http://youtu.be/n7ftXVt4g74
Scott Drew was even more hyper than usual, due to the quick turnaround after the last game.
Here are the game notes on the upcoming event and stats, etc.
STORY LINES
• Monday is the 76th series meeting. Baylor is looking to avoid a season sweep by OSU for the first time since 2006.
• Baylor has won its last 3 Big 12 games by 18+ points -- its just the 5th time in program history the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by double figures (Southwest Conference in 1955, 1968 and twice in 1988).
• Baylor is 17-1 at home since Feb. 15, 2014, including 4 wins vs. ranked teams. BU has a +15.8 scoring margin in that span, winning 14 games by double-digits. The lone loss was by 1 point to No. 12 Kansas.
• Baylor is 30-8 in its last 38 games dating back to Feb. 12, 2014. Seven of the eight losses have been away from home (four road, three neutral) and five of the eight losses have been against ranked teams.
• Baylor has 3 players shooting at least 40% from 3-point range -- no other Big 12 team has more than one.
• Baylor is 3rd nationally with 15.7 offensive rebounds per game and 4th with 41.4 total boards per game.
• Baylor started the season winning or tying in 2nd-chance points against its first 19 opponents, but the Bears have given up more 2nd-chance points than they've scored in each of the last 4 games.
• Baylor's defense is holding teams to an average of 11.2 points below their season scoring averages. The Bears have held 21 of 23 opponents under their season scoring averages, including 13 times at least 10 points below.
• Baylor is 1 of 9 Division I teams to hold all opponents under 75 points this season.
• Baylor was the only Division I team to hold all non-conference opponents to 66 or fewer points this season.
• Baylor has held teams to 30 or fewer 1st-half points in 18 of 23 games this season, including 10 times at 25 or fewer.
• All 5 Baylor starters average 8.3-11.8 points per game, and reserve Taurean Prince leads the team with 12.3 ppg.
• Five BU players have scored 20+ points in a game this season (Chery, Gathers, Motley, O'Neale and Prince).
• Seven different BU players have led the team in scoring this season and Gathers has done so most often (6 times).
• Baylor and Louisville are the nation's only teams ranked by the AP in football and men's and women's basketball.
• Over the last 7 seasons, Baylor is 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 10-1 in overtime games.
• Baylor has more Big 12 wins in the last 8 seasons (68-60) than its first 11 years in the league combined (45-131).
• Baylor is 77-7 when leading at the half over the last four seasons -- 16-3 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12. BU is 180-31 when leading at the half during the entire Drew era.
• BU has won 41% of its games (20-29) when tied or trailing at half since 2011-12, including 2-2 this season.
• Rico Gathers ranks 2nd nationally in both offensive (5.5) and total rebounds (12.5) per game.
QUICK HITS
• Scott Drew is coaching his 378th game at Baylor (222-155). His .589 winning percentage is best in BU history among coaches with 60+ games, and his teams have a .686 winning percentage (188-86) since 2007-08.
• BU is 83-5 under Drew when holding teams under 60 points, and the Bears have done so 11 times this season (10-1).
• Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 20th nationally in scoring defense (58.7).
• Baylor ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 20th nationally in 3-point FG defense (29.4%).
• Baylor moved to season-highs of No. 19 in Monday's AP Top 25 and stayed at No. 19 in the coaches' poll. The Bears have been ranked in eight straight seasons, joining Kansas as the only Big 12 schools to make that claim.
• Baylor is 188-86 (24 wins per season) over the last eight seasons and has made six postseason appearances (NCAA Tournament -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT -- 2009, 2013) with six 20-win seasons.
• Baylor is 15-3 in overtime games under Drew, including wins in 10 of its last 11 OT games.
• Baylor is 27-10 in postseason tournaments (conference, national) over the last six seasons.
• Baylor is coming off a 2014 NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, which made Drew the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current team to three Sweet 16s in the last five years.
• BU has six 20-win seasons in the last 7 years. BU had only three 20-win seasons prior to Drew's arrival.
• Baylor's 5 NBA Draft picks in the last 3 years ranks 5th nationally behind Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Syracuse.
• Baylor is one of only 12 schools nationally to play in the Sweet 16 in three of the last five seasons.
• Rico Gathers posted a Big 12 and school-record 28 rebounds Jan. 21, most bya DI player since Paul Millsap in 2006.
• Kenny Chery hit a game-winning shot with 4 seconds left to give Baylor a 74-73 win vs. No. 11 ISU on Jan. 14.
• Baylor shot 29.8% in the Jan.10 win at TCU, the worst shooting in any of Scott Drew's wins at BU.
• Prior to allowing a season-high 73 points at Oklahoma on Jan. 3, Baylor's 12 straight games holding opponents to 66 or fewer points was its longest such streak since 1950.
• All 31 of Baylor's regular-season games will be televised this season, including 22 games on the ESPN family of networks. The Oklahoma State game will be Baylor's 127th consecutive televised contest.
• Baylor has the nation's second-best postseason winning percentage over the last six years (17-4; .810).
• Baylor finished undefeated in December for the 6th time in the last 8 years (accomplished just twice prior; `96, `00)
• Drew is tied with Kansas' Bill Self as the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big 12 Conference. Drew, who is in his 12th season at Baylor, is second only to Texas' Rick Barnes (17th season at UT).
• Baylor has the Big 12's 2nd-longest active streak (16th-longest nationally) with at least one 3-point FG made in 755 consecutive games. The last time BU didn't make a 3-pointer was Feb. 21, 1990, a win vs. Texas Tech.
