Baylor is coming off a disappointing 67-65 loss to Kansas this past Saturday at the Ferrell Center. The Bears are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak. Baylor is looking to equal its best start in 15 games in Big 12 play. Baylor won the first meeting in Norman, OK on Dec. 30, 76-50. The Sooners are in last place in the Big 12.
Here are 5 things to Watch:
>Lecomte's health: In the middle of the second half against KU, junior point guard Manu Lecomte tweaked an ankle that changed how he played and how the Bears played. He just couldn't distribute or lift like he could. He only had has roughly three days for treatment. The ankle should be OK to start. But the concern will be how it holds up during the course of the game.
>Ohhhh U: Yep, the Sooners are bad this year. They lost senior guard Jordan Woodard because of a torn ACL against Iowa State on Feb. 11. They are a very young team. They have two freshmen in Kameron McGusty and 6-7 forward Kristian Doolittle who are going through the growing pains of a program that enjoyed going to the Final Four last year.
>Avoid the hangover: On paper, this game looks like a blowout and probably should be. But the Bears are going to have to put the frustration of the Kansas loss behind as quickly as possible. They ended the game without scoring in the last 3:34. They can't allow the Sooners the opportunity to stay in this.
>Bigger goals: Baylor knows that its chances of trying to win the Big 12 are pretty much over. But they still have a chance to finish as high as second and earn the second seed. The Bears have done a good job of beating the teams they are supposed to beat this year.
>Close and late: When the Bears jumped out to a 20-1 start to begin the season, they won five games that were decided by five points or less. During this stretch where they have dropped four of their last six, they have dropped three of four in that margin. And the one they did win (72-69 at Oklahoma State), they nearly squandered a 13-point lead in the final four minutes. Somehow, this team has to find its edge in closing the games now that it was doing between November and January.
STORY LINES
• No. 4 Baylor looks for its 23rd win of the season when it hosts Oklahoma at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday on ESPN2.
• Tuesday is the 58th series meeting. BU trails in the series 13-44, including a 6-19 mark in Waco. BU's wins over OU in Waco were in 1953, 1954, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
• Baylor is 8-9 against Oklahoma since snapping a 30-game series losing streak in 2010.
• Baylor won 76-50 when the teams met in Norman to open Big 12 play on Dec. 30.
• The 26-point margin of victory was the largest by any team playing at OU since Kansas by 31 on Feb. 5, 1963. It was also the 2nd-best margin in the 57-game series history (91-60 in Waco on Jan. 9, 2010).
• OU's 50 points in the first meeting were its fewest in a game since Feb. 2, 2013, a 52-50 loss to KSU.
• Baylor was the No. 3 overall seed (No. 1 in South) in the Feb. 11 CBS Early Bracket Reveal.
• A win would give Baylor a 10-5 record in Big 12 play, tying its best-ever record through 15 Big 12 games.
• With one more win Baylor would tie its 9th-most wins in a season in program history and mark the 5th time Baylor has reached double-digit wins in Big 12 play (12 in 2012, 11 in 2010 and 2015, 10 in 2016).
• BU has reached the 20-win mark for a school-record 6th straight season and 9th time in the last 10 years.
• Baylor is No. 3 nationally in RPI, trailing only Kansas and Villanova. BU is 8-3 vs. RPI top 50 teams.
• Baylor has been top-10 ranked for a school-record-tying 13 consecutive weeks (2012).
• Baylor has faced a second-half deficit and come back to win in 10 games this season.
• BU is 7-2 when trailing at half and averages a +11.0 scoring margin in 2nd halves of those games.
• BU is 44-7 over the last two seasons when it takes the lead at any point in the 2nd half of a game.
• Baylor's defense is holding teams to 64.7 ppg in Big 12 play, which leads the league by 7.9 ppg.
• BU leads the league in FG% defense (41%) and rebounding margin (+7.6) in Big 12 play.
• Baylor's defense this season has been its best of the Drew era -- BU ranks 6th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency -- Drew's best previous defense was ranked No. 23 nationally in 2014-15.
• Baylor's defense ranks 12th nationally in effective field goal percentage defense (44.7), 18th in 2-point FG defense (43.7), 24th in 3-point FG defense (30.9) and 28th in block percentage (13.5).
• BU is top-25 in scoring defense (13th, 62.4), rebound margin (12th, +7.7) and scoring margin (25th, +11.2).
