Brown is the BMOC - literally
The Class A town of Burton is about a 15-minute drive west of Brenham. But when word of Louis Brown spread, Division I recruiters invaded the place.
According to population numbers from 2009, Burton was at 375 people. And it's not hard to find Brown (6-6, 209). He's definitely the tallest one in the school and likely the entire community.
"You really can't hide from anyone,'' Brown said with a laugh.
Admittedly, he's pretty overwhelmed by the recruiting process. He picked up a Baylor offer last week and is trying to digest it all. Although he's listed as an athlete, Brown said Baylor is looking at him as linebacker/tight end/athlete. He also has offers from Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Washington.
"I got to know the Baylor coaches at their camp last year in Houston [Cy Falls],'' Brown said. "They had me in two sessions. I was with the outside linebackers and then I was with the wide receivers. I really like the coaches. They're down to earth and they're more concerned about you as a person.''
Brown's athleticism is pretty noticeable. In a recent basketball game ? he said he doesn't like basketball but know he has to help his team ? Brown came up with 14 blocked shots.
Brown said he's been invited to Texas' junior day on Feb. 22 and will probably make it over to Texas A&M's second junior day. While he's never been on Baylor's campus, he has a standing invitation to come up for spring ball when it starts Feb. 28.
"I'm still trying to not let this get to my head,'' Brown said. "It's pretty unbelievable.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Lanfear open to Baylor
Connor Lanfear really doesn't know what he is to Texas. He could be a soft commit. He could be just a recruit with an offer. There's no telling.
"I guess I'm very soft,'' Lanfear said. "Since Texas just re-offered, I'm not sure if I have to re-commit or what that really is.''
What the 2015 Buda Hays offensive tackle does know is that he's re-opening his recruiting process. And he considers Baylor right in the middle of it.
"For right now, I'm trying to look around,'' Lanfear said. "The Baylor coaches [Jeff Lebby and Randy Clements] made it clear to me that I was just not wanted but I was needed and was at the front of their board. When they say something like that, you have to take notice.''
Lanfear said the coaches also told him they envision him being a leader for the offensive line. That would be at tackle where Lanfear is being pursued by most schools.
Buda Hays has its tackles start from a 2-point stance. Lanfear will move to the side where there is a speed rusher and sometimes has flexed out to play tight end.
"I've played up and down the offensive line,'' he said. "As an offensive lineman you want to block for the run more than the pass. But I'm comfortable with doing anything.''
The next move for Baylor is to get Lanfear to Waco. We'll have more on him this coming weekend.
-Kevin Lonnquist
The Mitchell Report: Part 1
It's one thing for a sophomore to receive an offer. It's even more impressive when he has yet to play a down of varsity football.
So you can consider Plano West 2016 outside linebacker McKinley "Kiwi" Mitchell (6-3, 200) pretty fortunate to get his first Division I offer. Baylor extended its on Wednesday. Mitchell likely would have been on the varsity for the Wolves his sophomore year. However, he tore his right ACL in Feb. 2013 and missed the entire season.
"It was the last district basketball game against Allen,'' Mitchell said. "It was on a fast break and when I planted after my jump, the knee gave way.''
But Mitchell is completely rehabbed and has been going through the football offseason. The younger brother of Ohio State linebacker Mike Mitchell, McKinley admitted he was caught off guard from the Baylor offer.
"I'm really happy they're interested,'' Mitchell said. "I know they were talking to my coaches and must have looked at my film.''
Known as "Kiwi" because his younger brother couldn't pronounce McKinley's name as a kid, "Kiwi" said he's been moving pretty well but still wears a brace. The relationship with Baylor is pretty young as Mitchell has never been to Waco. But it appears at time goes on, trips should be coming.
"I know Baylor had a good year in 2013,'' Mitchell said. "But I'm going to keep working so I can be totally confident.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
The Mitchell Report: Part II
In regards to Mike Mitchell, let's set some of the facts. From the reports, it's well known that Mitchell wants to transfer back to Texas because of his father's illness.
What we also know is that Ohio State has not given the former Plano Prestonwood 2013 5-star recruit (No. 26 by Rivals) his release as of late Thursday. Of course, family members could talk to other schools but Mike cannot until Ohio State does it. Mitchell redshirted for the Buckeyes last fall.
Without question, there is some interest from Baylor. Remember, Baylor was considered one of the finalists in 2013 before Mitchell chose Ohio State.
I talked with a source who is pretty familiar with the situation and said that should Mitchell get his release he will talk with several schools and is confident Baylor will be one of those. The timing of this is just a matter of when.