SERIES HISTORY
• Monday's game is the 76th all-time meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma State.
• Baylor is 10-7 in its last 17 games against OSU dating back to the team's second meeting in 2007. Prior to the recent 17-game stretch, BU had lost 18 of 19 games against Oklahoma State.
• Baylor is looking to avoid being swept in the season series by Oklahoma State for the first time since 2006.
A WIN WOULD ...
• Improve Baylor's record to 23-53 in the all-time series against OSU, including a 17-15 mark in Waco.
• Give Baylor an 18-1 record in its last 19 home games, with the lone loss a 1-point defeat to No. 12 Kansas on Jan. 7.
• Tie Baylor's 4th-longest winning streak in Big 12 play at 4 straight, 2 back of the school record.
• Be Baylor's 11th win in its last 18 games against OSU after snapping out of a 1-18 stretch in the series.
• Give Baylor a 19-5 start to the season for the third time in the last six years (2009-10, 2011-12).
• Give Baylor a 31-8 record over its last 38 games dating back to Feb. 12, 2014.
• Make Baylor 27-17 in February games since the 2009-10 season and 38-52 in February games under Drew.
• Give Baylor a 98-36 record since the start of the 2011-12 season.
• Make Baylor 189-86 since the start of the 2007-08 season, good for a .687 winning percentage.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Kenny Chery has scored 138 points in his last 9 games (15.3 ppg) and ranks 6th in the Big 12 with 14.2 ppg in conference play. He averaged 8.2 points per game in his previous 9 games this season.
• Taurean Prince has scored in double figures a team-high 17 times this season -- he entered the season with 12 career double-figure scoring games in 62 games played over two seasons.
• Prince has scored in double figures in 7 straight games, tying his career-best streak from earlier this season.
• Rico Gathers has 287 rebounds this season and needs 10 to pass Kevin Rogers (296 in 2008-09) for 10th and 16 to pass William Chatmon (302 in 1969-70) for 9th on Baylor's single-season list.
• Gathers has 19 career double-doubles, 1 shy of tying Lawrence Roberts (2002-03) for 8th-most in program history. His next double-double will tie him for 7th on Baylor's single-season list with 13.
• Royce O'Neale is the Big 12's only player ranked in the league's top 14 in assists and rebounds. He's posted multiple assists in 20 of 22 games played this season, and at least 4 rebounds in 20 of 22 games.
• O'Neale is averaging 15.7 ppg over his last 3 games (16-of-28 FGs) after going scoreless at OSU on Jan. 27.
• Lester Medford went 8 straight games scoring in single digits before averaging 10.6 ppg over his last 5 games.
• Medford has 29 assists and 11 turnovers over his last 7 Big 12 games -- he had 1 assist and 5 turnovers over his first 3 Big 12 contests.
• Johnathan Motley has 35 blocks over his last 14 games -- he had 5 blocks in the previous 9 games.
• Al Freeman has led Baylor in bench scoring 7 times this season, and the Bears have won all of those games.
• Freeman has contributed 7+ points off the bench 11 times this season, and BU is 10-1 in those games.
HISTORIC 3-GAME STRETCH
• Baylor has won its last 3 Big 12 games by 23, 20 and 18 points for an average scoring margin of +20.3.
• It's the first time in program history the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by 18+ points.
• It marks the first time the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by double digits since 1988 Southwest Conference play, and just the 5th time the Bears have had 3 straight double-digit wins in conference play.
• Baylor had 3 straight double-digit wins in Southwest Conference play in 1955, 1968 and twice in 1988.
PROTECTING HOME COURT
• Baylor has won 17 of its last 18 home games, with the lone loss a 1-point defeat against No. 12 Kansas on Jan. 7.
• Baylor has a +15.8 scoring margin in that 18-home game stretch, including 14 double-digit victories.
• Baylor had a 12-game home winning streak that was the 3rd-longest in the Ferrell Center's 27-year history.
• Among the Bears 17 home court wins since Feb. 15, 2014, are victories over No. 11 Iowa State, No. 16 Iowa State No. 19 Texas and No. 19 Oklahoma, a double OT win vs. Kansas State and an OT victory vs. Oklahoma State.
• Baylor also has wins against Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin, TCU, Texas Tech and New Mexico State in that span.
• Baylor's 16-point win against SFA on Nov. 24 was the last time SFA lost before its current 16-game winning streak.
BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF DREW ERA
• Baylor is ranked 25th nationally in KenPom.com adjusted defensive efficiency. The only previous times Baylor was in the top 50 nationally under Drew were 2009-10 (No. 45) and 2011-12 (No. 46) -- both Elite Eight seasons.
• Baylor is 1 of 9 Division I teams to hold all opponents below 75 points this season (Baylor, Cincinnati, George Washington, Louisiana-Monroe, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon State, Saint Peter's, Utah).
• BU was the only Division I team to hold every non-conference opponent to 66 or fewer points this season.
• Baylor's current 58.7 points per game allowed is 5.3 points better than the Bears' best defensive season of the Scott Drew era (2010-11, 64.0 ppg allowed). The last time BU held opponents below 64 ppg was 1985-86 (61.2).
• Baylor has held 18 of 23 opponents to 30 or fewer first-half points, including 10 times at 25 or fewer.
• For the first time since 2009-10, Baylor has held four Division I opponents below 50 points.
HOLDING TEAMS BELOW SCORING AVERAGES BY 11.2 PPG
• Through 23 games, Baylor opponents are averaging 11.2 fewer points than their season averages against the Bears.
• In 15 home games, Baylor is holding opponents 13.8 points below their season scoring averages.