• BU opponents average 18.4 seconds per possession, 6th-longest nationally according to KenPom.com.
• Baylor is 5-3 vs. AP Top 25-ranked teams and 3-3 vs. AP Top 10 teams this season (wins vs. No. 4 Oregon, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Louisville, No. 7 Xavier and at No. 25 Kansas State).
• Baylor has 17 wins over ranked teams in the last three seasons (17-17 since 2014-15).
• Baylor is 147-61 since 2011-12, the 2nd-most wins in the Big 12 behind Kansas (172-40) in that span.
• Drew is 238-108 since 2007-08, the first year he had a full allotment of scholarships.
• Baylor is 92-76 in Big 12 play since 2008 after going 45-131 in the league's first 11 seasons.
• Motley is on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, Naismith Top 30, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 19) and is 1 of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award.
• Motley became the 31st 1,000-point scorer in Baylor history (13th of Drew era) on Feb. 8 at OSU.
QUICK HITS
• BU has won 22+ games every year since 2012, one of 19 teams to make that claim entering 2016-17.
• Head coach Scott Drew is in his 14th season at Baylor and is the school's all-time wins leader (272).
• Baylor has won 88% of its games when leading at the half since 2011-12 (115-16).
• BU has won 42% of games in which its been tied or trailing at the half since 2011-12, going 32-45 in those.
• The Bears have defeated three top-10 teams in a season for the first time in program history.
• Baylor climbed to No. 1 in the Jan. 9 AP Top 25, marking the first No. 1 ranking in program history.
• BU's climb from unranked in week 1 to No. 1 in week 9 was the fastest by any team in AP Top 20/25 history.
• BU is one of four teams to reach the No. 1 spot after being unranked in the AP preseason top 20/25.
• BU received 55 first-place votes in the Jan. 9 AP poll and has notched 92 first-place votes in AP polls this season.
• Prior to this season, the Bears had only received one first-place vote since the first AP poll in 1949.
• Baylor is one of 13 teams to be nationally ranked in each of the last 10 seasons.
• Baylor is 47-28 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 12-2 in overtime games since 2008-09.
• Baylor won the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis with wins over VCU, No. 24 Michigan State and No. 10 Louisville. Johnathan Motley was named tournament MVP after averaging 20.0 points per game.
• Baylor came from behind at half to win all 3 Battle 4 Atlantis games. BU trailed by 8 to VCU, by 3 to Michigan State and by 15 to Louisville. The Bears out-scored all 3 by at least 16 points in 2nd halves.
• Baylor has had a nation-leading four players selected in the NBA Draft since 2010 who weren't ranked in the ESPN100 out of high school -- Quincy Acy, Ekpe Udoh, Pierre Jackson and Taurean Prince.
• Six of BU's seven starting point guards during the Drew era have earned All-Big 12 recognition.
• Baylor has the Big 12's 2nd-longest active streak with at least one 3-point FG made in 827 straight games.
• BU did not receive any preseason poll votes for the first time since 2009-10.
SEEKING PROGRAM BESTS
• With four regular season games remaining, Baylor has a chance to set a number of program records.
• The Bears can still win 13 Big 12 games, which would break the previous record of 12 set in 2012.
• BU has a chance to earn the highest Big 12 Championship seed in program history (No. 3 in 2010).
• BU's best previous finish in the Big 12 standings was a 3-way tie for second place in 2010.
• Baylor has a shot to earn the highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history (No. 3 in 2010, 2012 and 2015).
FIVE WINS OVER AP TOP 25 TEAMS
• Baylor is 5-3 vs. ranked teams this season (wins vs. No. 4 Oregon, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Louisville, No. 7 Xavier and at No. 25 Kansas State; losses at No. 10 West Virginia, at No. 3 Kansas and vs. No. 3 Kansas).
• Baylor has won at least five games vs. AP Top 25 teams in each of the last four seasons.
• BU's 5 wins over ranked teams this year ties the 2nd-most in program history (7 in 2015; 5 in 2014 and 2016).
• Baylor has gone 17-17 against ranked teams since the start of the 2014-15 season.
• BU is 36-57 against ranked teams since 2007-08 after going 0-27 in Drew's first four rebuilding seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
• Baylor trails 13-44 in the all-time series, including a 6-19 mark in Waco.
• Baylor's victories over OU in Waco came in 1953, 1954, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
• Baylor is 8-9 in its last 17 games against OU after snapping a 30-game losing streak in the series in 2010.
