By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s new Big 12 football schedule for 2023 season features a mix of what’s going out and what’s coming.

With the arrival of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida on July 1 and outgoing Texas and Oklahoma still members, the conference had to navigate through a temporary 14-team league. Baylor benefits with an 8-game home schedule.

In this new 9-game setup without divisions, the Bears will play three of the new teams – Cincinnati, Houston and UCF – but will not play BYU unless they meet in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Login to view embedded media Baylor doesn’t lose its rivalry with Texas but will not face Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas. While there have been reports that those Texas and Oklahoma could move to the SEC by 2024, their scheduled departure is in 2025.

Baylor’s non-conference schedule begins Sept. 2 against Texas State. The Bobcats return to McLane Stadium for the second consecutive year. Baylor won the 2022 meeting, 42-7. This was a two-for-one arrangement where the Bears visited San Marcos in 2021.

On Sept. 9, the home-and-home series with two-time Pac 12 champion Utah begins at McLane. This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The return game to Salt Lake City is in 2024. Baylor and Utah officials set up this series in 2015.

The FCS game is Sept. 16 against Long Island.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Just like last year, Baylor has its grand event on AFC/NFC Championship Game Day on Sunday. Subject to change so keep checking back, the following is a list of those recruits who have told SicEmSports they plan to attend. While mostly for 2024s, there will be a few 2025s there. The Kelvion Riggins story is that indication. And before anyone asks, I DO NOT EXPECT ANY COMMITMENTS FROM THIS EVENT.

Now, we had one last year - remember I was on a plane last year when Christian Brathwaite broke - but the way it works is that commitments don't come from these events like they used to happen. Never say never.

2024
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2025
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Look for it about 1 pm. This will include the four new members, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF along with Texas and Oklahoma. We'll see how this looks.

Baylor should release its full schedule on Tuesday. It likely will have a FCS team fill the Sept. 16 slot. The other two games are Texas State on Sept. 2 and Utah on Sept. 9 .

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
In a game where the Baylor guards were stymied all night at the arc, the longest of the long attempts mirrored that.

Keyonte George's game-tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds to play from about 30 feet was well off. The Longhorns hit free throws and snapped the Bears' six-game winning streak Monday night at the Moody Center. Texas defeated Baylor for only the second time in the last 14 meetings.

For the third straight game, the Bears (16-6, 5-4) finished shooting in the mid-30s. They finished at 36.8 percent and just 30.8 from the arc.

Baylor never led for the final 33:29 of this game. However, the Bears offensive rebounding and ball security (nine turnovers) never allowed Texas to pull away. The Longhorns led by as many as nine points.

Texas led 72-68 when George delivered a clutch 3-point play - he had Baylor's last five points and finished with 17 - to cut it to 72-71 with 51 seconds remaining.

However, Texas' leading scorer Marcus Carr, whom Baylor shut down all night, delivered only his second field goal with a 14-footer to extend the Longhorns the lead back to 74-71. After George missed his shot. Sir'Jabari Rice made two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to seal it.

While George, Cryer (19) and Adam Flagler (11) combined for 47, they were a combined 16-47 and 7-21 from deep. Texas' guards forced them to take more 2s than 3s. But that's also partly why the Bears could not ever re-take the lead.

The Bears trail Texas (18-4, 7-2) by two games at the halfway point of the conference season. They return to the Ferrell Center to play Texas Tech on Saturday. The Red Raiders just picked up their first Big 12 win by upsetting then co-conference leader Iowa State, 80-77, in overtime Monday in United Supermarkets Arena.

Postgame Notes

· Scott Drew is 20-22 all time against the Longhorns

· BU is 12-2 in its last 14 games against Texas

· Monday’s loss was Baylor’s first loss in its last seven games against the Longhorns.

· Baylor is 22-9 against Texas since snapping a 24-game series losing streak in 2009.

· BU is now 12-2 in its last 154 games against AP top-10 teams.

· LJ Cryer scored 19 points, his 10th game this season with 15+ points.

· Cryer tied a career high with five rebounds in the game.

· Jalen Bridges scored in double figures for an eighth-straight game, the longest stretch of his career.

· Bridges led the team with seven rebounds, the 10th time he led the team in rebounds.

· Keyonte George tallied 17 points, his 14th game of 15+ points this season.

· Flo Thamba played in his 138th career game, one shy of the third-most all time.

Postgame Quotes

Scott Drew

Big 12 game, one or two possessions, credit Texas for making plays down the stretch. I thought they really got off to a good start and got in transition and uncharacteristic, we’ve been really efficient and getting high percentage shots and getting back in transition, and we dug ourselves a little hole at the beginning of the game. I’m proud of the guys for fighting. It’s a tough place to play and the new facility is amazing. They did a great job with it. I wish I’d called a time out with 17 or 18 seconds at that possession. That’s on me.