• Baylor has held 21 of 23 opponents below their season average, including 13 of 23 at least 10 points below.
KEYS TO VICTORY
• Baylor is 18-2 this season when scoring 60-plus points and 11-0 when scoring 70-plus points.
• Baylor is 13-2 this season when recording more points off turnovers than its opponent and 5-3 when not doing so.
• Baylor is 14-0 this season when posting more than 12 assists and 4-5 when recording 12 or fewer assists.
• Baylor is 13-3 this season when getting more than 15 points from the bench and 5-2 when getting 15 or less.
• Baylor has held 11 of 23 opponents under 60 points, and the Bears are 83-5 in the Drew era when doing so.
• Baylor is 4-2 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 1-0 in overtime games this season. The Bears are 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points over the last 7 seasons and are 10-1 in overtime games over that span.
GATHERS ONE OF NATION'S BEST REBOUNDERS
• Rico Gathers ranks 2nd nationally in both offensive (5.5) and total (12.5) rebounds per game. He also leads the Big 12 and ranks 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (7.0).
• Gathers leads the Big 12 and ranks 14th nationally with 12 double-doubles this season, twice as many as his first two seasons combined (7) and 6 more than any other Big 12 player.
• Gathers' 19 career double-doubles and 33 career double-digit rebound games are both tops among active Big 12 players.
• Gathers is 1 of 5 power-5 conference players averaging a double-double (11.0 ppg and 12.5 rpg), joining Auburn's Cinmeon Bowers, Washington State's Josh Hawkinson, LSU's Jordan Mickey and UCLA's Kevon Looney.
• In his 26 career starts, Gathers is averaging 11.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
• Gathers set Big 12 and Baylor records with 28 rebounds on Jan. 21, most by a DI player since Paul Millsap in 2006.
• Gathers is also one of the nation's least turnover-prone players, ranking 14th nationally with a 7.6 turnover rate. He has 11 more steals steals (29) than turnovers (18).
O'NEALE DOES IT ALL
• During his four years of Division I basketball, Royce O'Neale has 1,157 points, 727 rebounds, 358 assists, 145 steals and 39 blocks in 123 games played. If all of his games played were at Baylor, he would rank 20th in school history in scoring, 9th in rebounding, 7th in assists and 9th in steals.
• O'Neale is the only Big 12 Conference player to rank in the league's top 14 in rebounding and assists -- he currently ranks 9th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.1) and 11th in assists (3.3).
• Last season, O'Neale became the first player in program history to post 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in the same season. He ranked second on the team with 110 assists and fourth with 205 rebounds in 2013-14.
• O'Neale has started 53 consecutive games against DI opponents -- (sat out vs. Huston-Tillotson on Jan. 21).
• Including his two seasons at Denver, O'Neale has 26 career games played touching all five stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).
MOTLEY SHOWING IMPROVEMENT DURING DEBUT SEASON
• Redshirt freshman Johnathan Motley has shown steady improvement during his redshirt freshman season.
• He's averaging 10.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.3 bpg over the last 15 games, up from 6.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 0.6 bpg over his first 8 collegiate games.
• After going scoreless in back-to-back games, Motley has led the team in scoring in four of the last 15 games.
• Motley has blocked 35 shots in his last 14 games (2.5 bpg) after blocking 5 shots over his first 9 games (0.6 bpg).
CHERY BACK AT FULL STRENGTH
• Kenny Chery is back at full strength after missing 5 starts with plantar fasciitis (came off bench once).
• Chery has 59 assists and 34 turnovers in 13 games since returning to the starting lineup. He had 14 assists and 16 turnovers in 5 games before taking the time to rest and recover.
• Chery has scored 138 points in his last 9 games (15.3 ppg), including a season-high 25 points against Kansas on Jan. 7, and he ranks 6th in the Big 12 with 14.2 points per game in conference play.
PRINCE LEADS TEAM IN SCORING AS 6TH MAN
• Taurean Prince entered the season averaging 5.2 points in 11.2 minutes over 62 games played in two seasons, but he is leading the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game in 25.1 minutes per game.
• Prince has scored in double figures in a team-high 17 of 22 games played this season after scoring in double figures 12 times in his first two seasons at Baylor combined.
• Prince has played 25+ minutes in 14 games this season after doing so in just 2 games over his first two seasons.
• Prince has also led the team in scoring 4 times this season after doing so in just 3 games over his first two seasons at Baylor. He's led the Bears in bench scoring in 13 of 16 games as a reserve this season.
FREEMAN IS FIRST GUARD OFF BENCH
• Redshirt freshman Al Freeman is typically Baylor's first guard to enter the game off the bench.
• Freeman has led Baylor in bench scoring seven times, and the Bears are 7-0 in those games.
• Freeman has posted double figure scoring off the bench 4 times. He had a career-high 13 points in 22 minutes vs. Norfolk State, posted 10 points against both Texas A&M and New Mexico State and had 11 points at West Virginia.
• Freeman averages 18.4 minutes per game, mostly at the two-guard spot with either Kenny Chery or Lester Medford running the point.
MEDFORD PROVIDES SECOND OPTION AT THE POINT
• Baylor starting point guard Kenny Chery missed 5 starts with a foot injury and another for rest (vs. Huston-Tillotson), allowing Lester Medford to slide from his starting shooting guard position to the starting point guard role.
• Medford posted 35 assists and 8 turnovers in his 6 starts at point guard. Despite returning to his shooting guard spot, Medford still ranks 2nd in the Big 12 with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio and 7th with 3.7 assists per game.