• Baylor has 4-3 in home games against OU since 2010 after going 2-16 in its previous games vs. OU in Waco.
SECOND-HALF TEAM
• BU has out-scored teams by 4.2 ppg in first halves (927-814) and 7.0 ppg in second halves (1061-871).
• Baylor has trailed at halftime nine times this season (VCU by 8, Michigan State by 3, Louisville by 15, Xavier by 3, OSU by 5, at WVU by 7, at TCU by 2, at Ole Miss by 7, vs. K-State by 15), but BU is 7-2 in those games.
• Baylor averages a +11.0 scoring margin in second halves of the nine games it has trailed at halftime.
• In the seven wins, BU's defense has allowed 34.6 first-half points and 26.9 second-half points.
• BU has out-scored opponents by 9+ points in second halves in all 7 of those wins -- VCU 43-27, Michigan State 43-25, Louisville 42-24, Xavier 45-27, Oklahoma State 36-27, TCU 36-25 and Ole Miss 43-33.
OVERCOMING SECOND-HALF DEFICITS
• Ten times this season Baylor has faced a second-half deficit and come back to win.
• BU is 44-7 over the last two seasons when it takes a lead at any point in the second half of a game.
• The Bears overcame second-half deficits against FGCU (3), vs. VCU (8), vs. Michigan State (3), vs. Louisville (20), Xavier (9), Iowa State (6), Oklahoma State (7) at K-State (2), at TCU (2) and at Ole Miss (10).
THIS SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA
• Baylor won its Big 12 opener at Oklahoma, 76-50. OU's 50 points were its fewest at home in the Lon Kruger era.
• Baylor's 26-point win was the largest by any team playing at OU since Kansas won by 31 on Feb. 5, 1963.
• Baylor opened the game on an 11-2 run and led by as many as 34 points at 67-33 with 6 minutes remaining.
• BU led 38-16 in points in the paint, out-rebounded OU 46-30 and had 23 second-chance points on 17 o-boards.
• The Bears shot 48% and held Oklahoma to 33% from the field.
• Johnathan Motley had game-highs with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes.
LAST SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA
• Baylor lost both games against Oklahoma last season, as OU shot 28-of-57 (49%) from 3-point range in those games.
• No. 1 Oklahoma won in Waco, 82-72, on Jan. 23, and No. 6 OU won in Norman, 73-71, on March 1.
• Johnathan Motley had 15 points and 10 boards off the bench in the loss in Waco.
• King McClure scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench as the Bears overcame a 26-point deficit before losing by 2 in Norman. BU trailed 46-20 late in the first half, then took a 68-67 lead with 3:50 remaining.
A WIN WOULD ...
• Tie Baylor's 2nd-best record through 28 games at 23-5 -- best is 25-3 in 1946. BU was 23-5 in 1948 and 2012.
• Tie BU's best-ever record through 15 Big 12 games at 10-5 -- BU started 10-5 in 2012 Big 12 play.
• Be Baylor's 23rd win of the season, tying the 9th-most in program history.
• Be the 5th time Baylor has reached double-digit Big 12 wins and tie the 4th-most Big 12 wins in BU history.
• Improve Baylor's record against Oklahoma to 14-44, including 7-19 in Waco. It would also make BU 9-9 against the Sooners since snapping a 30-game series losing streak in 2010.
• Be the third time Baylor has swept the Big 12 home-and-home against Oklahoma (2010, 2012, 2017).
• Give Baylor a 239-108 record since 2007-08, Drew's first year with a full allotment of scholarships.
• Make Baylor 148-61 since 2011-12, the Big 12's second-most wins in that span behind only Kansas (172).
• Be Ishmail Wainright's 87th career win, tying LaceDarius Dunn for 6th-most in program history. It would also be Wainright's 35th Big 12 win, tying Quincy Acy and Taurean Prince for 4th-most in program history.
• Improve Baylor's record to 95-39 during Wainright's four-year career, tying Rico Gathers and Prince for 4th-most wins in a 4-year career.
MOTLEY JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Johnathan Motley became the 31st player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark on Feb. 8 at OSU.
• Motley became the 13th player of the Drew era to reach the milestone, joining LaceDarius Dunn, Curtis Jerrells, Tweety Carter, Kevin Rogers, Quincy Acy, Aaron Bruce, Taurean Prince, Pierre Jackson, Henry Dugat, Rico Gathers, Cory Jefferson and Brady Heslip.