We'll keep you posted.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball cleanup
As impressive as Baylor's 91-58 victory over TCU was at Daniel-Meyer on Wednesday, there are some leftover matters to disclose:
>I still think this defense is not physical enough in the paint. The Bears had the girth over TCU but sometimes didn't play like it. The sticking part was letting Horned Frogs point guard Kyan Anderson drive deep into the paint. Scott Drew said they had a hard time stopping Anderson. But there still needed to be someone to cut off the drives. Obviously, the Bears were better in the final 10 minutes because TCU didn't have a field goal. I still think Baylor has some problems defensively and better teams will exploit that. Movement has to be better and just overall, this group needs to challenge shots.
>I have no idea what is going on with Cory Jefferson. Statistically, he had a good night (10 points, 7 rebounds) but I don't see the killer instinct in the block this team needs. TCU is not a good example. Jefferson really has to change the tone for remaining seven league games.
>You would hope Isaiah Austin is coming out of it. He followed a 21-point effort at OU with 14. If Baylor fans are still hoping he'll be a banger, don't. Austin won't be that. Tall and angular posts really aren't anyway. What he has to do is just score when he's around the bucket and change some shots. Muscling for rebounds just isn't his game.
>I could just sit and watch Brady Heslip put on a shooting clinic and not get tired. He has one of the best strokes in the game. And I do expect him to participate in the NCAA Final Four 3-point shooting contest. My favorite is that he has added the dribble and pull-up 3-pointer. That will help shed the image of a catch-and-shoot player.
>This team really missed Kenny Chery at the point. He was healthy when this slide started in early January. However, you can look at his return Wednesday (yes, he played in other games but this was the first time he really had significant minutes) as maybe the mental pick-me-up this team needed.
>The only way Baylor is going to make the NCAA tournament is to earn at least eight conference wins and probably advance its way to the Big 12 championship game to do it. That means it's going to have to go 7-2 before the championship game. That would put Baylor at 23-11 or 22-12. With a good looking RPI and resume win over Kentucky and whatever seven wins come in this stretch that puts the Bears in the tournament. Yes, that's looking ahead. I can do that. Scott Drew and his team can't.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Big 12 Power Ratings - Basketball
SicEmSports ranks the Big 12 teams heading into the weekend.
1. Kansas (18-6/9-2) - Despite the rivalry week loss, the Jayhawks still are inarguably the class of the conference.
2. Kansas State (17-7/7-4) - The 'Cats come to Waco having won two straight games over ranked teams.
3. Texas (19-5/8-3) - Texas hosts WVU Saturday in the battle of the Big 12's biggest surprises.
4. West Virginia (15-10/7-5) - Bob Huggins at least deserves a vote or two for Big 12 coach of the year.
5. Oklahoma (18-7/7-5) - The Sooners are swooning, having lost three of their last four.
6. Iowa State (18-5/6-5) - The Cyclones had won three straight before getting blown out at WVU.
7. Texas Tech (13-11/5-6) - The Red Raiders have shown the win over Baylor (a good team at the time) was no fluke.
8. Oklahoma State (16-8/4-7) - The Cowboys join the Bears at the bottom of the league, something nobody saw coming.
9. Baylor (15-9/3-8) - Too bad Baylor can't play TCU more often.
10. TCU (9-14/0-11) - An angry Kansas team awaits winless TCU on Saturday. Things will get ugly.
-Jake Shaw
Baseball season opens
Baylor begins the 2014 college baseball season at 3:30 pm Friday with the first of a 3-game series at No. 19 Arizona State. RHP Dillon Newman (3-4, 2.91) is scheduled for Friday; LHP Brad Kuntz (did not pitch in 2013 due to injury) is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday and RHP Austin Stone (3-3, 3.74) is on the mound at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Bears and Sun Devils haven't faced each other since the 2006 Houston Regional when Baylor knocked ASU out of the NCAA tournament. Senior Grayson Porter is going to have to lead the way for an offense that struggled to score runs in 2013. He is the leading returning home run (5) and RBI (29) producer from 2013.
Baylor finished 27-28 last year. In this year's 54-game schedule, the Bears face nine teams which played in the 2013 NCAA tournament. The Bears' 25 opponents combined for a .582 winning percentage.
Big 12 coaches predicted Baylor to finish sixth. The home opener is at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday vs. UT-Arlington.
-SicEmSports
Emptying the Notebook
>From a couple of recruits I've talked with, it's really hard to say if Baylor is going to have a formal second junior day. A couple have told me that the coaches told them that they would like for them to come down and visit during spring ball or any other time. Call it more of a gathering.
>As we mentioned previously, expect the 2015 class to be a small one. When one source was asked if 18 was a fair number, we were told, "at the most".