• Medford hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the Bears' win over Iowa State on Jan. 14, and in the previous game against TCU he had a game-tying 3-point play with 2:45 left in regulation.
• In his last 5 games, Medford has led BU in scoring twice and had 16 assists with 5 turnovers in the other games.
SOONER STATE SUCCESS
• After posting a combined 6-48 record against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the first 13 seasons of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor is 14-12 in its last 26 against the league's Sooner State schools (7-7 vs. OU; 7-5 vs. OSU).
• 17 of Baylor's 20 Big 12 wins against the Oklahoma schools have come under head coach Scott Drew.
TOUGHNESS IN CLOSE GAMES
• The Bears are 4-2 this season in games decided by 5 or fewer points, with wins at South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, home against Southern and home against Iowa State. BU also won at TCU in its only overtime game.
• Over the last 7 seasons, Baylor is 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 10-1 in overtime games.
WAINRIGHT DROPS WEIGHT, BECOMES DEFENSIVE STOPPER
• Sophomore guard/forward Ishmail Wainright has improved his quickness by dropping 10 pounds to get to 235.
• Wainright has often been used in late game situations because of his defensive presence (7'2 wingspan). He was on the floor for Iowa State's last two offensive possessions in the 74-73 win on Jan. 14.
ONE OF TWO BIG 12 TEAMS RANKED EIGHT STRAIGHT SEASONS
• Baylor joins Kansas as the only Big 12 Conference schools to be ranked in each of the last eight seasons. The Bears were unranked in the preseason for the first time since 2009-10, but cracked the rankings at No. 22 on Dec. 22.
• Baylor has been ranked for at least three weeks in each of the last seven seasons (2008-09 through 2014-15).
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
• Baylor has benefited from a balanced scoring attack that has seen eight different players combine to score in double figures 70 times this season. Additionally, five different players have scored 20+ points a total of 13 times.
• Seven different BU players have led the team in scoring this season, and none have done so in more than 6 games -- Rico Gathers 6 times, Johnathan Motley 4 times, Taurean Prince 4 times, Royce O'Neale 4 times, Kenny Chery 4 times, Lester Medford twice and Deng Deng once.
• Prince leads the team with 12.3 points per game, while BU's five starters average between 8.3 and 11.8 ppg.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS PAYING OFF
• Baylor has won 92% of its games when leading at the half since 2011-12. The Bears are 77-7 when leading through the first 20 minutes in that stretch (16-3 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12).
• BU has won 41% of games in which its been tied or trailing at the half since 2011-12, going 20-29 in those.
• BU has led at halftime in 84 of 133 games over the last four seasons. With wins in 77 of those 84 games, and victories in 20 of 49 games it has trailed or been tied at the half, Baylor is 97-36 since 2011-12.
BAYLOR AND LOUISVILLE ONLY SCHOOLS RANKED IN FB, MBB AND WBB
• Baylor and Louisville are the nation's only schools ranked by the AP in football and men's and women's basketball.
• Baylor football is ranked No. 7, men's basketball is No. 19 and women's basketball is No. 3.
• Baylor, Duke, Louisville and Michigan State were the only teams to finish the 2013-14 academic year ranked in the final AP polls for all three sports.
DREW IS PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WINS LEADER
• Scott Drew holds Baylor's school record with 222 career wins as head coach.
• Drew became the all-time wins leader by defeating Texas on March 14, 2014 for his 202nd Baylor victory, passing Bill Henderson (201 wins; 1941-43 and 1945-61) for the all-time wins mark.
• Drew's .589 winning percentage is the best ever by a Baylor coach with 60+ games at the helm.
20 WINS = POSTSEASON
• Baylor, which has won 20-plus games nine times in the program's first 108 seasons, is seeking to win 20 games for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. The Bears have advanced to the postseason in all nine 20-win years.
• Head coach Scott Drew has led Baylor to 20-win seasons in six of the last seven years after the Bears had only three 20-win seasons in the program's first 101 seasons.
• Drew is the responsible for six of Baylor's nine 20-win season and six of BU's 13 postseason appearances.
DREW AMONG NATION'S ELITE
• Head coach Scott Drew is the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current program to three Sweet 16 appearances in the last five seasons.
• Drew (44) is joined by Arizona's Sean Miller (46), Ohio State's Thad Matta (47), Florida's Billy Donovan (49), Kansas' Bill Self (52), Kentucky's John Calipari (55), Michigan State's Tom Izzo (60), Louisville's Rick Pitino (62), Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (67), Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (67) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (70).
UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS
• Baylor has enjoyed unprecedented success over the last seven-plus seasons under 12th-year head coach Scott Drew. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Baylor is 188-86 (24 wins per season) and has made six postseason appearances (NCAA -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT -- 2009, 2013) and posted six 20-win seasons.
• Prior to 2007-08, Baylor won only 135 games in the first 11 seasons of the Big 12 era (12.3 wins per season).
• Baylor has made 13 postseason appearances (six under Drew) and won 20+ games just nine times (six under Drew) in the program's first 108 seasons.
UP NEXT
• Baylor plays back-to-back road games at Kansas and Texas Tech. The game at Kansas is scheduled for Saturday at noon on CBS and the following game at Texas Tech is slated for Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
• The Bears are 0-12 all-time in Lawrence and 16-46 all-time in Lubbock.
This post was edited on 2/8 8:54 PM by K Lonnquist
This post was edited on 2/9 8:34 PM by jake shaw
Scott Drew was even more hyper than usual, due to the quick turnaround after the last game.
Here are the game notes on the upcoming event and stats, etc.