• Motley (1,076 points) ranks 26th on Baylor's all-time scoring list. He needs 19 points to pass Roddrick Miller (1,094) for 25th place and 29 points to pass William Chatmon (1,104) for 24th place.
• Motley needs 36 rebounds to become the first BU player with 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 assists.
MOTLEY AN ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE
• Johnathan Motley has a chance to become the third player in program history to be named AP first or second-team All-American, joining Vinnie Johnson (2nd team, 1979) and Terry Teagle (2nd team, 1982).
• Motley is on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, Naismith Trophy Top 30, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 19) and is 1 of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award. He's also on the Lute Olson Award watch list.
• Motley currently ranks 4th in KenPom.com's National Player of the Year standings, trailing only Villanova's Josh Hart, Purdue's Caleb Swanigan and Saint Mary's Jock Landale.
BIG 12 SEEDING SCENARIOS
• With four games remaining, Baylor can still finish anywhere from 1st through tied for 7th in the Big 12 standings.
• One more win would clinch no worse than a tie for 6th place. If the Bears win out, they'll finish alone in second place in the Big 12 standings for the first time in program history.
NO. 1 SEED IN FIRST EARLY BRACKET REVEAL
• Baylor was the nation's No. 3 overall seed (No. 1 in South Region) in the Feb. 11 CBS Early Bracket Reveal.
• Villanova (No. 1 overall), Kansas (No. 2) and Gonzaga (No. 4) were the other No. 1 seeds.
• The South Region consisted of No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Butler.
• Sixteen teams listed: 1. Villanova, 2. Kansas, 3. Baylor, 4. Gonzaga, 5. North Carolina, 6. Florida State, 7. Louisville, 8. Oregon, 9. Arizona, 10. Virginia, 11. Florida, 12. Kentucky, 13. Butler, 14. West Virginia, 15. UCLA, 16. Duke.
BEST DEFENSE OF DREW ERA
• Baylor's defense is holding opponents to 64.7 points per game in Big 12 play, which leads the league by 7.9 ppg. That margin is greater than the 5.8 ppg difference between No. 2 (Texas, 72.6) and No. 10 (OSU, 78.4) in the league.
• BU is No. 6 in adjusted defensive efficiency as of Feb. 19. Its best previous defense under Drew was No. 23 in 2015.
• The Bears have been top-100 in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency in seven straight seasons.
• BU was No. 23 in 2015, No. 37 in 2012 and No. 42 in 2010 -- the Bears were NCAA No. 3 seeds all three years.
• The Bears were No. 64 in 2013, No. 70 in 2014, No. 79 in 2011 and No. 84 in 2016.
CONSISTENTLY AMONG NATION'S BEST OFFENSES
• Baylor's offense has consistently ranked among the nation's best over the last nine seasons under Scott Drew.
• The Bears have finished eight of the past nine seasons among the top 20 nationally in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, joining Duke as the only programs to make that claim.
• This season, Baylor is No. 27 in adjusted offensive efficiency as of Feb. 19.
• BU finished No. 13 in 2015-16, No. 18 in 2014-15, No. 9 in 2013-14, No. 14 in 2012-13, No. 8 in 2011-12, No. 102 in 2010-11, No. 3 in 2009-10, No. 11 in 2008-09 and No. 11 in 2007-08.
GAME CONTROL
• Baylor has led for at least 15 minutes of game time in 22 of 27 games this season.
• The only games BU didn't lead for 15+ minutes were vs. Louisville (win), at West Virginia (loss), at Ole Miss (win), at Kansas (loss) and vs. Kansas State (loss). Baylor has led for 32+ minutes in 14 of its 27 games.
• Baylor has led for 65% of game time season (704:10 of 1080:00).
• The Bears have trailed for only 28% of game time (305:03 of 1080:00) and been tied for 7% (70:47 of 1080:00).
BEARS IN AP POLL THIS SEASON
• Baylor went from receiving no votes in the week 1 AP poll to No. 4 nationally just three weeks later on Dec. 5.
• BU has been top-10 ranked for a school-record-tying 13 consecutive weeks, including nine weeks in the top-5.
• Prior to this season, BU had been top-10 ranked in 20 weekly polls in program history, all during 2010-11, 2011-12 (13 straight weeks) and 2013-14.
