NOTE: The content on the Baylor Blitz is solely meant for the subscribers of SicEmSports. Let's all please make sure that whatever is written here stays here. We appreciate you all helping us with this. Now, let's all take a look at Baylor recruiting and what else is going on involving the Bears.
By KEVIN LONNQUIST
Publisher
NOTE: The Nike Open Combine and regional events take place this weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Arlington Lamar High School. However, Rivals is not allowed to participate in covering all of the moment-to-moment activities.
From what I understand this is a policy that is in place by Nike. Therefore, it's going to be a little difficult providing you immediate information from this. We apologize for this. It's just something out of our control.
Snapshot: Baylor vs. Kansas/Iowa State/Oklahoma
Baylor is in the Big 12 tournament semifinals for the fifth time in the last seven seasons and will meet Kansas at 6:00 p.m. Friday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The second semifinal features Iowa State against Oklahoma. Baylor is 3-3 against the rest of the field - 0-2 vs. Kansas, 2-0 vs. Iowa State, 1-1 vs. Oklahoma.
A look at the six meetings:
Jan. 7 - Kansas 56, Baylor 55: In Waco, the Jayhawks survived when Baylor couldn't get a shot off in the waning seconds. Baylor shot 34 percent and fell to 0-2 in the Big 12.
Feb. 14 - Kansas 74, Baylor 64: In Lawrence, the Bears couldn't hold an early 13-point lead. Kansas pulled away in the final five minutes Perry Ellis scored 18 points. Baylor went 2-10 down the stretch.
Jan 13 - Baylor 74, Iowa State 73: Kenny Chery hit a jumper with 4.7 seconds to play to lift the Bears. Iowa State had rallied from a 14-point deficit.
Feb. 25 - Baylor 79, Iowa State 70: The Bears picked up their first ever win in Hilton Coliseum as they went 14-26 from 3-point range including their last seven attempts.
Jan. 3 - Oklahoma 73, Baylor 63: In the Big 12 opener in Norman, transfer TaShawn Thompson scored 24 points to lead the Sooners.
Jan. 29 - Baylor 69, Oklahoma 58: In Waco, the Bears split the season series by using a 10-0 run late in the game to break a 49-49 tie.
Pro Day: Wednesday (March 18)
Baylor's pro day is approaching. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. It will be a combination of combine work (vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash, 5-10-1, 3-cone and 60-yard shuttle) and position specific work at the Allison Indoor Practice Facility.
There will both be current and former players expected to attend.
2014 players: QB Bryce Petty, DB Colin Brence, OL Tyler Edwards, WR Antwan Goodley, LB Bryce Hager, WR Levi Norwood, P Spencer Roth.
Former Baylor players: TE Jeff LePak, RB Glasco Martin, DB K.J. Morton, DB Tyler Stephenson.
McClure completes huge year
While other schools may have been nervous about his knees, Baylor stood firm with King McClure.
Based on his just completed 2014-15 season, that loyalty has the potential to pay off quickly. The Rivals No. 77 player is coming off arguably his most complete year as a basketball player. Leading Triple A Academy to the Class 4A Region II championship game, McClure produced numbers that are too good to be true. But they are true.
The list:
>32.1 ppg
>7.7 rpg
>4.7 spg
>3.6 apg
>76% on 2-point attempts
>49% on 3-point attempts (combined 65% overall shooting)
>86% FT
>7 40+ point games
"People used to back off of me because they knew me as a driver and a slasher,'' McClure said. "My Dad and I just worked and worked with me and my shooting. There were some long nights where I was just shooting threes and other jumpers. I was shocked at the numbers myself. But I know why I got there. I'm just looking for my shot now.
McClure (6-3) also matured as a player. He's been through surgeries and continuous rehab over the last two years trying to strengthen both knees. It dawned on him that because of his driving approach that led to the knee injuries. So much pressure followed by so much contact may have led to the early wear and tear. Plus, he didn't have a lot of confidence in his jumper.