(Are getting shots you want) The two’s they did a good job contesting some of them and we missed some that we rushed, especially early in the game. We had a couple of point-blank layups. We’re the second-best offense in the country and it’s not by shooting 37 percent and having nine assists. Normally we’re an 18-assist team and credit Texas’ defense for speeding us up and keeping us out of our rhythm.

(3-point misses late in game) Yeah we took some bad 3s, and we don’t go 8 for 26 on 3s if we take good ones. We got really good shooters, my job I’ve got to get them better shots. I give them better shots, they’ll make a higher percentage.

(Rice) My brother recruited him and GCU and I know he’s a heck of a player. I’m a fan of his and I know what he’s capable of, and he really adds a great dimension to their team.

(UT trap) I thought they did a good job on Keyonte. He missed his first seven, and I thought Allen caused a lot of that. We expected them to trap all screens. We had two dunks and layups to begin the game.

(Timmy Allen) He was 7 for 10, 18 points, 4 assists, six rebounds, those are problems. He’s a great college player and he’s had a great career, and he’s a tough guard.

(how big was that 8-0 run by Texas early in the second half that pushed it to 9) I was more upset with the first half, to be honest. I thought the first half, we didn’t eecute and play like we’re capable of until the last eight minutes or so. And you can’t start out on the road like that. That was more disappointing.

(see Rodney Terry putting his stamp on it) Yeah, they’ve got a great staff. Rodney’s got head coaching experience, everyone knows him in the state, respects him. He’s doing a great job with a great team. Again, it’s the Big 12, every game is a one or two possessions. And coaches aren’t going to give you games, you’ve got to earn them. And tonight, they earned it.

(when you hold Marcus Carr to 5 points, figure you’re going to win) Yeah, that’s a credit to them. If you can have a player score five, who averages 20 at home, and get a win, that’s a credit to their team. They had guys step up, and we didn’t step up enough.

(mentality now after seeing the six-game winning streak snapped) We like winning, so we’ve got to get back to fixing things, but it’s hard to have long win streaks in this league. Six of the top-15 teams, everybody is an NCAA tournament team. You can play well and lose games. And if you don’t play well, you’ve got no chance.


LJ Cryer
We’re not getting the shots we want. We want to get good, better, best. Right now I guess we’re taking good shots instead of great shots, and sometimes they’re not even good shots. So we’ve just got to do a better job of getting into the paint and finding each other.

(what was so tough about scoring on Texas) They’re long, they deny the ball, so it’s hard to get open on cuts. They’re a hard-playing team, it was kind of similar to Arkansas.

(low number of assists, do you credit that to their defense or is that on you guys) Of course, they did a good job, but at the end of the day we can control that. We can’t let them dictate what we do, we’ve got to go out there and do what we do, regardless of what they’re doing.

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Keyonte George

Just like you said, we had to gut that one out. Shots aren’t going to fall the time. We preach controlling what you can control. That’s your effort, going to rebound, playing defense. We take care of those things, and ultimately we should come out with the win. We played hard, fought hard and got a good home win.

(got in a zone there late) in the back of my mind, I know the coaching staff and my teammates, they have a lot of confidence in me. And I feel like I’ve proven myself to be able to take those shots in those last couple of minutes. Anybody can do it, it was just me tonight. Last couple of nights, it was LJ, Flag and Jalen. We’re all going to have our turn, and I was able to go out there and make some big-time shots to close the game.

(scored seven straight points late, what was the key) Just staying locked in, trusting myself, trusting my work. And we were able to show that tonight. Y’all don’t see the work we put in each and every day. And today, it showed. The last two minutes, that’s when it comes in being in shape, playing when you’re tired. And like I said, being locked in. Taking pride in defense and then your offense will come easy to you. That’s why I think I was able to make those shots down the stretch.

(shot 24% in the first half, how did their length affect y’all) I would just say, I feel like No. 4 (Davis) did a really good job locking and trailing and just being active. And as far as the whole team, the bigs were helping out, blocking shots. They were all long, so we had to really take care of the ball and play off two feet, two hands. That’s what we preached coming into the second half, and we were able to keep the ball in our possession and get good shots.

(another fast start for LJ, what did you see from him today) We all know what LJ is capable of. And it was only a matter of time when he really started feeling it. His game is coming along, and we’ve seen it in practice, and you’re just now seeing it in the game. He’s in a really good groove, he’s put in a lot of work on the mental side of the game. He’s really watching film, he’s trying to figure out what he needs to get better at, how he can impact the game in any kind of way. So, it’s really good to see that his game is coming along.

(finishing through contact, body control) I feel like I’ve had body control. But I really took the time to really work on my body and get in shape. And Coach (Bill) Peterson, he wasn’t here, but we always talk to each other. We watch a lot of basketball, and he talked to me about just staying on my feet. There are a lot of people that get hit and land on the ground. But if you land on your feet while you get hit, people are going to say, he stays on his feet strong, good body control, like you said. And he’s been helping me with that thus far.