• Baylor has now been ranked in each of the last 10 seasons -- one of 13 teams nationally to make that claim.
Here are 5 things to Watch:
>Lecomte's health: In the middle of the second half against KU, junior point guard Manu Lecomte tweaked an ankle that changed how he played and how the Bears played. He just couldn't distribute or lift like he could. He only had has roughly three days for treatment. The ankle should be OK to start. But the concern will be how it holds up during the course of the game.
>Ohhhh U: Yep, the Sooners are bad this year. They lost senior guard Jordan Woodard because of a torn ACL against Iowa State on Feb. 11. They are a very young team. They have two freshmen in Kameron McGusty and 6-7 forward Kristian Doolittle who are going through the growing pains of a program that enjoyed going to the Final Four last year.
>Avoid the hangover: On paper, this game looks like a blowout and probably should be. But the Bears are going to have to put the frustration of the Kansas loss behind as quickly as possible. They ended the game without scoring in the last 3:34. They can't allow the Sooners the opportunity to stay in this.
>Bigger goals: Baylor knows that its chances of trying to win the Big 12 are pretty much over. But they still have a chance to finish as high as second and earn the second seed. The Bears have done a good job of beating the teams they are supposed to beat this year.
>Close and late: When the Bears jumped out to a 20-1 start to begin the season, they won five games that were decided by five points or less. During this stretch where they have dropped four of their last six, they have dropped three of four in that margin. And the one they did win (72-69 at Oklahoma State), they nearly squandered a 13-point lead in the final four minutes. Somehow, this team has to find its edge in closing the games now that it was doing between November and January.
STORY LINES
• No. 4 Baylor looks for its 23rd win of the season when it hosts Oklahoma at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday on ESPN2.
• Tuesday is the 58th series meeting. BU trails in the series 13-44, including a 6-19 mark in Waco. BU's wins over OU in Waco were in 1953, 1954, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
• Baylor is 8-9 against Oklahoma since snapping a 30-game series losing streak in 2010.
• Baylor won 76-50 when the teams met in Norman to open Big 12 play on Dec. 30.
• The 26-point margin of victory was the largest by any team playing at OU since Kansas by 31 on Feb. 5, 1963. It was also the 2nd-best margin in the 57-game series history (91-60 in Waco on Jan. 9, 2010).
• OU's 50 points in the first meeting were its fewest in a game since Feb. 2, 2013, a 52-50 loss to KSU.
• Baylor was the No. 3 overall seed (No. 1 in South) in the Feb. 11 CBS Early Bracket Reveal.
• A win would give Baylor a 10-5 record in Big 12 play, tying its best-ever record through 15 Big 12 games.
• With one more win Baylor would tie its 9th-most wins in a season in program history and mark the 5th time Baylor has reached double-digit wins in Big 12 play (12 in 2012, 11 in 2010 and 2015, 10 in 2016).
• BU has reached the 20-win mark for a school-record 6th straight season and 9th time in the last 10 years.
• Baylor is No. 3 nationally in RPI, trailing only Kansas and Villanova. BU is 8-3 vs. RPI top 50 teams.
• Baylor has been top-10 ranked for a school-record-tying 13 consecutive weeks (2012).
• Baylor has faced a second-half deficit and come back to win in 10 games this season.
• BU is 7-2 when trailing at half and averages a +11.0 scoring margin in 2nd halves of those games.
• BU is 44-7 over the last two seasons when it takes the lead at any point in the 2nd half of a game.
• Baylor's defense is holding teams to 64.7 ppg in Big 12 play, which leads the league by 7.9 ppg.
• BU leads the league in FG% defense (41%) and rebounding margin (+7.6) in Big 12 play.
• Baylor's defense this season has been its best of the Drew era -- BU ranks 6th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency -- Drew's best previous defense was ranked No. 23 nationally in 2014-15.
• Baylor's defense ranks 12th nationally in effective field goal percentage defense (44.7), 18th in 2-point FG defense (43.7), 24th in 3-point FG defense (30.9) and 28th in block percentage (13.5).
• BU is top-25 in scoring defense (13th, 62.4), rebound margin (12th, +7.7) and scoring margin (25th, +11.2).
• BU opponents average 18.4 seconds per possession, 6th-longest nationally according to KenPom.com.
• Baylor is 5-3 vs. AP Top 25-ranked teams and 3-3 vs. AP Top 10 teams this season (wins vs. No. 4 Oregon, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Louisville, No. 7 Xavier and at No. 25 Kansas State).