Now, he does. And he has not backed off on his rehab program. McClure is doing pool work several times a week with a multitude of exercises. He can thank his uncle for that.
"He just told me that this would be the best way to get myself prepared,'' McClure said. "It really has because it's really helped my conditioning and endurance. The knees feel 100 percent. They're stronger than ever.
"The difference is that I could explode and dunk off of both legs. I couldn't do that the last couple of years.''
McClure plans to report to Baylor on June 1 and will bypass any opportunities to play in the AAU circuit this spring. He's been consulting with the Baylor coaching staff on what they would like for him to work on for these next 2½ months.
Dickson has timeline
While the Baylor coaching staff was certainly disappointed that three-star wide receiver Tren'Davian Dickson had announced re-opened his recruiting in early February, it didn't mean that the Bears were out of contention.
Far from it. Maybe the re-set button for the talented Navasota wide receiver could work in Baylor's favor. Maybe it won't. But the Bears kept themselves very much in the middle of his recruitment when Dickson attended the March 1 practice at the Allison Indoor Practice facility.
"They were caught by surprise,'' Dickson said. "But I just told them that I just wanted to look around and feel comfortable about where I was going to be for four years. This is a big decision. They weren't upset. They understood.''
Dickson (6-1, 172) just finished his basketball season recently and has moved into the offseason. It's not clear if he is going to participate in track. But everybody knows the national record setting receiver is plenty fast. He took his 40 several weeks ago. The hand held time showed 4.42.
He has maintained a solid dialogue with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and new wide receivers coach Tate Wallis. Of course, Dickson had committed to Baylor back in July when the Bears were the first ones to offer him.
If it hadn't been for his 2,163 yards and 39 touchdowns this season, it's hard to say what would have happened to his recruitment. But the fact that Baylor found Dickson first still carries some value for him.
"They're still one of my top programs,'' he said. "They're still on the rise. They have a chance to win a national championship. It's a blessing to have all of these offers. I haven't figured out all of my visits. But I think I'm going to make my decision right about the last district game before the playoffs start.''
Elliott update
Houston Westide defensive tackle and Baylor commit Jordan Elliott plans to attend the Rivals Camp Series event March 29 at Cedar Hill High School.
His popularity continues to circulate with more P5 schools. He recently picked up offers from Michigan and Florida State. But Baylor continues to do all the right things to keep this relationship moving in the right direction. Elliott attended the March 1 practice and hopes to return next week.
"I really like what they do with the defensive linemen,'' he said. "I think I fit in perfectly. I'm just ready to play at the next level. Anything can happen. But Baylor is still my top program.''
Hudson is really really strong
Silsbee offensive tackle Patrick Hudson probably will not be attending any of Baylor's workouts or Friday Night Lights event next week. He'll be a little busy.
He is an exceptional power lifter and is preparing for the state power lifting meet this coming Thursday-Saturday in Corpus Christi. He recently qualified in the super heavy weight class.
And that makes sense since he's 6-5, 330. Hudson is competing in the squat, bench and dead lift with designs to set a new state record.
"It's been going really well and my focus right now has really been on this,'' he said. "I plan on talking to the Baylor coaches real soon. But everything is going well with them right now.''
Hudson' goals are to reach 675 pounds on the squat, 425 with the bench and 680 pounds on the dead lift. But he's not interested in personal records.
"Those are great, but I want to see if I can tie the state record in the dead lift at 710,'' he said. "I hope I can get it.''
Hudson remains the highest-ever rated recruit to ever commit to Baylor. He is No. 26 in the Rivals 100, the No. 2 recruit in Texas but the top-rated tackle in the country. Hudson was at Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31.
Baseball: Baylor opens Big 12 play at TCU
The Bears (6-9) are taking a seven-game losing streak into their Big 12 opening weekend series Friday-Saturday at No. 4 TCU (11-2) in Lupton Stadium.