(Anthony Black)
I’ve been knowing AB (Anthony Black) since sixth or seventh grade, playing AAU against each other, we played against each other in high school for two years before I went to IMG. A lot of people don’t know that we’re best friends, I go over to his house, he goes over to my house, we stay at each other’s house. So it was a real emotional game for both of us. We talked a lot leading up to this game and we had a lot of fun going at each other. But at the end of the day, we’re not going to take anything personal that we say to each other in between the lines. Outside of basketball outside the lines, we’re brothers, we love each other. I love his family and he loves my family.

(Texas) I’ve seen Texas a couple of times this year. We saw Marcus Carr in Canada, they got Tyrese Hunter, Timmy Allen, that’s a really good guard group, Arterio Morris. They play hard, they play really good, they’re playing with each other. We’re playing really well right now, but there are things we can get better at with our team. We just want to take it one day at a time and see where we want to go from here, and go over there and play hard and see where the chips fall.

Jalen Brdges
(against TCU and K-State, you weren’t able to close out close games, what’s changed since then) I feel like it’s just our sense of pride to protect home court. We had a goal to go undefeated here for our last year in the Ferrell Center before we move over to the pavilion. Obviously, we lost to TCU and Kansas State, so we weren’t able to accomplish that. And we’re just trying not to lose any more games in front of our home crowd.

(got in early foul trouble, what was your mindset coming into the 2nd half) Just affect the game any way possible, whether that’s playing good defense, getting rebounds, getting on loose balls, making shots, it doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to make winning plays to give my team a chance to win.

(how good did that feel to hit the 3-pointer with about 12 minutes left when y’all were down five) Honestly, it was just another moment in the game. I saw it go through, and I tried to make it back on defense. That’s really all that was.

(pride in playing for Big 12) Absolutely. I believe the SEC has won the last three Big 12/SEC Challenges. And I played them last year and I lost to Arkansas last year. So, a little extra added motivaton for me.

(Arkansas one of the more athletic teams you’ve faced) Yeah, I feel like compared to everybody we’ve matched up with, they’re definitely up there, if not the most long and athletic team that we’ve played. They had basically four to five guys on the court at all times over 6-6, 6-5.

(feel like the zone worked pretty well in the second half) Absolutely. I feel like it just kind of gave them a different look, and we run different actions out of our zone. We just like mixing it up sometimes when we’re struggling to get multiple stops in a row. So, anytime you can disrupt the flow of the offense, which is what the defense is designed to do, basically, that’s a good thing.

Scott Drew

I think that’s a fitting game for the last Big 12/SEC Challenge. Really proud of our crowd, I thought they gave us a great lift. I think we’re the first ranked team to win today. I know the Big 12 is off to a great start, and I’ll be cheering for the Big 12 the rest of the day. I want to thank God that last shot didn’t go in. That was a great tip play. I didn’t see that one coming. Really proud of Jalen playing the second half with three fouls, and Keyonte really got it going down the stretch. Even though Adam’s 1 for 11 and Langston’s 1 for 6, they’re 2 for 17, I really credit our guys for finding a way to not turn the ball over and not give Arkansas transition buckets. We did a good job on the glass, we did a great job mixing up defenses, and I thought Adam and Flo had good leadership down the stretch for us.



(Still find a way to win shooting 33 percent) You’re not going to make shots all the time. As a coach, you just want to have good shots, and if you have good shots you’re doing your job and hopefully getting some offensive rebounds. The 12 second-chance points were huge for us. The free throws, our guys really did a great job on the free throw line, and made tough free throws down the stretch.



(Adjusting to Arkansas mismatches) They had a lot of mismatches with Jalen’s foul trouble and Langston’s foul trouble. We went four guards, and it’s one of the longer more athletic teams. One or two things happen, either the guards get a turnover or rebound and score in transition and you got to go to a smaller lineup or the bigs beat you up inside and you have to go to a bigger lineup. Coming into halftime, we were all frustrated because we didn’t like how we closed the half. But you look at it, and I told the guys we’re shooting 24 percent, they’re shooting 61 percent, and it’s a two-possession game. We’re not going to shoot 24 percent second half and we’re going to play better defense. So I thought we came out and played Baylor basketball the second half.



(Zone in second half) The coaching staff has done a great job working with the guys and the upperclassmen helping to put that in, so we have a curveball, slider, as Fran (Fraschilla) says a second or third pitch.



(Closing out games lately) First, our defense is better and our turnovers are better, and that helps with that. So if you don’t give people easy transition buckets, now it’s five-on-five in the halfcourt, and throughout the year hopefully you improve as a team, and we’re doing better with scouting reports, rotations.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The final 3:03 of No. 17 Baylor’s 67-64 victory over Arkansas Saturday should have left no doubt who is the man for this team.

Freshman Keyonte George has earned that title.

A 7-point outburst and nine points over that timespan wasn’t about hero ball. It was about who wanted the ball when it mattered. A driving layup with contact, floater and 3-pointer helped the Bears win their sixth straight in front of a capacity crowd of 10,627 at the Ferrell Center. George finished with 24.

