BAYLOR (3-1) vs. ALCORN STATE (0-5)
Nov. 27, 2006 - Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) - 7:00 p.m. CST
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THE GAME
Baylor continues its five-game homestand by hosting Alcorn State Monday, Nov. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 3-1 and coming off a 74-50 victory over Texas Southern last Monday in Waco. The young Bears, with nine freshmen and sophomores, are playing a full season and have a full allotment of scholarships for the first time in four years. Alcorn State is winless at 0-5 and most recently lost 77-49 at Radford Nov. 18. Baylor is 22-0 all-time vs. opponents currently in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor is 22-0 all-time against current SWAC schools.
- Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 in blocks per game, averaging 3.7 per game.
- BU is 55-19 in regular-season non-league games the last 7 seasons (3-1 in `06-07).
- Henry Dugat ranks 7th among the Big 12 scoring leaders - 17.3 ppg.
- Aaron Bruce ranks 4th among the Big 12 assists leaders - 5.5 apg.
- Baylor has hit on an impressive 88.2% (15-of-17) of "clutch" free throws (the final 3 minutes of the game and overtimes).
- Baylor has won 4 straight home games and 6 of its last 7 in the Ferrell Center (dating back to last season).
- Aaron Bruce & Curtis Jerrells are both shooting 13% (2-of-15) on 3-pointers through 4 games this season [Bruce shot 41% and Jerrells 37% last season].
- The sophomore quartet (Diene, Dugat, Jerrells & Rogers; last season's "Freshman Four") account for 59% of Baylor's scoring and 62% of its rebounds.
- Underclassmen have led BU in scoring in 44 of its last 49 games (dating to 2004-05) [in 28 of last 49 a freshman has been top scorer].
- Sophomore Mamadou Diene has made at least one block in all 20 career games.
- Injury Update: Patrick Fields (knee sprain) should return in December; Penny Thiam (torn ACL) is out for the season.
- Baylor's last three recruiting classes have all been rated Top-20 nationally: 2006 No. 17 (Rivals.com); 2005 No. 11 (Rivals.com); and 2004 No. 10 (Hoopscoop.com).
- True freshman Tweety Carter is Baylor's first-ever McDonald's All-America signee.
- Baylor is 18-3 when scoring 70+ points (in Drew Era; 4 seasons).
- Baylor is 13-3 when totaling 40+ rebounds (last 5 seasons).
- BU is 1-34 when allowing opponents to shoot 50% or higher (in 4 years under Drew).
- Over the past six seasons Baylor is 57-5 when totaling an equal or higher shooting percentage than its opponent (3-0 in 2006-07).
BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears are 55-19 in regular-season non-league play over the past seven seasons (3-1 this season).
HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fourth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 24-54 at the school and a career record of 44-65 (five seasons). 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 ALCORN STATE BRAVES
Head Coach: Sam West (Texas Southern, 1977); 26-65, 4 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: BU leads 2-0
Last meeting: Baylor 81-61; Nov. 23, 2002 in Waco
Streak: BU won 2 straight
Series in Waco: never met
Drew vs. ASU: 0-0
Baylor vs. SWAC: 22-0
ASU NOTES: Alcorn State (0-5) is located in Lorman, Miss., and is a member of the Southwest Athletic Conference... The Braves return all five starters from last season's 8-20 team... ASU is led by senior G Delvin Thompson, a consensus preseason All-SWAC selection, who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds.
FULL ROSTER, FULL SCHEDULE
For the first time in four seasons since taking over at Baylor, head coach Scott Drew has both a full allotment of scholarships available and a complete schedule to play. For three seasons the Bears have played through handicaps: in each of the first three years the program was playing with scholarship limits; last season, the Bears were stripped of playing a non-conference schedule (all results of sanctions brought on by the previous coaching staff). In 2006-07 Baylor has 13 scholarships available and is playing a full schedule.
ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The rebuilding Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor has won four straight home contests, and has won six of its last seven games in Waco (dating back to last season).
DUGAT LEADING BEARS
Henry Dugat has started his sophomore season with a bang. Through four games (his first four career starts), the guard is leading the team with 17.3 points per game [7th in Big 12] and shooting 41 percent (9-for-22) on 3-pointers [6th in Big 12] and 86 percent (12-for-14) from the free throw line [3rd in Big 12]. Dugat totaled career-highs of 29 points and seven rebounds in leading Baylor over Colorado State in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR LAST SEASON'S "FRESHMAN FOUR"
Baylor is powered by its nucleus of youth, namely a quartet of sophomores which as rookies in 2005-06 was nicknamed the "Freshman Four": Mamadou Diene, Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers. As freshmen the quartet combined to account for nearly half of the team's points, rebounds and assists. This season the sophomores have increased that production (percentages below).