TCU began the season as the Big 12 preseason favorites. Baylor leads the all-time series, 139-116, but trails in Fort Worth, 56-50. Baylor is 10-8 in Big 12 opening games. The last time Baylor lost a Big 12 opening series was in 2011. Baylor is 3-3 against ranked teams this year and 30-30 over the last four seasons.
In an unrelated note, LHP Daniel Castano was named to the Houston College Classic all-tournament team after throwing eight innings in a loss. He allowed one earned run on eight hits along with three walks and two strikeouts.
For the year, Baylor is hitting .261 and has hit only three home runs. The slugging percentage is a concerning .358, while the on-base percentage is just .336. The team ERA is 5.54. Teams are hitting .295.
Pitching matchups
Friday 6:30 p.m. - Baylor RHP Drew Tolson (0-2, 4.91) vs. TCU RHP Mitchell Traver (2-0, 0.83)
Saturday 2:00 p.m. - Baylor LHP Daniel Castano (0-2, 2.65) vs. TCU RHP Preston Morrison (3-0, 0.75)
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - Baylor RHP Austin Stone (0-1, 4.63) vs. TCU LHP Alex Young (3-0, 1.29)
Emptying the Notebook
>Fort Worth All Saints DT Mike Williams said he hasn't talked with the Baylor coaches since the Jan. 31 junior day. However, he said he is considering coming down to the Friday Night Lights event on Friday.
>Despite the recent weather, work on the Beauchamp Athletics Nutrition Center remains on schedule and should be ready for the first day of the fall semester of the 2015-16 school year, athletic director Ian McCaw said.
>Two 2017 defensive back prospects to watch are Richmond George Ranch's Adam Beck (6-2, 180) and Plain Dealing (LA) athlete Keldrick Carper (6-3, 185). Both have had little to no contact with Baylor to this point (they have received mail) but each said he plans to attend a summer camp. Carper is starting to gain traction with offers from Mississippi State, Tennessee and Louisiana Tech.
By KEVIN LONNQUIST
Publisher
NOTE: The Nike Open Combine and regional events take place this weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Arlington Lamar High School. However, Rivals is not allowed to participate in covering all of the moment-to-moment activities.
From what I understand this is a policy that is in place by Nike. Therefore, it's going to be a little difficult providing you immediate information from this. We apologize for this. It's just something out of our control.
Snapshot: Baylor vs. Kansas/Iowa State/Oklahoma
Baylor is in the Big 12 tournament semifinals for the fifth time in the last seven seasons and will meet Kansas at 6:00 p.m. Friday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The second semifinal features Iowa State against Oklahoma. Baylor is 3-3 against the rest of the field - 0-2 vs. Kansas, 2-0 vs. Iowa State, 1-1 vs. Oklahoma.
A look at the six meetings:
Jan. 7 - Kansas 56, Baylor 55: In Waco, the Jayhawks survived when Baylor couldn't get a shot off in the waning seconds. Baylor shot 34 percent and fell to 0-2 in the Big 12.
Feb. 14 - Kansas 74, Baylor 64: In Lawrence, the Bears couldn't hold an early 13-point lead. Kansas pulled away in the final five minutes Perry Ellis scored 18 points. Baylor went 2-10 down the stretch.
Jan 13 - Baylor 74, Iowa State 73: Kenny Chery hit a jumper with 4.7 seconds to play to lift the Bears. Iowa State had rallied from a 14-point deficit.
Feb. 25 - Baylor 79, Iowa State 70: The Bears picked up their first ever win in Hilton Coliseum as they went 14-26 from 3-point range including their last seven attempts.
Jan. 3 - Oklahoma 73, Baylor 63: In the Big 12 opener in Norman, transfer TaShawn Thompson scored 24 points to lead the Sooners.
