989-92).

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 25 games the sophomore trio from Houston has accounted for 59 percent of the team's points, 40 percent of rebounds, 54 percent of steals and 51 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 12.3, an increase of 8.4 points per game.

GUINN STEPPING UP HIS PLAY
Over the last six games, junior center R.T. Guinn has put together five double-digit scoring games, averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, recorded two double-doubles and has shot 40% from the 3-point arc.

TAYLOR AND BEARS QUICK TRIGGER WITH 3-POINTERS
Sophomore Kenny Taylor currently leads the Big 12 Conference in 3-point field goals made, averaging 3.2 per game. He is shooting 40 percent from 3-point distance. Taylor has attempted 204 3-pointers this season. Treys account for an incredible 82 percent of the 249 field goals he has attempted. As a team, the Bears have taken 661 of their 1,458 shot attempts (45%) from behind the arc.

LAST TIME OUT: COLORADO 72 - BAYLOR 59
Baylor was outscored 46-14 in the paint as the Bears lost 72-59 to Colorado at home in the Ferrell Center. The Buffaloes also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Baylor 50-28. Colorado led 43-31 early in the second half when Baylor went on a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to 45-44. John Lucas, Ellis Kidd Jr. and Kenny Taylor each hit 3-pointers during the run. But the Buffaloes then scored 11 straight and extended their lead to 56-44 with 12:30 remaining. R.T. Guinn hit a 3-pointer with 5:18 left to trim the deficit to 62-55, but David Harrison's dunk with just over three minutes left put Colorado up 68-55 and essentially put the game away. Colorado led 39-28 at halftime, thanks to the inside game. Guinn led Baylor with 14 points and Lucas added 12.

THE LAST MEETING: BAYLOR 77 - TEXAS A&M 69 [Feb. 4, 2003]
John Lucas scored 24 points and Lawrence Roberts added 23 points to lead Baylor to a 77-69 win over Texas A&M at the Ferrell Center for its first Big 12 conference win of the season. Texas A&M took a 61-59 lead with 3:35 left on a three-point play by Bernard King, who finished with 17 points. Baylor tied the game on its next possession with a layup by Lucas and built a lead of 66-61 with just more than two minutes remaining. The Aggies narrowed the gap to 66-63, but Baylor converted 8-of-10 free throws in the final minute and a half to win. Roberts had 10 rebounds for Baylor. Baylor tied the score at 41-41 with just 13 minutes remaining in the second half. Lucas put the Bears ahead for the first time 43-41 seconds later with a steal followed by his uncontested layup. The Aggies took a 15-7 lead midway through the first half. Baylor struggled from the field, hitting only three of its first 13 field goal attempts and just one of eight from three-point range. Texas A&M led 32-27 at the half.

BAYLOR IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
As of Feb. 24, Baylor's average of 9.4 3-pointers per game ranked sixth amongst NCAA Division I teams. The Bears are led in that department by Kenny Taylor, who ranked 18th nationally with an average of 3.3 treys per contest. Lawrence Roberts ranked No. 13 in the nation in rebounding, averaging 10.3 per contest.

ROBERTS NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF WEEK
Sophomore forward Lawrence Roberts was selected Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week Feb. 17 following his performance in Baylor's win at No. 13 Oklahoma State. Roberts recorded a career-high 20 rebounds in the Bears' upset of OSU and added 11 points and three assists. For the week, Roberts averaged 11.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in two games vs. nationally ranked teams.

ROBERTS NAMED TO ALL-DISTRICT 9 FIRST TEAM
Lawrence Roberts has been honored as a 2003 first-team NABC All-District 9 selection. Roberts was named to the NABC All-District 9 second team as a freshman last season. The NABC selected 150 student-athletes from 15 districts, all of whom are eligible for the NABC All-American Team, announced at the end of the season.

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.

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.

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.

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 concludes its regular-season schedule Saturday, March 8, with a home game against Texas Tech. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 3 p.m. at the Ferrell Center and to be televised live regionally by ESPN+Plus.