The Razorbacks led 53-49 with less than five minutes to play when LJ Cryer, who finished with 20, hit a floater and Adam Flagler dropped two free throws to tie it. Mo Thamba also dropped two free throws with 3:37 remaining to give Baylor a 55-53 lead.

But it was George who created the separation with those plays during a 10-0 Baylor run along two free throws with five seconds to play.

However, the Razorbacks still had one last chance. On a smart foul by Cryer with three seconds remaining, Arkansas’ Devonte Davis missed the front end of a 1-of-1. But the ball kicked to the corner where Razorback guard Joseph Pinion retrieved and fired from the arc. However, his shot hit the side of the backboard and harmlessly bounced away.

In the final edition of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, these old Southwest Conference foes played an old-style half court game. Baylor built a 19-8 lead early but went on a 1-for-17 drought and didn’t score in the final 4:13 to tail 33-27 at halftime.

It then became a tug-o-war. The leader wasn’t greater than four for either side before the Bears run. There were six lead changes.

The oddity of it was that Arkansas shot nearly 51 percent for the game – Razorbacks' leading scorer Ricky Council IV finished with a game-high 26 – while Baylor shot only 34 percent. However, the difference was taking care of the ball. The Bears committed only eight. The Razorbacks committed 15, which led to 13 Baylor points.

Early Arkansas fouls in the second half also allowed Baylor to get to the line often. The Bears capitalized and were 21-24.

With this being the final edition of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Baylor completes with the best record of any team in either conference at 8-2.

Baylor is back on Big Monday at 8:00 p.m. in Austin to take on No. 10 Texas.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
He has his whole life ahead of him. But Dallas South Oak Cliff 2025 linebacker Kelvion Riggins knows one thing.

There are plenty of options from which to choose.

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The Rivals No. 98 overall prospect has seen his status grow over the past year. He has transitioned from a player to watch to one who needs to be pursued aggressively.

Baylor wants to make sure it stays in the race. Long after it offered, Riggins will be one of the select 2025s attending Sunday’s Junior Day in Waco to watch the AFC and NFC Championship games. He’s quickly establishing a relationship with new linebackers coach Christian Robinson.

But Baylor made it pretty clear what it thinks of him recently with one of its touches.

“It was great being able to speak to every coach and them telling me what they think about me,’’ Riggins said. “And how they want to get the whole family down. It’s going great [with Baylor]. Even the new coaches are great to speak to.”

What makes Riggins so attractive is his speed and ability to cover sideline to sideline. He played defensive end for the Golden Bears so he could project to be one of those Edge type of players.

Like him, programs have options on how they want to play him. The Riggins offer list is flooded with the likes of Michigan, Miami (FL), Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. The list will continue to flood.

For now, Riggins said Baylor sees him at middle linebacker. However, a visit with new defensive coordinator Matthew Powledge could define that further.

The family should know the way. Riggins has been to Waco three times within the last several months including the camp season.

“I was looking forward to seeing the game day atmosphere and it didn’t disappoint.’’ Riggins said when he attended the Bears game against Oklahoma State in 2022. The fans were awesome. The Baylor players had great energy on the sideline. They was live the whole game.’’

There’s also that intangible of knowing how to win. Riggins is a two-time state champion with SOC. The Golden Bears won the 2021 and 2022 Class 5A Division II state championships and have a record of 28-4 over that time.

During their run to the 2022 state championship, SOC won four one-score playoff games including a 14-6 decision over Argyle in the state semifinals. They also rallied in the state championship to top Port Neches-Grove, 34-24. For his part in 2022, he finished with 55 tackles, 12 TFL and 4.5 sacks.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everything this weekend,’’ he said.


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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
With Baylor adding so many new pieces to the 2023 football roster through the NCAA transfer portal, SicEmSports provides a daily series of breaking down each of these new members and how they fit into the program moving forward.

Mike Smith
Pos.: LB
School: Liberty
Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 225
Remaining Eligibility: 2 years

What he brings: His productivity jumps out. Wherever the ball was, so was Smith. Liberty’s 2022 defense based out of the 4-2-5. Smith was asked to move sideline to sideline with the nickel back going in different directions. He was the Flames’ leading tackler with 85 stops (45 solo, 40 assisted) and 10 TFLs. With his size, he has the flexibility to play either the middle or on the outside. In the Boca Raton Bowl loss to Toledo, Smith made it count with 16 tackles (six solo), 1.5 TFL, a half sack and a forced fumble. Quietly, this could be the best addition the Baylor coaching staff made over this portal period.

What are the concerns: There is a phrase associated with running backs “too many miles on the tire” because of how many rushing attempts they had over time and the number of hits they incurred just causes them to wear down. The same can be said for linebackers. They’re typically the leading tacklers and sometimes that just happens. Maybe that’s something to watch with Smith. The other matter for him is to make the adjustment from G5/Independent football to the P5 level. There is a difference. Liberty played such P5 teams in BYU, Wake Forest Virginia Tech and Arkansas. However, that wasn’t week after week.