DIENE, DUGAT, JERRELLS & ROGERS
% of Team's: Pts Reb. Asst.
Freshmen in 2005-06 46% (496/1,074) 51% (252/493) 49% (92/186)
Sophomores in 2006-07 59% (190/320) 62% (79/128) 47% (27/58)
BRUINS BOAST TALENTED BACKCOURT
Baylor's strength in 2006-07 lies in it's talented pool of guards, including its trio of starters who each average 30-plus minutes per game: Curtis Jerrells (33.8 mpg), Henry Dugat (33.0 mpg) and Aaron Bruce (31.3 mpg). Reserve Demond "Tweety" Carter averages 21.0 minutes off the bench. The four guards combine to average 43.9 points a game. Bruce (2005) and Jerrells (2006) are former Freshmen All-Americans and true freshman Carter is the school's first-ever McDonald's All-American. Baylor's backcourt was listed among the nation's top 14 backcourts in The Sporting News preseason publication.
MAYOR DIENE CONTINUES AS BIG 12's TOP SHOT-BLOCKER
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot sophomore from Senegal, is averaging 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocks [1st in Big 12]. Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman, averaging 2.2 in 2005-06 and his 2.45 career figure is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Milwaukee Buck Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene has blocked at least one shot in all 20 career games (15 multi-block games). The 19-year-old Diene, referred to as "The Mayor" by the Baylor coaching staff due to his huge popularity across campus, has gained more than 55 pounds since his arrival in the United States in Jan. 2005 weighing 197 pounds.
INJURIES: FIELDS STILL SIDELINED, THIAM OUT
Baylor's roster is currently short two players out with knee injuries. Senior G/F Pat Fields is out with a sprained MCL in his knee suffered during the exhibition game Nov. 4 (expected to return sometime in December). Freshman F Djibril "Penny" Thiam sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the win over Texas Southern Nov. 20 and is out for the season.
JERRELLS BUILDING ON STELLAR FRESHMAN SEASON
Curtis Jerrells, who is averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds through four games, is coming off a rookie season in which he led the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), assists (3.3 apg), steals (1.4 spg) and minutes (33.4 mpg) and was named a Freshman All-American. Jerrells is projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by Lindy's, USA TODAY and ESPN.com. He has also been named the Big 12's "Most Underrated Player" by both Athlon and The Sporting News preseason publications.
BRUCE ALMIGHTY BACK AS SEASONED JUNIOR
Third-year guard Aaron Bruce is averaging 7.8 points and 5.5 assists [6th in Big 12] through four games. The junior, rated the nation's 11th-best point guard by The Sporting News preseason publication, spent the offseason playing for the Australian national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. Bruce averaged 13.1 points during an injury-riddled sophomore campaign last season and averaged 18.2 points in 2004-05 when he led the nation's freshmen in scoring and was named a freshman All-American.
BEARS STILL YOUNG
Despite returning 11 of last season's 13 players, the Bears are still a relatively young squad in 2006-07. Baylor's roster includes just two seniors and three juniors compared to nine freshmen and sophomores. [Note: Underclassmen have led Baylor in scoring in 44 of its last 49 games (over the last three seasons); in 28 of those 49 a freshman has been top scorer.]
BEARS RETURN PRODUCTION NUMBERS
In 2006-07 Baylor returns four-of-five starters, 11-of-13 roster players and a great majority of its production, statistically speaking. The Bears return 87.6 percent of last season's points, 84.7 percent of rebounds and 93.5 percent of assists.
LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 74 - TEXAS SOUTHERN 54
Kevin Rogers and Henry Dugat each scored 13 points to lead Baylor to a 74-50 victory over Texas Southern at the Ferrell Center.
The Bears dominated the first half, shooting 61 percent from the field and finished the half on a 24-4 run to take a 49-25 lead. But they scored only 25 points in the second half, turning the ball over nine times and shooting 38 percent from the field.
Rogers hit all five of his field goals and 3-of-4 free throws. He also had a career-high four blocked shots. Dugat had three assists and a career-high four steals.
Chris Moore led Texas Southern with 14 points and eight rebounds. Jacques Jones added 10 points.