Jan. 29 - Baylor 69, Oklahoma 58: In Waco, the Bears split the season series by using a 10-0 run late in the game to break a 49-49 tie.
Pro Day: Wednesday (March 18)
Baylor's pro day is approaching. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. It will be a combination of combine work (vertical jump, broad jump, 40-yard dash, 5-10-1, 3-cone and 60-yard shuttle) and position specific work at the Allison Indoor Practice Facility.
There will both be current and former players expected to attend.
2014 players: QB Bryce Petty, DB Colin Brence, OL Tyler Edwards, WR Antwan Goodley, LB Bryce Hager, WR Levi Norwood, P Spencer Roth.
Former Baylor players: TE Jeff LePak, RB Glasco Martin, DB K.J. Morton, DB Tyler Stephenson.
McClure completes huge year
While other schools may have been nervous about his knees, Baylor stood firm with King McClure.
Based on his just completed 2014-15 season, that loyalty has the potential to pay off quickly. The Rivals No. 77 player is coming off arguably his most complete year as a basketball player. Leading Triple A Academy to the Class 4A Region II championship game, McClure produced numbers that are too good to be true. But they are true.
The list:
>32.1 ppg
>7.7 rpg
>4.7 spg
>3.6 apg
>76% on 2-point attempts
>49% on 3-point attempts (combined 65% overall shooting)
>86% FT
>7 40+ point games
"People used to back off of me because they knew me as a driver and a slasher,'' McClure said. "My Dad and I just worked and worked with me and my shooting. There were some long nights where I was just shooting threes and other jumpers. I was shocked at the numbers myself. But I know why I got there. I'm just looking for my shot now.
McClure (6-3) also matured as a player. He's been through surgeries and continuous rehab over the last two years trying to strengthen both knees. It dawned on him that because of his driving approach that led to the knee injuries. So much pressure followed by so much contact may have led to the early wear and tear. Plus, he didn't have a lot of confidence in his jumper.
Now, he does. And he has not backed off on his rehab program. McClure is doing pool work several times a week with a multitude of exercises. He can thank his uncle for that.
"He just told me that this would be the best way to get myself prepared,'' McClure said. "It really has because it's really helped my conditioning and endurance. The knees feel 100 percent. They're stronger than ever.
"The difference is that I could explode and dunk off of both legs. I couldn't do that the last couple of years.''
McClure plans to report to Baylor on June 1 and will bypass any opportunities to play in the AAU circuit this spring. He's been consulting with the Baylor coaching staff on what they would like for him to work on for these next 2½ months.
Dickson has timeline
While the Baylor coaching staff was certainly disappointed that three-star wide receiver Tren'Davian Dickson had announced re-opened his recruiting in early February, it didn't mean that the Bears were out of contention.
Far from it. Maybe the re-set button for the talented Navasota wide receiver could work in Baylor's favor. Maybe it won't. But the Bears kept themselves very much in the middle of his recruitment when Dickson attended the March 1 practice at the Allison Indoor Practice facility.
"They were caught by surprise,'' Dickson said. "But I just told them that I just wanted to look around and feel comfortable about where I was going to be for four years. This is a big decision. They weren't upset. They understood.''
Dickson (6-1, 172) just finished his basketball season recently and has moved into the offseason. It's not clear if he is going to participate in track. But everybody knows the national record setting receiver is plenty fast. He took his 40 several weeks ago. The hand held time showed 4.42.
He has maintained a solid dialogue with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and new wide receivers coach Tate Wallis. Of course, Dickson had committed to Baylor back in July when the Bears were the first ones to offer him.
If it hadn't been for his 2,163 yards and 39 touchdowns this season, it's hard to say what would have happened to his recruitment. But the fact that Baylor found Dickson first still carries some value for him.
"They're still one of my top programs,'' he said. "They're still on the rise. They have a chance to win a national championship. It's a blessing to have all of these offers. I haven't figured out all of my visits. But I think I'm going to make my decision right about the last district game before the playoffs start.''