How he helps the room: Experience is No. 1. Leadership as a second. This is a room that has some youth, talent but a lot of inexperience. Because he has two years, Smith can serve as that bridge as others make their way up and become fixtures on the second tier of the defense. This will be a big spring for the likes of Jackie Marshall, Will Williams and Tyrone Brown to join Smith, Matt Jones and perhaps Josh White (White suffered a concussion early in 2022 and was pretty much unavailable).

2023 Expectations: Track records mean something. Between his junior college days at Mississippi Gulf Coast and his lone season at Liberty, Smith averaged 111 tackles per season. Something between what he did with Liberty and that average would be ideal. Baylor needs him to be solid in run support. At times, the Bears rushing defense looked really good (it wasn’t that bad against Air Force in the Armed Forces bowl facing the triple option) and at times, it wasn’t that great. As a frame of reference, the graduated Dillon Doyle led Baylor with 90 tackles but only a half TFL. It would be a good thing if Smith can duplicate or come close to the TFL number ha had at Liberty.

This one is running through Jan. 28. There is a quiet period day on Jan. 29 (Baylor's Junior Day). But we'll keep you posted on who is out to see who over these next couple of weeks.

For starters, Kevin Curtis was at Lucas Lovejoy on Tuesday to see Rivals No. 34 LB Payton Pierce. And new LB coach Christian Robinson was by to see him last Friday.
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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
With Baylor adding so many new pieces to the 2023 football roster through the NCAA transfer portal, SicEmSports provides a daily series of breaking down each of these new members and how they fit into the program moving forward.

Clark Barrington
Pos.: OL
School: BYU
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 305
Remaining Eligibility: 1 year

What he brings: Experience on the interior of the offensive line. He was a 3-year starter for the Cougars at guard, a fixture for 40 games. When Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was at BYU he worked with Barrington. He also worked with current Baylor OL coach Eric Mateos. Brother Campbell said earlier that Clark called Mateos one of the best coaches he’s ever worked with. Barrington also became a leaner player. According to Salt Lake City TV station, KSL, he lost 70 pounds while serving his two-year Mormon Mission. During his run in Provo, UT. Barrington yielded just two sacks.

What are the concerns: It’s really hard to find one other than he’s a little older than most linemen at the collegiate level because of his Mormon mission work. There were times during the 2022 season when the BYU offense looked pedestrian, especially during a 4-game losing streak. The only thing that may be a slight concern is how much he will be playing and looking ahead to the 2024 NFL Draft. While the Big 12 hasn’t released the 2023 schedule yet, it would be interesting if BYU and Baylor play. That would make for some odd feelings, especially if the game is back in Provo.

How he helps the room: He’s already the most experienced lineman on this 2023 roster. His history speaks for itself. Of course, Barrington is walking into a situation where he and his brother Campbell are just trying to understand how Baylor does things. The established relationships with Grimes and Mateos help. And there is going to be a path that he can show younger offensive linemen how to go about the daily routine and what it takes to be bona fide contributor at the P5 level.

2023 Expectations: Well, at the very least, Barrington needs to equal the effectiveness he showed during his starting run at BYU. And it’s not like BYU is taking a step up in its level of Division I football. While an Independent, the Cougars have taken on more than their share of P5 programs. Besides Baylor, BYU faced other P5 2022 opponents in Arkansas, Stanford, Notre Dame and Oregon. It would interesting should he and Clark line up to each other on either the right or left side of the offensive line. The presumption would be left side since Baylor has all right-handed quarterbacks.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher

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Beating Kansas is no longer a court-storming event. It's just the way Scott Drew's program is doing business these days.

On Monday night at the Ferrell Center, the Bears used tenacious work on the offensive glass - 18 offensive rebounds for 16 second chance points - that offset 37 percent shooting and won their fifth straight. Baylor beat Kansas in consecutive meetings for the first time in the 44 meetings between the two teams.

The Bears' 3-game losing streak to start Big 12 play seems years ago. Meanwhile, Kansas (16-4, 5-3) has lost three straight for just the fourth time in Bill Self's tenure in Lawrence, KS.

With the exception of a blip where Kansas took a 46-45 lead early in the second half, the Bears led this throughout. The Bears also forced 15 Kansas turnovers - nine steals - and created 19 points off of them.

Baylor's backcourt between LJ Cryer, Adam Flagler and Langston Love combined for 50 points. But the way they did it came in waves. Cryer scored 19 of his 22 in the first half. Flagler spread his 17 evenly between both halves. Love scored all 11 of his in the second half.

The Bears built a 13-point lead early thanks to Cryer starting fast. Baylor started 4-7 from long distance. Kansas closed to 41-34 at the break.