STORY LINES
• Monday is the 76th series meeting. Baylor is looking to avoid a season sweep by OSU for the first time since 2006.
• Baylor has won its last 3 Big 12 games by 18+ points -- its just the 5th time in program history the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by double figures (Southwest Conference in 1955, 1968 and twice in 1988).
• Baylor is 17-1 at home since Feb. 15, 2014, including 4 wins vs. ranked teams. BU has a +15.8 scoring margin in that span, winning 14 games by double-digits. The lone loss was by 1 point to No. 12 Kansas.
• Baylor is 30-8 in its last 38 games dating back to Feb. 12, 2014. Seven of the eight losses have been away from home (four road, three neutral) and five of the eight losses have been against ranked teams.
• Baylor has 3 players shooting at least 40% from 3-point range -- no other Big 12 team has more than one.
• Baylor is 3rd nationally with 15.7 offensive rebounds per game and 4th with 41.4 total boards per game.
• Baylor started the season winning or tying in 2nd-chance points against its first 19 opponents, but the Bears have given up more 2nd-chance points than they've scored in each of the last 4 games.
• Baylor's defense is holding teams to an average of 11.2 points below their season scoring averages. The Bears have held 21 of 23 opponents under their season scoring averages, including 13 times at least 10 points below.
• Baylor is 1 of 9 Division I teams to hold all opponents under 75 points this season.
• Baylor was the only Division I team to hold all non-conference opponents to 66 or fewer points this season.
• Baylor has held teams to 30 or fewer 1st-half points in 18 of 23 games this season, including 10 times at 25 or fewer.
• All 5 Baylor starters average 8.3-11.8 points per game, and reserve Taurean Prince leads the team with 12.3 ppg.
• Five BU players have scored 20+ points in a game this season (Chery, Gathers, Motley, O'Neale and Prince).
• Seven different BU players have led the team in scoring this season and Gathers has done so most often (6 times).
• Baylor and Louisville are the nation's only teams ranked by the AP in football and men's and women's basketball.
• Over the last 7 seasons, Baylor is 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 10-1 in overtime games.
• Baylor has more Big 12 wins in the last 8 seasons (68-60) than its first 11 years in the league combined (45-131).
• Baylor is 77-7 when leading at the half over the last four seasons -- 16-3 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12. BU is 180-31 when leading at the half during the entire Drew era.
• BU has won 41% of its games (20-29) when tied or trailing at half since 2011-12, including 2-2 this season.
• Rico Gathers ranks 2nd nationally in both offensive (5.5) and total rebounds (12.5) per game.
QUICK HITS
• Scott Drew is coaching his 378th game at Baylor (222-155). His .589 winning percentage is best in BU history among coaches with 60+ games, and his teams have a .686 winning percentage (188-86) since 2007-08.
• BU is 83-5 under Drew when holding teams under 60 points, and the Bears have done so 11 times this season (10-1).
• Baylor leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 20th nationally in scoring defense (58.7).
• Baylor ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 20th nationally in 3-point FG defense (29.4%).
• Baylor moved to season-highs of No. 19 in Monday's AP Top 25 and stayed at No. 19 in the coaches' poll. The Bears have been ranked in eight straight seasons, joining Kansas as the only Big 12 schools to make that claim.
• Baylor is 188-86 (24 wins per season) over the last eight seasons and has made six postseason appearances (NCAA Tournament -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT -- 2009, 2013) with six 20-win seasons.
• Baylor is 15-3 in overtime games under Drew, including wins in 10 of its last 11 OT games.
• Baylor is 27-10 in postseason tournaments (conference, national) over the last six seasons.
• Baylor is coming off a 2014 NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, which made Drew the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current team to three Sweet 16s in the last five years.
• BU has six 20-win seasons in the last 7 years. BU had only three 20-win seasons prior to Drew's arrival.
• Baylor's 5 NBA Draft picks in the last 3 years ranks 5th nationally behind Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Syracuse.
• Baylor is one of only 12 schools nationally to play in the Sweet 16 in three of the last five seasons.
• Rico Gathers posted a Big 12 and school-record 28 rebounds Jan. 21, most bya DI player since Paul Millsap in 2006.
• Kenny Chery hit a game-winning shot with 4 seconds left to give Baylor a 74-73 win vs. No. 11 ISU on Jan. 14.
• Baylor shot 29.8% in the Jan.10 win at TCU, the worst shooting in any of Scott Drew's wins at BU.
• Prior to allowing a season-high 73 points at Oklahoma on Jan. 3, Baylor's 12 straight games holding opponents to 66 or fewer points was its longest such streak since 1950.
• All 31 of Baylor's regular-season games will be televised this season, including 22 games on the ESPN family of networks. The Oklahoma State game will be Baylor's 127th consecutive televised contest.
• Baylor has the nation's second-best postseason winning percentage over the last six years (17-4; .810).
• Baylor finished undefeated in December for the 6th time in the last 8 years (accomplished just twice prior; `96, `00)
• Drew is tied with Kansas' Bill Self as the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big 12 Conference. Drew, who is in his 12th season at Baylor, is second only to Texas' Rick Barnes (17th season at UT).
• Baylor has the Big 12's 2nd-longest active streak (16th-longest nationally) with at least one 3-point FG made in 755 consecutive games. The last time BU didn't make a 3-pointer was Feb. 21, 1990, a win vs. Texas Tech.
SERIES HISTORY
• Monday's game is the 76th all-time meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma State.
• Baylor is 10-7 in its last 17 games against OSU dating back to the team's second meeting in 2007. Prior to the recent 17-game stretch, BU had lost 18 of 19 games against Oklahoma State.