• Baylor has 17 wins over ranked teams in the last three seasons (17-17 since 2014-15).
• Baylor is 147-61 since 2011-12, the 2nd-most wins in the Big 12 behind Kansas (172-40) in that span.
• Drew is 238-108 since 2007-08, the first year he had a full allotment of scholarships.
• Baylor is 92-76 in Big 12 play since 2008 after going 45-131 in the league's first 11 seasons.
• Motley is on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, Naismith Top 30, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 19) and is 1 of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award.
• Motley became the 31st 1,000-point scorer in Baylor history (13th of Drew era) on Feb. 8 at OSU.
QUICK HITS
• BU has won 22+ games every year since 2012, one of 19 teams to make that claim entering 2016-17.
• Head coach Scott Drew is in his 14th season at Baylor and is the school's all-time wins leader (272).
• Baylor has won 88% of its games when leading at the half since 2011-12 (115-16).
• BU has won 42% of games in which its been tied or trailing at the half since 2011-12, going 32-45 in those.
• The Bears have defeated three top-10 teams in a season for the first time in program history.
• Baylor climbed to No. 1 in the Jan. 9 AP Top 25, marking the first No. 1 ranking in program history.
• BU's climb from unranked in week 1 to No. 1 in week 9 was the fastest by any team in AP Top 20/25 history.
• BU is one of four teams to reach the No. 1 spot after being unranked in the AP preseason top 20/25.
• BU received 55 first-place votes in the Jan. 9 AP poll and has notched 92 first-place votes in AP polls this season.
• Prior to this season, the Bears had only received one first-place vote since the first AP poll in 1949.
• Baylor is one of 13 teams to be nationally ranked in each of the last 10 seasons.
• Baylor is 47-28 in games decided by 5 or fewer points and 12-2 in overtime games since 2008-09.
• Baylor won the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis with wins over VCU, No. 24 Michigan State and No. 10 Louisville. Johnathan Motley was named tournament MVP after averaging 20.0 points per game.
• Baylor came from behind at half to win all 3 Battle 4 Atlantis games. BU trailed by 8 to VCU, by 3 to Michigan State and by 15 to Louisville. The Bears out-scored all 3 by at least 16 points in 2nd halves.
• Baylor has had a nation-leading four players selected in the NBA Draft since 2010 who weren't ranked in the ESPN100 out of high school -- Quincy Acy, Ekpe Udoh, Pierre Jackson and Taurean Prince.
• Six of BU's seven starting point guards during the Drew era have earned All-Big 12 recognition.
• Baylor has the Big 12's 2nd-longest active streak with at least one 3-point FG made in 827 straight games.
• BU did not receive any preseason poll votes for the first time since 2009-10.
SEEKING PROGRAM BESTS
• With four regular season games remaining, Baylor has a chance to set a number of program records.
• The Bears can still win 13 Big 12 games, which would break the previous record of 12 set in 2012.
• BU has a chance to earn the highest Big 12 Championship seed in program history (No. 3 in 2010).
• BU's best previous finish in the Big 12 standings was a 3-way tie for second place in 2010.
• Baylor has a shot to earn the highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history (No. 3 in 2010, 2012 and 2015).
FIVE WINS OVER AP TOP 25 TEAMS
• Baylor is 5-3 vs. ranked teams this season (wins vs. No. 4 Oregon, No. 24 Michigan State, No. 10 Louisville, No. 7 Xavier and at No. 25 Kansas State; losses at No. 10 West Virginia, at No. 3 Kansas and vs. No. 3 Kansas).
• Baylor has won at least five games vs. AP Top 25 teams in each of the last four seasons.
• BU's 5 wins over ranked teams this year ties the 2nd-most in program history (7 in 2015; 5 in 2014 and 2016).
• Baylor has gone 17-17 against ranked teams since the start of the 2014-15 season.
• BU is 36-57 against ranked teams since 2007-08 after going 0-27 in Drew's first four rebuilding seasons.
SERIES HISTORY
• Baylor trails 13-44 in the all-time series, including a 6-19 mark in Waco.
• Baylor's victories over OU in Waco came in 1953, 1954, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
• Baylor is 8-9 in its last 17 games against OU after snapping a 30-game losing streak in the series in 2010.
• Baylor has 4-3 in home games against OU since 2010 after going 2-16 in its previous games vs. OU in Waco.