Then, the Jayhawks used a burst to climb into it. Gradey Dick had a key 3-point play during the run. However, the Bears were able to regain command. They went on a 12-3 run to stretch it back out to 57-49 and never really looked back. But it was a struggle to get to the finish line as the Bears went 1-10 from the field to finish the game and no field goals in the final 2:55.

Baylor remains at home for the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. meeting with Arkansas. The Razorbacks and Bears last met in the 2021 Elite 8 in Indianapolis during the national championship run.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Baylor has won five consecutive games.
• Kansas leads the all-time series 36-19, including a 14-6 mark in Waco.
• Baylor is 12-1 vs. top-10 ranked teams in the last three years and are 10-4 in home games against top-10 foes over the last 10 seasons.
• The Bears are 25-8 vs. AP top-25 teams over the last four years.
• Baylor is 78-7 when leading at halftime and 95-10 when taking a second-half lead.
• The Bears are 108-10 when leading at halftime over the last six seasons.
• Baylor is 49-5 in home games over the last four seasons.
• Baylor’s 47-10 Big 12 record over the last four seasons is the best of any power five team
• Baylor head coach Scott Drew is 432-240 all-time in his 21st season as a head coach and is 412-227 in his 20th year at Baylor. Drew is 170-158 in the Big 12 and is 8-27 vs. Kansas.
• The starting lineup of Adam Flagler, Keyonte George, LJ Cryer, Jalen Bridges and Flo Thamba was used for a seventh-straight game, that combo is 11-4 this season.
• LJ Cryer finished with a team-leading 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting with three assists and two boards in 37 minutes. Cryer has scored in double figures in 12 of his 17 games on the year and in 27 in his career, with the Bears owning a 23-4 mark in those games.
• Cryer had five 3-pointers in the first half, the first player with five triples in the first half since Adam Flagler had five at Oregon in 2021-22.
• It was Cryer’s first 20+ point game since going for 28 vs. No. 8 UCLA in 2022-23.
• Flagler had 17 points, two rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. He reached double figures for the 39th time in his last 42 games.
• Langston Love finished with 11 points and a rebound. He reached double figures for the eighth time on the year.
• Jalen Bridges added 11 points and nine boards. Bridges scored in double figures for the 11th time on the year, with Baylor owning a 10-1 record in those outings.
• Thamba played in his 137th career game, the fourth most in program history.

MANY GAMES CAN A REDSHIRT PLAYER IN BASKETBALL?​

A redshirt player in basketball is someone who has not yet made their debut with the team. This means that they are allowed to play in limited games, but will not be counted as one of the players on the roster.
They can also sit out games if needed, and will have a chance to make an impact when they do debut.

NCAA Rule Allows for One Redshirt GameUnder NCAA rules, a student-athlete who is redshirting can play in up to four total games during the season.​

A10 wants to allow redshirt players to serve as emergency fill-ins up to four games so that they have the opportunity to experience game action and improve their skills.
Player must appear in game before being eligible for redshirt status
A player must appear in a game before he or she can be considered for redshirt status.
This means that if you are injured and cannot participate in any of the team’s games, you are not eligible for a redshirt year even if you would like one.Student-Athletes Must Meet Minimum Academic Requirements and Play Within Guidelines of Athletic Code
To qualify for a redshirt year, students must meet all academic requirements and follow the guidelines set forth by their athletic department regarding playing time, practice schedule, etcetera.
Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action from both your school and athletics governing body such as suspension or dismissal from sports altogether.
NOTE: WOULD YOU THINK ANY OF THIS STATEMENT IS CONFUSING: 1.A RESHIRT IS ALLOWED TO PLAY IN 'limited games' (so how many is limited). Next a redshirt player is allowed to serve as emergency fill-ins up to FOUR GAMES.....A PLAYER MUST APPEAR IN A GAME BEFORE HE OR SHE CAN BE CONSIDERED A RED SHIRT (NOTE: IF NOT THEN PROOBABLY A MEDICAL..? IF YOU DON'T PARTICIPATE IN A GAME YOU CANNOT RED SHIRT (MEDICAL)....

SO, HOW ARE 'LIMITED GAMES' DETERMINED...........YIKES....
NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL ON K.L. FOR HIS REVIEW, EXPERTIECE AND ANALYIZATION OF THE ABOVE.
Sic 'em Bears, Kevin, give us your BEST SHOT, WE AWAIT......... AND THANK YOU....

The threes dropped all night long.


Cryer was inside and outside.

Catching you up on a couple

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Former Cowboys QB Jon Kitna's son.
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Here is the expected number of 2023 signees and NCAA transfer portal additions who are settling in at Baylor this weekend. Spring semester starts Tuesday following the Martin Luther King Holiday on Monday. It almost feels like an entire class as there are 18 between the two groups.