• Baylor is looking to avoid being swept in the season series by Oklahoma State for the first time since 2006.
A WIN WOULD ...
• Improve Baylor's record to 23-53 in the all-time series against OSU, including a 17-15 mark in Waco.
• Give Baylor an 18-1 record in its last 19 home games, with the lone loss a 1-point defeat to No. 12 Kansas on Jan. 7.
• Tie Baylor's 4th-longest winning streak in Big 12 play at 4 straight, 2 back of the school record.
• Be Baylor's 11th win in its last 18 games against OSU after snapping out of a 1-18 stretch in the series.
• Give Baylor a 19-5 start to the season for the third time in the last six years (2009-10, 2011-12).
• Give Baylor a 31-8 record over its last 38 games dating back to Feb. 12, 2014.
• Make Baylor 27-17 in February games since the 2009-10 season and 38-52 in February games under Drew.
• Give Baylor a 98-36 record since the start of the 2011-12 season.
• Make Baylor 189-86 since the start of the 2007-08 season, good for a .687 winning percentage.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Kenny Chery has scored 138 points in his last 9 games (15.3 ppg) and ranks 6th in the Big 12 with 14.2 ppg in conference play. He averaged 8.2 points per game in his previous 9 games this season.
• Taurean Prince has scored in double figures a team-high 17 times this season -- he entered the season with 12 career double-figure scoring games in 62 games played over two seasons.
• Prince has scored in double figures in 7 straight games, tying his career-best streak from earlier this season.
• Rico Gathers has 287 rebounds this season and needs 10 to pass Kevin Rogers (296 in 2008-09) for 10th and 16 to pass William Chatmon (302 in 1969-70) for 9th on Baylor's single-season list.
• Gathers has 19 career double-doubles, 1 shy of tying Lawrence Roberts (2002-03) for 8th-most in program history. His next double-double will tie him for 7th on Baylor's single-season list with 13.
• Royce O'Neale is the Big 12's only player ranked in the league's top 14 in assists and rebounds. He's posted multiple assists in 20 of 22 games played this season, and at least 4 rebounds in 20 of 22 games.
• O'Neale is averaging 15.7 ppg over his last 3 games (16-of-28 FGs) after going scoreless at OSU on Jan. 27.
• Lester Medford went 8 straight games scoring in single digits before averaging 10.6 ppg over his last 5 games.
• Medford has 29 assists and 11 turnovers over his last 7 Big 12 games -- he had 1 assist and 5 turnovers over his first 3 Big 12 contests.
• Johnathan Motley has 35 blocks over his last 14 games -- he had 5 blocks in the previous 9 games.
• Al Freeman has led Baylor in bench scoring 7 times this season, and the Bears have won all of those games.
• Freeman has contributed 7+ points off the bench 11 times this season, and BU is 10-1 in those games.
HISTORIC 3-GAME STRETCH
• Baylor has won its last 3 Big 12 games by 23, 20 and 18 points for an average scoring margin of +20.3.
• It's the first time in program history the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by 18+ points.
• It marks the first time the Bears have won 3 straight conference games by double digits since 1988 Southwest Conference play, and just the 5th time the Bears have had 3 straight double-digit wins in conference play.
• Baylor had 3 straight double-digit wins in Southwest Conference play in 1955, 1968 and twice in 1988.
PROTECTING HOME COURT
• Baylor has won 17 of its last 18 home games, with the lone loss a 1-point defeat against No. 12 Kansas on Jan. 7.
• Baylor has a +15.8 scoring margin in that 18-home game stretch, including 14 double-digit victories.
• Baylor had a 12-game home winning streak that was the 3rd-longest in the Ferrell Center's 27-year history.
• Among the Bears 17 home court wins since Feb. 15, 2014, are victories over No. 11 Iowa State, No. 16 Iowa State No. 19 Texas and No. 19 Oklahoma, a double OT win vs. Kansas State and an OT victory vs. Oklahoma State.
• Baylor also has wins against Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin, TCU, Texas Tech and New Mexico State in that span.
• Baylor's 16-point win against SFA on Nov. 24 was the last time SFA lost before its current 16-game winning streak.
BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM OF DREW ERA
• Baylor is ranked 25th nationally in KenPom.com adjusted defensive efficiency. The only previous times Baylor was in the top 50 nationally under Drew were 2009-10 (No. 45) and 2011-12 (No. 46) -- both Elite Eight seasons.
• Baylor is 1 of 9 Division I teams to hold all opponents below 75 points this season (Baylor, Cincinnati, George Washington, Louisiana-Monroe, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon State, Saint Peter's, Utah).
• BU was the only Division I team to hold every non-conference opponent to 66 or fewer points this season.
• Baylor's current 58.7 points per game allowed is 5.3 points better than the Bears' best defensive season of the Scott Drew era (2010-11, 64.0 ppg allowed). The last time BU held opponents below 64 ppg was 1985-86 (61.2).
• Baylor has held 18 of 23 opponents to 30 or fewer first-half points, including 10 times at 25 or fewer.
• For the first time since 2009-10, Baylor has held four Division I opponents below 50 points.
HOLDING TEAMS BELOW SCORING AVERAGES BY 11.2 PPG
• Through 23 games, Baylor opponents are averaging 11.2 fewer points than their season averages against the Bears.
• In 15 home games, Baylor is holding opponents 13.8 points below their season scoring averages.
• Baylor has held 21 of 23 opponents below their season average, including 13 of 23 at least 10 points below.