Elliott update
Houston Westide defensive tackle and Baylor commit Jordan Elliott plans to attend the Rivals Camp Series event March 29 at Cedar Hill High School.
His popularity continues to circulate with more P5 schools. He recently picked up offers from Michigan and Florida State. But Baylor continues to do all the right things to keep this relationship moving in the right direction. Elliott attended the March 1 practice and hopes to return next week.
"I really like what they do with the defensive linemen,'' he said. "I think I fit in perfectly. I'm just ready to play at the next level. Anything can happen. But Baylor is still my top program.''
Hudson is really really strong
Silsbee offensive tackle Patrick Hudson probably will not be attending any of Baylor's workouts or Friday Night Lights event next week. He'll be a little busy.
He is an exceptional power lifter and is preparing for the state power lifting meet this coming Thursday-Saturday in Corpus Christi. He recently qualified in the super heavy weight class.
And that makes sense since he's 6-5, 330. Hudson is competing in the squat, bench and dead lift with designs to set a new state record.
"It's been going really well and my focus right now has really been on this,'' he said. "I plan on talking to the Baylor coaches real soon. But everything is going well with them right now.''
Hudson' goals are to reach 675 pounds on the squat, 425 with the bench and 680 pounds on the dead lift. But he's not interested in personal records.
"Those are great, but I want to see if I can tie the state record in the dead lift at 710,'' he said. "I hope I can get it.''
Hudson remains the highest-ever rated recruit to ever commit to Baylor. He is No. 26 in the Rivals 100, the No. 2 recruit in Texas but the top-rated tackle in the country. Hudson was at Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31.
Baseball: Baylor opens Big 12 play at TCU
The Bears (6-9) are taking a seven-game losing streak into their Big 12 opening weekend series Friday-Saturday at No. 4 TCU (11-2) in Lupton Stadium.
TCU began the season as the Big 12 preseason favorites. Baylor leads the all-time series, 139-116, but trails in Fort Worth, 56-50. Baylor is 10-8 in Big 12 opening games. The last time Baylor lost a Big 12 opening series was in 2011. Baylor is 3-3 against ranked teams this year and 30-30 over the last four seasons.
In an unrelated note, LHP Daniel Castano was named to the Houston College Classic all-tournament team after throwing eight innings in a loss. He allowed one earned run on eight hits along with three walks and two strikeouts.
For the year, Baylor is hitting .261 and has hit only three home runs. The slugging percentage is a concerning .358, while the on-base percentage is just .336. The team ERA is 5.54. Teams are hitting .295.
Pitching matchups
Friday 6:30 p.m. - Baylor RHP Drew Tolson (0-2, 4.91) vs. TCU RHP Mitchell Traver (2-0, 0.83)
Saturday 2:00 p.m. - Baylor LHP Daniel Castano (0-2, 2.65) vs. TCU RHP Preston Morrison (3-0, 0.75)
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - Baylor RHP Austin Stone (0-1, 4.63) vs. TCU LHP Alex Young (3-0, 1.29)
Emptying the Notebook
>Fort Worth All Saints DT Mike Williams said he hasn't talked with the Baylor coaches since the Jan. 31 junior day. However, he said he is considering coming down to the Friday Night Lights event on Friday.
>Despite the recent weather, work on the Beauchamp Athletics Nutrition Center remains on schedule and should be ready for the first day of the fall semester of the 2015-16 school year, athletic director Ian McCaw said.
>Two 2017 defensive back prospects to watch are Richmond George Ranch's Adam Beck (6-2, 180) and Plain Dealing (LA) athlete Keldrick Carper (6-3, 185). Both have had little to no contact with Baylor to this point (they have received mail) but each said he plans to attend a summer camp. Carper is starting to gain traction with offers from Mississippi State, Tennessee and Louisiana Tech.