2023 Class
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NCAA Transfer Portal
Sawyer Robertson, QB, Mississippi State
Mike Smith, LB, Liberty
Jake Roberts, TE, UNT
Isaiah Dunson, DB, Miami (FL)
Dominic Richardson, RB, Oklahoma State
Clark Barrington, OL, BYU
Ketron Jackson, WR, Arkansas
Caleb Barrington, OL, BYU

We visit with our Kansas Rival colleague Shay Wildeboor about the state of Bill Self's team as it plays in Waco Monday.

SicEmSports: This team has lost two straight including a humbling blowout home loss to TCU. What's the sense of where the Jayhawks are right now?
Jayhawk Slant: I think the biggest thing with this team right now is they’re just tired. I think that’s the case with most teams in college basketball, but the grind of playing in the Big 12 is really starting to take its toll on this group. When you look at this particular Kansas team, a handful of guys are playing a majority of the minutes and Kansas isn’t getting much from its bench right now. Plus, and this has always been the case with Kansas basketball, they get everybody’s best-shot game in and game out. Being the defending National Champs, there are no off nights for Kansas.

SicEmSports: Have these games shown that this team needs to find a true second scorer behind Jalen Wilson if teams cover Grady Dick?
Jayhawk Slant: Yes, this team needs a few guys to step up and help carry the scoring load for Kansas. Jalen Wilson scored 38 points against Kansas State and 30 points against TCU, but he didn’t get much help on the offensive end of the court. Gradey Dick, Kevin McCullar, Jr., Dajuan Harris, and KJ Adams, Jr., have all proven, at different times, to be productive scorers for the Jayhawks, but they haven’t done so, at least not yet, on a consistent basis. The last two games, Wilson, for the most part, has carried the scoring load by himself. I think the big thing is, Kansas is getting really good looks from behind the arc, but the shots just aren’t falling. Furthermore, Bill Self’s squad continues to miss a high number of layups each game.

SicEmSports: This team appears to have been playing with fire all year facing huge deficits against Oklahoma State, at home to OU late. What's the story?
Jayhawk Slant: Kansas, especially during Big 12 play, has gotten into a habit of getting off to slow starts and, because of that, has faced some huge deficits early on often. The Jayhawks trailed Oklahoma by 10 points with five minutes to play, but found a way to win. They were down by 14 points at Kansas State before falling by one point in overtime and, this past weekend, TCU had Kansas down 31-13 in the first half. Kansas eventually pulled to within 10 points at the half, but failed to get any closer. Bill Self has always said that if a team labors to score, that team has to make stops on the defensive end of the court. Kansas isn’t defending the way it was, let’s say, against Indiana earlier in the season. They are missing open shots, missing layups, and, at times, allowing opponents to score at will. Truthfully, TCU got pretty much whatever it wanted on Saturday.

SicEmSports: Pretty big stretch for Bill Self's program with Baylor Monday and then at Kentucky Saturday for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Is this a pivotal week for how the rest of the season plays out?
Jayhawk Slant: Kansas, coming off a National Championship last April, is still coming together as a team. Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris were starters last year, but Dick, KJ Adams, Jr., and Kevin McCullar, Jr. (transfer from Texas Tech) are playing major roles for Self’s squad for the first time. Kansas lost a lot of key players from a season ago and Self is still figuring out his bench. Is it a pivotal week in terms of getting back on track and gaining some confidence? Sure, I think that’s fair to say. As you mentioned, Kansas has some huge games coming up on the schedule and has dropped two straight in Big 12 play. Baylor on Monday, Kentucky this weekend, and then Kansas State comes to town early next week. The last thing Kansas wants to do is fall too far behind in the race for the Big 12 regular season championship. These guys need to gain some confidence, string some wins together and get back into a grove.

Entered the portal. I think Tech will be seeing him soon

By Baylor Athletics

and Adam Flagler hit back-to-back 3-pointers down the stretch to lift the 21st-ranked Baylor Bears to a 62-60 come-from-behind win on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday afternoon at the Lloyd Noble Center.
After struggling most of the day from outside the arc, the Bears (14-5, 4-3) hit their last four in a row and handed the Sooners (11-8, 2-5) their fourth league loss by four points or fewer.

Quiet for most of the game, Bridges hit three-straight 3-pointers, the last one giving Baylor a 59-58 lead with 1:25 left in the game. And then, after Grant Sherfield missed a runner off the glass, Flagler hit a deep step-back trey that proved the dagger for OU.
Jalen Hill scored on a layup with 1.3 seconds left, but Baylor survived a review on one inbounds play, then got it to Flagler to run the final time off the clock for the Bears' third-straight win on the road and fourth overall.
Flagler led the way with 16 points and five assists, while Bridges had 11 points and eight boards, knocking down 3-of-5 from distance. Freshman Keyonte George had one of his toughest games with four turnovers, four missed free throws and 3-of-12 shooting overall, but still gave the Bears a third double-figure scorer with 11 points and blocked a late 3-point shot.
Flo Thamba chipped in with six points and 10 rebounds, helping Baylor win the battle of the boards, 39-30, and dominate second-chance points, 30-12.
Oklahoma, coming off a 72-56 loss to Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Rivalry, was led by Hill and Tanner Groves with 17 and 16 points, respectively, and a combined 18 rebounds.
In a quick turnaround, Baylor will host second-ranked Kansas (16-3, 5-2) in an ESPN "Big Monday" game at 8 p.m. Monday at the Ferrell Center. The Jayhawks have suffered rare back-to-back losses, falling 83-82 on the road at Kansas State and then getting blown out by 14th-ranked TCU, 83-60, Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Postgame Notes