>Baylor's team physician Jon Ellis of Waco's Southwest Sports Medicine will be joining the six attendees at the NFL combine starting Feb. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
-SicEmSports
The Class A town of Burton is about a 15-minute drive west of Brenham. But when word of Louis Brown spread, Division I recruiters invaded the place.
According to population numbers from 2009, Burton was at 375 people. And it's not hard to find Brown (6-6, 209). He's definitely the tallest one in the school and likely the entire community.
"You really can't hide from anyone,'' Brown said with a laugh.
Admittedly, he's pretty overwhelmed by the recruiting process. He picked up a Baylor offer last week and is trying to digest it all. Although he's listed as an athlete, Brown said Baylor is looking at him as linebacker/tight end/athlete. He also has offers from Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Washington.
"I got to know the Baylor coaches at their camp last year in Houston [Cy Falls],'' Brown said. "They had me in two sessions. I was with the outside linebackers and then I was with the wide receivers. I really like the coaches. They're down to earth and they're more concerned about you as a person.''
Brown's athleticism is pretty noticeable. In a recent basketball game ? he said he doesn't like basketball but know he has to help his team ? Brown came up with 14 blocked shots.
Brown said he's been invited to Texas' junior day on Feb. 22 and will probably make it over to Texas A&M's second junior day. While he's never been on Baylor's campus, he has a standing invitation to come up for spring ball when it starts Feb. 28.
"I'm still trying to not let this get to my head,'' Brown said. "It's pretty unbelievable.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Lanfear open to Baylor
Connor Lanfear really doesn't know what he is to Texas. He could be a soft commit. He could be just a recruit with an offer. There's no telling.
"I guess I'm very soft,'' Lanfear said. "Since Texas just re-offered, I'm not sure if I have to re-commit or what that really is.''
What the 2015 Buda Hays offensive tackle does know is that he's re-opening his recruiting process. And he considers Baylor right in the middle of it.
"For right now, I'm trying to look around,'' Lanfear said. "The Baylor coaches [Jeff Lebby and Randy Clements] made it clear to me that I was just not wanted but I was needed and was at the front of their board. When they say something like that, you have to take notice.''
Lanfear said the coaches also told him they envision him being a leader for the offensive line. That would be at tackle where Lanfear is being pursued by most schools.
Buda Hays has its tackles start from a 2-point stance. Lanfear will move to the side where there is a speed rusher and sometimes has flexed out to play tight end.
"I've played up and down the offensive line,'' he said. "As an offensive lineman you want to block for the run more than the pass. But I'm comfortable with doing anything.''
The next move for Baylor is to get Lanfear to Waco. We'll have more on him this coming weekend.
-Kevin Lonnquist
The Mitchell Report: Part 1
It's one thing for a sophomore to receive an offer. It's even more impressive when he has yet to play a down of varsity football.
So you can consider Plano West 2016 outside linebacker McKinley "Kiwi" Mitchell (6-3, 200) pretty fortunate to get his first Division I offer. Baylor extended its on Wednesday. Mitchell likely would have been on the varsity for the Wolves his sophomore year. However, he tore his right ACL in Feb. 2013 and missed the entire season.
"It was the last district basketball game against Allen,'' Mitchell said. "It was on a fast break and when I planted after my jump, the knee gave way.''
But Mitchell is completely rehabbed and has been going through the football offseason. The younger brother of Ohio State linebacker Mike Mitchell, McKinley admitted he was caught off guard from the Baylor offer.
"I'm really happy they're interested,'' Mitchell said. "I know they were talking to my coaches and must have looked at my film.''
Known as "Kiwi" because his younger brother couldn't pronounce McKinley's name as a kid, "Kiwi" said he's been moving pretty well but still wears a brace. The relationship with Baylor is pretty young as Mitchell has never been to Waco. But it appears at time goes on, trips should be coming.
"I know Baylor had a good year in 2013,'' Mitchell said. "But I'm going to keep working so I can be totally confident.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
The Mitchell Report: Part II
In regards to Mike Mitchell, let's set some of the facts. From the reports, it's well known that Mitchell wants to transfer back to Texas because of his father's illness.
What we also know is that Ohio State has not given the former Plano Prestonwood 2013 5-star recruit (No. 26 by Rivals) his release as of late Thursday. Of course, family members could talk to other schools but Mike cannot until Ohio State does it. Mitchell redshirted for the Buckeyes last fall.
Without question, there is some interest from Baylor. Remember, Baylor was considered one of the finalists in 2013 before Mitchell chose Ohio State.
I talked with a source who is pretty familiar with the situation and said that should Mitchell get his release he will talk with several schools and is confident Baylor will be one of those. The timing of this is just a matter of when.