KEYS TO VICTORY
• Baylor is 18-2 this season when scoring 60-plus points and 11-0 when scoring 70-plus points.
• Baylor is 13-2 this season when recording more points off turnovers than its opponent and 5-3 when not doing so.
• Baylor is 14-0 this season when posting more than 12 assists and 4-5 when recording 12 or fewer assists.
• Baylor is 13-3 this season when getting more than 15 points from the bench and 5-2 when getting 15 or less.
• Baylor has held 11 of 23 opponents under 60 points, and the Bears are 83-5 in the Drew era when doing so.
• Baylor is 4-2 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 1-0 in overtime games this season. The Bears are 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points over the last 7 seasons and are 10-1 in overtime games over that span.
GATHERS ONE OF NATION'S BEST REBOUNDERS
• Rico Gathers ranks 2nd nationally in both offensive (5.5) and total (12.5) rebounds per game. He also leads the Big 12 and ranks 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (7.0).
• Gathers leads the Big 12 and ranks 14th nationally with 12 double-doubles this season, twice as many as his first two seasons combined (7) and 6 more than any other Big 12 player.
• Gathers' 19 career double-doubles and 33 career double-digit rebound games are both tops among active Big 12 players.
• Gathers is 1 of 5 power-5 conference players averaging a double-double (11.0 ppg and 12.5 rpg), joining Auburn's Cinmeon Bowers, Washington State's Josh Hawkinson, LSU's Jordan Mickey and UCLA's Kevon Looney.
• In his 26 career starts, Gathers is averaging 11.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.
• Gathers set Big 12 and Baylor records with 28 rebounds on Jan. 21, most by a DI player since Paul Millsap in 2006.
• Gathers is also one of the nation's least turnover-prone players, ranking 14th nationally with a 7.6 turnover rate. He has 11 more steals steals (29) than turnovers (18).
O'NEALE DOES IT ALL
• During his four years of Division I basketball, Royce O'Neale has 1,157 points, 727 rebounds, 358 assists, 145 steals and 39 blocks in 123 games played. If all of his games played were at Baylor, he would rank 20th in school history in scoring, 9th in rebounding, 7th in assists and 9th in steals.
• O'Neale is the only Big 12 Conference player to rank in the league's top 14 in rebounding and assists -- he currently ranks 9th in the Big 12 in rebounding (6.1) and 11th in assists (3.3).
• Last season, O'Neale became the first player in program history to post 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in the same season. He ranked second on the team with 110 assists and fourth with 205 rebounds in 2013-14.
• O'Neale has started 53 consecutive games against DI opponents -- (sat out vs. Huston-Tillotson on Jan. 21).
• Including his two seasons at Denver, O'Neale has 26 career games played touching all five stat categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).
MOTLEY SHOWING IMPROVEMENT DURING DEBUT SEASON
• Redshirt freshman Johnathan Motley has shown steady improvement during his redshirt freshman season.
• He's averaging 10.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.3 bpg over the last 15 games, up from 6.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 0.6 bpg over his first 8 collegiate games.
• After going scoreless in back-to-back games, Motley has led the team in scoring in four of the last 15 games.
• Motley has blocked 35 shots in his last 14 games (2.5 bpg) after blocking 5 shots over his first 9 games (0.6 bpg).
CHERY BACK AT FULL STRENGTH
• Kenny Chery is back at full strength after missing 5 starts with plantar fasciitis (came off bench once).
• Chery has 59 assists and 34 turnovers in 13 games since returning to the starting lineup. He had 14 assists and 16 turnovers in 5 games before taking the time to rest and recover.
• Chery has scored 138 points in his last 9 games (15.3 ppg), including a season-high 25 points against Kansas on Jan. 7, and he ranks 6th in the Big 12 with 14.2 points per game in conference play.
PRINCE LEADS TEAM IN SCORING AS 6TH MAN
• Taurean Prince entered the season averaging 5.2 points in 11.2 minutes over 62 games played in two seasons, but he is leading the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game in 25.1 minutes per game.
• Prince has scored in double figures in a team-high 17 of 22 games played this season after scoring in double figures 12 times in his first two seasons at Baylor combined.
• Prince has played 25+ minutes in 14 games this season after doing so in just 2 games over his first two seasons.
• Prince has also led the team in scoring 4 times this season after doing so in just 3 games over his first two seasons at Baylor. He's led the Bears in bench scoring in 13 of 16 games as a reserve this season.
FREEMAN IS FIRST GUARD OFF BENCH
• Redshirt freshman Al Freeman is typically Baylor's first guard to enter the game off the bench.
• Freeman has led Baylor in bench scoring seven times, and the Bears are 7-0 in those games.
• Freeman has posted double figure scoring off the bench 4 times. He had a career-high 13 points in 22 minutes vs. Norfolk State, posted 10 points against both Texas A&M and New Mexico State and had 11 points at West Virginia.
• Freeman averages 18.4 minutes per game, mostly at the two-guard spot with either Kenny Chery or Lester Medford running the point.
MEDFORD PROVIDES SECOND OPTION AT THE POINT
• Baylor starting point guard Kenny Chery missed 5 starts with a foot injury and another for rest (vs. Huston-Tillotson), allowing Lester Medford to slide from his starting shooting guard position to the starting point guard role.
• Medford posted 35 assists and 8 turnovers in his 6 starts at point guard. Despite returning to his shooting guard spot, Medford still ranks 2nd in the Big 12 with a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio and 7th with 3.7 assists per game.