• Baylor’s four-game Big12 winning streak is now the second longest in the conference this season.
• The Bears have nine eight-straight regular season meetings with the Sooners, 11 of the last 13 overall and five of the last six in Norman.
• BU is 18-11 since snapping a 30-game Sooner winning streak in 2009.
• At 24-6, BU has the best Big 12 road record over the last four seasons, and is one of just three teams with a .500+ road record in the conference during that span.
• Baylor’s 46-10 Big 12 record over the last four seasons is the best of any power five team
• Saturday marked just the third time Baylor has trailed at the half this season, but was the first time they won a game when trailing at the half.
• Baylor’s 30 second-chance points were a season high. The previous high was 27 against MVSU in the season opener (11/07/22).
• The starting lineup of Adam Flagler,Keyonte George, LJ Cryer, Jalen Bridges and Flo Thamba was used for a sixth-straight game, that combo is 10-4 this season.
• Flagler scored a team-high 16 points, his 16th double-figure scoring game this season and his 38th in his last 41 games.
• Saturday was Flagler’s 20th-straight game with a three pointer.
• It was Flagler’s 77th game career game with multiple three-pointers.
• Bridges scored 11 points to notch his fifth-straight double-figure scoring game, the longest active streak on the team.
• The junior transfer notched a season high three made three pointers.
• Thamba played in his 135th career game, the fourth most in program history.
• The senior collected 10 rebounds, his first double-digit rebound game since the season opener against MVSU (11/7/22)
• George scored in double figures for a 16th game this season.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The T in Andrew T. Marsh’s name stands for Timothy. But at the rate his high school career is going and what he eventually hopes to accomplish playing in college, that T could stand for touchdown.

Ranked No. 37 among all Rivals 2025 prospects, the Katy Jordan receiver delivered in 2022 for a new varsity program. It validated what everyone thought. Marsh can go get the football.

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Marsh’s play gained more recognition at the national combine in San Antonio earlier this month. He won his 1-on-1s, was smooth in his routes and fluid in all of the drills.

Earlier this week, he visited with Baylor wide receivers coach Dallas Baker who was making the rounds and visited Jordan High School. The Bears were one of the first to offer him. Michigan offered on Tuesday. Marsh already holds offers from Oklahoma, LSU and Oregon.

“Baylor is still a top tier program regardless of the changes,’’ Marsh said. “I still got a lot of work to do. Working a lot on my release. I like to play the game fast if I could. I play a lot of outside but I’m comfortable either way that’s needed.”

The combine performance followed an impressive but expected varsity debut season. In the program’s inaugural 5-5 season, Marsh led all Jordan receivers with receptions (53), yards (845) and touchdowns (11). That’s 15.9 yards per catch. District coaches placed on him the first team and named him Newcomer of the Year.

Sufficed to say, he’s going to continue to draw more and more attention during this spring camp season, 7 on 7 season and on into the summer camps. And Baylor will do what it can to entice him to come up and visit for whenever, especially spring football.

“Yeah, it’s been good,’’ Marsh said of about the offers and attention. “I believe I’ve been putting a lot of work. And I’m trying to prove why I’m one of the top wide receivers in 2025.’’

Not bad for a converted safety. Marsh played that in junior high before flipping the field. When he was playing in the secondary, his mother used the banking metaphor that she wanted to see him make withdrawals, interceptions. Now, that he’s catching the ball for a living, it’s time to make some deposits, touchdowns.

“One of my strengths is the ability to track the ball and play with the ball whether it’s against single, double or triple coverage,’’ he said. “Playing with my size, I started playing football at a very young age and I have always played up so going against bigger or older guys have been part of my learning process.’’

It’s on to the track season – a sport stressed in his house – where he will compete in the 200, 400 and high jump. And if you’re wondering, his personal best in the 400 is about 49 seconds, and his personal best in the high jump is 6-3½. Mix in a vertical at 33.29 and broad at 124 and now you know why his ceiling is that high.

“I’m working a lot in the weight room and on the field my releases,’’ he said. “It was always good to connect with coach Baker. He expressed about me getting back on campus soon.”

Well, if they are going to look for a third QB, they better hurry for this run of QBs who are in the portal now because school just started Tuesday. But they may have to wait until May.

The word was they liked Gebbia, who visited the same weekend as Sawyer Robertson, over Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State). Now, they don't have either one. Have to see how they look at this moving forward.

But they have 2 QBs on scholarship. At least they know how to deal with that during a season.

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