We'll keep you posted.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball cleanup
As impressive as Baylor's 91-58 victory over TCU was at Daniel-Meyer on Wednesday, there are some leftover matters to disclose:
>I still think this defense is not physical enough in the paint. The Bears had the girth over TCU but sometimes didn't play like it. The sticking part was letting Horned Frogs point guard Kyan Anderson drive deep into the paint. Scott Drew said they had a hard time stopping Anderson. But there still needed to be someone to cut off the drives. Obviously, the Bears were better in the final 10 minutes because TCU didn't have a field goal. I still think Baylor has some problems defensively and better teams will exploit that. Movement has to be better and just overall, this group needs to challenge shots.
>I have no idea what is going on with Cory Jefferson. Statistically, he had a good night (10 points, 7 rebounds) but I don't see the killer instinct in the block this team needs. TCU is not a good example. Jefferson really has to change the tone for remaining seven league games.
>You would hope Isaiah Austin is coming out of it. He followed a 21-point effort at OU with 14. If Baylor fans are still hoping he'll be a banger, don't. Austin won't be that. Tall and angular posts really aren't anyway. What he has to do is just score when he's around the bucket and change some shots. Muscling for rebounds just isn't his game.
>I could just sit and watch Brady Heslip put on a shooting clinic and not get tired. He has one of the best strokes in the game. And I do expect him to participate in the NCAA Final Four 3-point shooting contest. My favorite is that he has added the dribble and pull-up 3-pointer. That will help shed the image of a catch-and-shoot player.
>This team really missed Kenny Chery at the point. He was healthy when this slide started in early January. However, you can look at his return Wednesday (yes, he played in other games but this was the first time he really had significant minutes) as maybe the mental pick-me-up this team needed.
>The only way Baylor is going to make the NCAA tournament is to earn at least eight conference wins and probably advance its way to the Big 12 championship game to do it. That means it's going to have to go 7-2 before the championship game. That would put Baylor at 23-11 or 22-12. With a good looking RPI and resume win over Kentucky and whatever seven wins come in this stretch that puts the Bears in the tournament. Yes, that's looking ahead. I can do that. Scott Drew and his team can't.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Big 12 Power Ratings - Basketball
SicEmSports ranks the Big 12 teams heading into the weekend.
1. Kansas (18-6/9-2) - Despite the rivalry week loss, the Jayhawks still are inarguably the class of the conference.
2. Kansas State (17-7/7-4) - The 'Cats come to Waco having won two straight games over ranked teams.
3. Texas (19-5/8-3) - Texas hosts WVU Saturday in the battle of the Big 12's biggest surprises.
4. West Virginia (15-10/7-5) - Bob Huggins at least deserves a vote or two for Big 12 coach of the year.
5. Oklahoma (18-7/7-5) - The Sooners are swooning, having lost three of their last four.
6. Iowa State (18-5/6-5) - The Cyclones had won three straight before getting blown out at WVU.
7. Texas Tech (13-11/5-6) - The Red Raiders have shown the win over Baylor (a good team at the time) was no fluke.
8. Oklahoma State (16-8/4-7) - The Cowboys join the Bears at the bottom of the league, something nobody saw coming.
9. Baylor (15-9/3-8) - Too bad Baylor can't play TCU more often.
10. TCU (9-14/0-11) - An angry Kansas team awaits winless TCU on Saturday. Things will get ugly.
-Jake Shaw
Baseball season opens
Baylor begins the 2014 college baseball season at 3:30 pm Friday with the first of a 3-game series at No. 19 Arizona State. RHP Dillon Newman (3-4, 2.91) is scheduled for Friday; LHP Brad Kuntz (did not pitch in 2013 due to injury) is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday and RHP Austin Stone (3-3, 3.74) is on the mound at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Bears and Sun Devils haven't faced each other since the 2006 Houston Regional when Baylor knocked ASU out of the NCAA tournament. Senior Grayson Porter is going to have to lead the way for an offense that struggled to score runs in 2013. He is the leading returning home run (5) and RBI (29) producer from 2013.
Baylor finished 27-28 last year. In this year's 54-game schedule, the Bears face nine teams which played in the 2013 NCAA tournament. The Bears' 25 opponents combined for a .582 winning percentage.
Big 12 coaches predicted Baylor to finish sixth. The home opener is at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday vs. UT-Arlington.
-SicEmSports
Emptying the Notebook
>From a couple of recruits I've talked with, it's really hard to say if Baylor is going to have a formal second junior day. A couple have told me that the coaches told them that they would like for them to come down and visit during spring ball or any other time. Call it more of a gathering.
>As we mentioned previously, expect the 2015 class to be a small one. When one source was asked if 18 was a fair number, we were told, "at the most".
>Baylor's team physician Jon Ellis of Waco's Southwest Sports Medicine will be joining the six attendees at the NFL combine starting Feb. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
-SicEmSports