Texas Southern shot 34 percent from the field for the game.
Baylor got 25 points off of 17 Texas Southern turnovers.
THE LAST MEETING: BAYLOR 81 - ALCORN STATE 61 [Nov. 23, 2002]
John Lucas III had 21 points and seven assists and R.T. Guinn added 20 points as Baylor beat Alcorn State 81-61 in its season-opener at the Lone Star Basketball Classic at Reunion Arena in Dallas.
Alcorn State chipped away at a 10-point deficit in the second half, and closed the gap to 57-55 after a three-point play by Tori Harris with 8:30 left. But Baylor closed the game with a 24-6 run, holding Alcorn State to one field goal over the next seven minutes.
Ellis Kidd Jr., playing in his first game for the Bears after transferring from Seminole State, hit two 3-pointers during the stretch. Kidd finished with 11 points, all of which came in the second half.
The Bears hit 15 3-pointers, including five from Lucas.
Guinn's dunk on an assist by Lucas with 6:18 left in the first half capped a 12-0 run that allowed Baylor to take a 29-17 lead, and the Bears never trailed after that.
Baylor, which led 38-35 at the half, broke an 11-game losing streak away from Waco.
MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- Aaron Bruce ranks 5th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.389).
- Aaron Bruce is 8 made 3-pointers shy of moving into 7th place on Baylor's career 3-point field goal list (115 made, David Wesley No. 7 with 123).
- Pat Fields ranks 6th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.378).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 5th on Baylor's career free throw percentage list (.820).
- Mamadou Diene ranks 2nd on Baylor's career blocks-per-game list (2.45).
- Mamadou Diene is 6 blocks shy of moving into 10th place on Baylor's career blocks list (49 blocks, Daryl Baucham & Ben Echols No. 10 with 55).
FERRELL CENTER'S 19th YEAR
The Bears enter their 19th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 2-0 at home in 2006-07 and owns a 156-113 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.
FRESHMAN CLASS RATED 17th NATIONALLY
Baylor's 2006 signee class was rated the nation's 17th-best class by Rivals.com and is made up of a trio of freshman, all top-100 national recruits. The signees include Demond "Tweety" Carter of Reserve Christian School (Reserve, La.), Josh Lomers of Boerne (Texas) High School and Djibril "Penny" Thiam of Stoneridge Prep (Tarzana, Calif.).
INTERNATIONAL ROSTER
Baylor's 14-man, 2006-07 roster boasts 10 Americans and four players from overseas. The four international student-athletes include junior Aaron Bruce (native of Australia), sophomore Mamadou Diene (native of Senegal), redshirt freshman Jari Vanttaja (native of Finland) and true freshman Djibril "Penny" Thiam (native of Senegal).
DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just two lettermen from it's 2005-06 roster: four-year forward Tommy Swanson (6.6 ppg) and two-year transfer guard Kevis Shipman (2.1 ppg).
EARLY 2007 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, LaceDarius Dunn of Monroe, La., and Fred Ellis of Sacramento, Calif. Dunn, a senior at Excelsior Christian School, is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory. Dunn is rated the No. 18 recruit nationally by Scout.com's Dave Telep. Other national ratings include: No. 27 by Hoopmasters.com, No. 29 by HoopScoop.com and No. 33 by Rivals.com. A 6-4 shooting guard, Dunn was rated the No. 5 player at the 2006 Adidas Superstar Camp in Atlanta by USA TODAY. He is rated the nation's fifth-best shooting guard by Scout.com and the No. 7 shooting guard by Rivals.com. Dunn is a two-time, first-team all-state honoree who guided ECS to a 35-4 record as a junior in 2005-06, averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Dunn led Excelsior Christian to the Class C state title and a 47-2 record as a sophomore in 2004-05. Ellis is a senior at Sacramento High School in Sacramento, Calif. He was called the "biggest sleeper" recruit of the summer by Telep at Scout.com. A 6-7 wing, Ellis led SHS to a 29-6 overall record and an 11-1 conference mark as a junior in 2005-06. Sacramento lost in the SJS-Div. III championship game. Ellis averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. Ellis was invited to the Super 100 Basketball Camp in Berkeley last summer.
BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEES:
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)
LaceDarius Dunn G 6-4 190 Fr. Monroe, La. (Excelsior Christian School)
Fred Ellis F 6-7 190 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento HS)
NEXT UP...
The Bears play their third of five straight home contests Wednesday, Nov. 29, when they host Grambling State in a game scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