SECOND-HALF TEAM
• BU has out-scored teams by 4.2 ppg in first halves (927-814) and 7.0 ppg in second halves (1061-871).
• Baylor has trailed at halftime nine times this season (VCU by 8, Michigan State by 3, Louisville by 15, Xavier by 3, OSU by 5, at WVU by 7, at TCU by 2, at Ole Miss by 7, vs. K-State by 15), but BU is 7-2 in those games.
• Baylor averages a +11.0 scoring margin in second halves of the nine games it has trailed at halftime.
• In the seven wins, BU's defense has allowed 34.6 first-half points and 26.9 second-half points.
• BU has out-scored opponents by 9+ points in second halves in all 7 of those wins -- VCU 43-27, Michigan State 43-25, Louisville 42-24, Xavier 45-27, Oklahoma State 36-27, TCU 36-25 and Ole Miss 43-33.
OVERCOMING SECOND-HALF DEFICITS
• Ten times this season Baylor has faced a second-half deficit and come back to win.
• BU is 44-7 over the last two seasons when it takes a lead at any point in the second half of a game.
• The Bears overcame second-half deficits against FGCU (3), vs. VCU (8), vs. Michigan State (3), vs. Louisville (20), Xavier (9), Iowa State (6), Oklahoma State (7) at K-State (2), at TCU (2) and at Ole Miss (10).
THIS SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA
• Baylor won its Big 12 opener at Oklahoma, 76-50. OU's 50 points were its fewest at home in the Lon Kruger era.
• Baylor's 26-point win was the largest by any team playing at OU since Kansas won by 31 on Feb. 5, 1963.
• Baylor opened the game on an 11-2 run and led by as many as 34 points at 67-33 with 6 minutes remaining.
• BU led 38-16 in points in the paint, out-rebounded OU 46-30 and had 23 second-chance points on 17 o-boards.
• The Bears shot 48% and held Oklahoma to 33% from the field.
• Johnathan Motley had game-highs with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes.
LAST SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA
• Baylor lost both games against Oklahoma last season, as OU shot 28-of-57 (49%) from 3-point range in those games.
• No. 1 Oklahoma won in Waco, 82-72, on Jan. 23, and No. 6 OU won in Norman, 73-71, on March 1.
• Johnathan Motley had 15 points and 10 boards off the bench in the loss in Waco.
• King McClure scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench as the Bears overcame a 26-point deficit before losing by 2 in Norman. BU trailed 46-20 late in the first half, then took a 68-67 lead with 3:50 remaining.
A WIN WOULD ...
• Tie Baylor's 2nd-best record through 28 games at 23-5 -- best is 25-3 in 1946. BU was 23-5 in 1948 and 2012.
• Tie BU's best-ever record through 15 Big 12 games at 10-5 -- BU started 10-5 in 2012 Big 12 play.
• Be Baylor's 23rd win of the season, tying the 9th-most in program history.
• Be the 5th time Baylor has reached double-digit Big 12 wins and tie the 4th-most Big 12 wins in BU history.
• Improve Baylor's record against Oklahoma to 14-44, including 7-19 in Waco. It would also make BU 9-9 against the Sooners since snapping a 30-game series losing streak in 2010.
• Be the third time Baylor has swept the Big 12 home-and-home against Oklahoma (2010, 2012, 2017).
• Give Baylor a 239-108 record since 2007-08, Drew's first year with a full allotment of scholarships.
• Make Baylor 148-61 since 2011-12, the Big 12's second-most wins in that span behind only Kansas (172).
• Be Ishmail Wainright's 87th career win, tying LaceDarius Dunn for 6th-most in program history. It would also be Wainright's 35th Big 12 win, tying Quincy Acy and Taurean Prince for 4th-most in program history.
• Improve Baylor's record to 95-39 during Wainright's four-year career, tying Rico Gathers and Prince for 4th-most wins in a 4-year career.
MOTLEY JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
• Johnathan Motley became the 31st player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark on Feb. 8 at OSU.
• Motley became the 13th player of the Drew era to reach the milestone, joining LaceDarius Dunn, Curtis Jerrells, Tweety Carter, Kevin Rogers, Quincy Acy, Aaron Bruce, Taurean Prince, Pierre Jackson, Henry Dugat, Rico Gathers, Cory Jefferson and Brady Heslip.