• Medford hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:10 left in the Bears' win over Iowa State on Jan. 14, and in the previous game against TCU he had a game-tying 3-point play with 2:45 left in regulation.
• In his last 5 games, Medford has led BU in scoring twice and had 16 assists with 5 turnovers in the other games.
SOONER STATE SUCCESS
• After posting a combined 6-48 record against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the first 13 seasons of the Big 12 Conference, Baylor is 14-12 in its last 26 against the league's Sooner State schools (7-7 vs. OU; 7-5 vs. OSU).
• 17 of Baylor's 20 Big 12 wins against the Oklahoma schools have come under head coach Scott Drew.
TOUGHNESS IN CLOSE GAMES
• The Bears are 4-2 this season in games decided by 5 or fewer points, with wins at South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, home against Southern and home against Iowa State. BU also won at TCU in its only overtime game.
• Over the last 7 seasons, Baylor is 35-20 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 10-1 in overtime games.
WAINRIGHT DROPS WEIGHT, BECOMES DEFENSIVE STOPPER
• Sophomore guard/forward Ishmail Wainright has improved his quickness by dropping 10 pounds to get to 235.
• Wainright has often been used in late game situations because of his defensive presence (7'2 wingspan). He was on the floor for Iowa State's last two offensive possessions in the 74-73 win on Jan. 14.
ONE OF TWO BIG 12 TEAMS RANKED EIGHT STRAIGHT SEASONS
• Baylor joins Kansas as the only Big 12 Conference schools to be ranked in each of the last eight seasons. The Bears were unranked in the preseason for the first time since 2009-10, but cracked the rankings at No. 22 on Dec. 22.
• Baylor has been ranked for at least three weeks in each of the last seven seasons (2008-09 through 2014-15).
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
• Baylor has benefited from a balanced scoring attack that has seen eight different players combine to score in double figures 70 times this season. Additionally, five different players have scored 20+ points a total of 13 times.
• Seven different BU players have led the team in scoring this season, and none have done so in more than 6 games -- Rico Gathers 6 times, Johnathan Motley 4 times, Taurean Prince 4 times, Royce O'Neale 4 times, Kenny Chery 4 times, Lester Medford twice and Deng Deng once.
• Prince leads the team with 12.3 points per game, while BU's five starters average between 8.3 and 11.8 ppg.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS PAYING OFF
• Baylor has won 92% of its games when leading at the half since 2011-12. The Bears are 77-7 when leading through the first 20 minutes in that stretch (16-3 this season, 18-2 in 2013-14, 17-1 in 2012-13 and 26-1 in 2011-12).
• BU has won 41% of games in which its been tied or trailing at the half since 2011-12, going 20-29 in those.
• BU has led at halftime in 84 of 133 games over the last four seasons. With wins in 77 of those 84 games, and victories in 20 of 49 games it has trailed or been tied at the half, Baylor is 97-36 since 2011-12.
BAYLOR AND LOUISVILLE ONLY SCHOOLS RANKED IN FB, MBB AND WBB
• Baylor and Louisville are the nation's only schools ranked by the AP in football and men's and women's basketball.
• Baylor football is ranked No. 7, men's basketball is No. 19 and women's basketball is No. 3.
• Baylor, Duke, Louisville and Michigan State were the only teams to finish the 2013-14 academic year ranked in the final AP polls for all three sports.
DREW IS PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WINS LEADER
• Scott Drew holds Baylor's school record with 222 career wins as head coach.
• Drew became the all-time wins leader by defeating Texas on March 14, 2014 for his 202nd Baylor victory, passing Bill Henderson (201 wins; 1941-43 and 1945-61) for the all-time wins mark.
• Drew's .589 winning percentage is the best ever by a Baylor coach with 60+ games at the helm.
20 WINS = POSTSEASON
• Baylor, which has won 20-plus games nine times in the program's first 108 seasons, is seeking to win 20 games for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. The Bears have advanced to the postseason in all nine 20-win years.
• Head coach Scott Drew has led Baylor to 20-win seasons in six of the last seven years after the Bears had only three 20-win seasons in the program's first 101 seasons.
• Drew is the responsible for six of Baylor's nine 20-win season and six of BU's 13 postseason appearances.
DREW AMONG NATION'S ELITE
• Head coach Scott Drew is the youngest of 11 coaches nationally to take his current program to three Sweet 16 appearances in the last five seasons.
• Drew (44) is joined by Arizona's Sean Miller (46), Ohio State's Thad Matta (47), Florida's Billy Donovan (49), Kansas' Bill Self (52), Kentucky's John Calipari (55), Michigan State's Tom Izzo (60), Louisville's Rick Pitino (62), Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (67), Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (67) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (70).
UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS
• Baylor has enjoyed unprecedented success over the last seven-plus seasons under 12th-year head coach Scott Drew. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Baylor is 188-86 (24 wins per season) and has made six postseason appearances (NCAA -- 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014; NIT -- 2009, 2013) and posted six 20-win seasons.
• Prior to 2007-08, Baylor won only 135 games in the first 11 seasons of the Big 12 era (12.3 wins per season).
• Baylor has made 13 postseason appearances (six under Drew) and won 20+ games just nine times (six under Drew) in the program's first 108 seasons.
UP NEXT
• Baylor plays back-to-back road games at Kansas and Texas Tech. The game at Kansas is scheduled for Saturday at noon on CBS and the following game at Texas Tech is slated for Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.
• The Bears are 0-12 all-time in Lawrence and 16-46 all-time in Lubbock.
This post was edited on 2/8 8:54 PM by K Lonnquist
This post was edited on 2/9 8:34 PM by jake shaw