• Motley (1,076 points) ranks 26th on Baylor's all-time scoring list. He needs 19 points to pass Roddrick Miller (1,094) for 25th place and 29 points to pass William Chatmon (1,104) for 24th place.
• Motley needs 36 rebounds to become the first BU player with 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 assists.
MOTLEY AN ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE
• Johnathan Motley has a chance to become the third player in program history to be named AP first or second-team All-American, joining Vinnie Johnson (2nd team, 1979) and Terry Teagle (2nd team, 1982).
• Motley is on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, Naismith Trophy Top 30, Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 19) and is 1 of 10 finalists for the Karl Malone Award. He's also on the Lute Olson Award watch list.
• Motley currently ranks 4th in KenPom.com's National Player of the Year standings, trailing only Villanova's Josh Hart, Purdue's Caleb Swanigan and Saint Mary's Jock Landale.
BIG 12 SEEDING SCENARIOS
• With four games remaining, Baylor can still finish anywhere from 1st through tied for 7th in the Big 12 standings.
• One more win would clinch no worse than a tie for 6th place. If the Bears win out, they'll finish alone in second place in the Big 12 standings for the first time in program history.
NO. 1 SEED IN FIRST EARLY BRACKET REVEAL
• Baylor was the nation's No. 3 overall seed (No. 1 in South Region) in the Feb. 11 CBS Early Bracket Reveal.
• Villanova (No. 1 overall), Kansas (No. 2) and Gonzaga (No. 4) were the other No. 1 seeds.
• The South Region consisted of No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Butler.
• Sixteen teams listed: 1. Villanova, 2. Kansas, 3. Baylor, 4. Gonzaga, 5. North Carolina, 6. Florida State, 7. Louisville, 8. Oregon, 9. Arizona, 10. Virginia, 11. Florida, 12. Kentucky, 13. Butler, 14. West Virginia, 15. UCLA, 16. Duke.
BEST DEFENSE OF DREW ERA
• Baylor's defense is holding opponents to 64.7 points per game in Big 12 play, which leads the league by 7.9 ppg. That margin is greater than the 5.8 ppg difference between No. 2 (Texas, 72.6) and No. 10 (OSU, 78.4) in the league.
• BU is No. 6 in adjusted defensive efficiency as of Feb. 19. Its best previous defense under Drew was No. 23 in 2015.
• The Bears have been top-100 in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency in seven straight seasons.
• BU was No. 23 in 2015, No. 37 in 2012 and No. 42 in 2010 -- the Bears were NCAA No. 3 seeds all three years.
• The Bears were No. 64 in 2013, No. 70 in 2014, No. 79 in 2011 and No. 84 in 2016.
CONSISTENTLY AMONG NATION'S BEST OFFENSES
• Baylor's offense has consistently ranked among the nation's best over the last nine seasons under Scott Drew.
• The Bears have finished eight of the past nine seasons among the top 20 nationally in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, joining Duke as the only programs to make that claim.
• This season, Baylor is No. 27 in adjusted offensive efficiency as of Feb. 19.
• BU finished No. 13 in 2015-16, No. 18 in 2014-15, No. 9 in 2013-14, No. 14 in 2012-13, No. 8 in 2011-12, No. 102 in 2010-11, No. 3 in 2009-10, No. 11 in 2008-09 and No. 11 in 2007-08.
GAME CONTROL
• Baylor has led for at least 15 minutes of game time in 22 of 27 games this season.
• The only games BU didn't lead for 15+ minutes were vs. Louisville (win), at West Virginia (loss), at Ole Miss (win), at Kansas (loss) and vs. Kansas State (loss). Baylor has led for 32+ minutes in 14 of its 27 games.
• Baylor has led for 65% of game time season (704:10 of 1080:00).
• The Bears have trailed for only 28% of game time (305:03 of 1080:00) and been tied for 7% (70:47 of 1080:00).
BEARS IN AP POLL THIS SEASON
• Baylor went from receiving no votes in the week 1 AP poll to No. 4 nationally just three weeks later on Dec. 5.
• BU has been top-10 ranked for a school-record-tying 13 consecutive weeks, including nine weeks in the top-5.
• Prior to this season, BU had been top-10 ranked in 20 weekly polls in program history, all during 2010-11, 2011-12 (13 straight weeks) and 2013-14.
• Baylor has now been ranked in each of the last 10 seasons -- one of 13 teams nationally to make that claim.
Last edited:
