April 20, 2001

Head men's basketball coach Dave Bliss sat down Friday afternoon and chatted with fans online. The following is a transcript of the chat session.

Head softball coach Glenn Moore will be our next guest. For a complete schedule of Baylor coaches scheduled to chat and for archived transcripts, click here.

Chase Waco, TX: Hi Dave I am a big fan. I was wondering with all of the sucess of the program this year what are your team goals for next year? Thanks

Dave Bliss: There is no doubt that we appreciate this year's success, but we also realize that just as we are getting better, the Big 12 as a whole is getting better, i.e., Texas Tech's hiring of Bobby Knight. Therefore, goals hinge not only on what we want to do, but realistically what we will be able to do. We do feel that we will be a better team next year, albeit a younger team, and we hope that we can develop as the season progresses even more than we did this year. Obviously, we would like to finish higher than we did this year (perhaps the first division) and have the chance to go to another postseason tournament.

scott: How does Baylor look for next year?

Dave Bliss: We lost two very important players from last year's team in Terry Black and Demarcus Minor, but we also feel that we have added to our team with transfers Kevin Henry and R.T. Guinn, as well as our fall signees Laurence Roberts, Kenny Taylor, and Dandrick Jones. We also hope to add some additional talent this spring. In conclusion, we will be one of the youngest teams in terms of age that we've coached in a long time, and with a more ambitious schedule, it may take awhile to show the improvement that we feel is possible.

whipp01: coach, how do you feel about you're old boss, coach knight joining the big 12 conference?

Dave Bliss: I talked to Bob this morning, and he's excited about being back in college coaching. I feel both of us would rather have to coach against somebody else than each other, but he will add a great deal to the Big 12.

Bob Hartwig: Coach, congratulations on a great season. It was so good to you see you back in The Pit for the NIT tournament. What would you say is the biggest difference between the fans and media in Waco as opposed to Albuquerque? Best of luck in the future and hope to hear from you soon.

Dave Bliss: Great to hear from you, Bob. I thought I saw you booing me when we were in The Pit a couple of weeks ago. All kidding aside, there are very few places that maintain the interest in basketball that Albuquerque does. Our job is to create that same type of interest here in Waco, and at times last year, it was a lot of fun. After our most recent game in the Pit, however, I know it's a lot easier coaching on the home bench than it was on the visiting bench. Boy, was it loud. Hope to see you this summer, and say hello to all your coworkers.

Bob from CT: Dave, Do you think Bob Knight will enjoy any instant success at Texas Tech and what are the other coaches saying about his return tto an otherwise obscure basketball institution?

Dave Bliss: Bob Knight will be successful anywhere, although it may take "a couple of weeks", and as far as the other coaches are concerned, I think we are all thrilled to add his visibility to our league.

Lee: should the NBA or NCAA do something about all these young kids leaving school early and the ones coming straight out of high school?

Dave Bliss: Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to stop the movement of the young NCAA talent to the NBA. I do feel, however, that a lot of the players are given the wrong information because others have something to gain from their exit. Therefore, I think we will see a continuation of some of the problems created by a lack of emotional maturity on the part of a lot of the players choosing the NBA. I don't think it has as big an effect on the college game as some people think, and I do think it helps schools like Baylor because this won't be an immediate problem of ours. We are hoping to take advantage of the fact that we will be able to keep our team together better than some other programs.

SicEmBear1: Coach- What was a sweeter victory, your upset over Kansas or your upset over Iowa State?

Dave Bliss: They were both great, but because the Kansas game was at home, more of our people got to enjoy it.

John: With Kevin Henry joining your team for this season, will you be running an offense that is similar to what you ran at UNM?

Dave Bliss: There is no doubt that Kevin Henry's ability to make shots will be a great addition to a team that shot less than 30% from 3-point territory. While the offense is not exactly the same, Kevin's shots will be essentially the same ones he took at New Mexico. His sophomore year, he made over 100 3-pointers for the Lobos, which is almost twice as many as anyone made for us this year.

Allen Geller: How do Marlon Parmer and Ruben Douglas stack up to the top players in the Big 12? Thanks for the great years at New Mexico.

Dave Bliss: We were very familiar with how good Ruben Douglas could be, because we had recruited him before he went to Arizona. Marlon Parmer was very difficult to guard, even moreso than Jamal Tinsley of Iowa State. It was Parmer's penetration that compelled us to start in a zone in the NIT game. Ruben's 3-point shooting quickly made us pay for that decision. They will have a couple of real good years ahead of them.

Tom Sena: Out of all your newcomers(including transfers), who do you think will have the biggest impact? I had fun watching you guys play the Lobos in the NIT.

Dave Bliss: We have already discussed Kevin Henry, but I feel the fans will really appreciate watching RT Guinn, the 6-9 sophomore transfer from New Mexico, and Lawrence Roberts, the 6-9 freshman from Houston. They both have a chance to play a lot of basketball right away, and should help our interior game tremendously.

Axeman: Do you feel that the NCAA should give college students money in order to keep them in school who are good enough to go pro?

Dave Bliss: Damien Wilkins is getting some questionable advice, but I most definitely don't think we should subsidize any players in order to keep them in college. We can't make every situation fit in a box, which is my way of saying as long as people offer these youngsters and their family the enticement of big money, questionable decisions will be made. I'm old-school, I think that the payment of an athletic scholarship and the ensuing education is reward enough.

Anthony: Coach, do you have any plans in upgrading the non-conference schedule? I feel there is alot to gain by scheduling a home and home with other major conference teams in your position, such as Minnesota, NC State, Vanderbilt, Oregon......

Dave Bliss: There is no doubt that we will upgrade our schedule each year as we upgrade our talent. Next year, we hope to play all the private schools in our state, i.e, Rice, SMU, etc., as well as teams from the other major conferences. This will allow us to have a better RPI than we had this year, which will enhance our chances for the postseason.

Henry: I wanted to thank you and especially Coach O'Neill for working with us this past year. I think the overall goal of attendance worked out. My question is about recruiting for next year. What positions will you be recruiting and are there any players on your wish list? Once again, thank you for all your hard work.

Dave Bliss: The NCAA rules don't allow us to talk about future recruiting as far as names are concerned, but we do feel that we will improve our athletic ability by signing several players in the 6-4 to 6-7 range that can play multiple positions.

ChuckWagon: Being at the position you are in the Big 12, is it harder to schedule quality teams to play in Waco?

Dave Bliss: As our team does better, fewer teams want to schedule you until you get to the point where you are acceptable company. That is, you are not thought of as being a bad team to lose to. As we are getting better, we think people will respect our program more and some may even be interested in playing home-and-home with us. The fact that Waco is off the beaten path is somewhat of a deterrant, and in those cases, we hope to play on a neutral court in either Dallas or Houston.

bigTwelveHoop: Coach Bliss, How did you get involved in coaching a major collegiate sport at such a young age?

Dave Bliss: Before I joined the Army in 1967 and met Bob Knight (when he was coaching at Army), I intended to be a salesman for Proctor and Gamble. He showed me that coaching could take advantage of the business education that I had, and to this day, I use ideas that I learned from P&G. I got my first head coaching job at the University of Oklahoma at age 31 because he did such a great job those first few years at Indiana. Honestly speaking, however, I enjoy coaching more every year, because we realize what a neat profession we are involved in.

Michael Hillman: Who do you think will start at point guard for the Bears next season? Also, I have heard rumors that Wendall Greenleaf is considering transferring, what is his current status?

Dave Bliss: I haven't heard anything about Wendell transferring, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to be the point guard. Matt Sayman will have an opportunity, as will some of the other players we hope to sign this spring.

BEAU: COACH BLISS, WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE BEST BASKETBALL TEAM NEXT YEAR IN THE BIG 12!! THANKS

Dave Bliss: At the outset, I think Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas will be the favorites, with Colorado a long shot.

Allen: What are your thoughts on the 5/8 scholarship rule and how is it going to effect Division 1 programs?

Dave Bliss: The 5/8 scholarship rule, while it has merit at the outset, is too inflexible to address the situations that we have seen occur most recently at Texas Tech and Arizona. We were similar to Texas Tech when we first got here two years ago, and it is difficult to change your team without changing the personnel. Usually this requires an overhaul of the roster beyond the 5/8 limit. As far as losses that occur because of the departure for the NBA, there are very few cases like Arizona, but I think they should have some type of relief, given the unusual circumstances.

Marc: Coach Bliss - With the success of the basketball program, what are you doing to assure consistent success in the program. I actually remember when the football program had some success in the early 90s, but they never seemed to establish a consistent track record of winning. I attribute some of this to the way Baylor does business, i.e. the lack of the big budgets found at rival SWC or Big 12 schools. How will you and your program be different?

Dave Bliss: There is no doubt that with the successful season we have just enjoyed, the most important year becomes the next one. You don't want to be up and down, but have each year fit successfully with the following year. The leadership at Baylor understands this, and I feel our budget will be adequate. Our job each year is to improve the talent level, and whereas we did it originally with juco players, we are now trying to implement high school players into our program. When you are able to do this, you are building a program, and not just a team.

ENMU96: Hey Coach!! We saw you in action for many years in NM and enjoyed it all. After seeing the EMNU win in 91....was that a humbling exp for you as a coach? Is the smaller school competition better in Texas? What makes a good Div. II team and how can you and the Div. I teams help strengthen these Div II Teams? Good Luck!!!! P.S. You were known for being good with the big guys in the middle....do you see any Lucs' or Kenny T. in your future!!

Dave Bliss: After the Greyhound victory in 1991, I was Man of the Year in Portales. All kidding aside, coaching itself is very humbling, but it is also very rewarding at the same time. That's when you have to remember that it is just a game, that teaches lifeskills. If the skills aren't learned, and all that results is a win or a loss, then we've missed a golden opportunity to teach, and that is what we pride ourselves on being able to accomplish at Baylor.

I hope that DI teams are able to play DII teams in the exhibition games of the future, because it is foolish to be playing the proliferation of foreign teams when the DII teams could enjoy the guarantee and the experience.

We hope to have a very good inside game again this year, with R.T. Guinn, Greg Davis, Lawrence Roberts, Steven Othoro and Logan Kosmalski. I think this is where we will improve the most.

Baylor Backer: Coach Bliss, There were many of the nation's top forwards right there in your own backyard. How hard was it to decide on Lawrence Roberts instead of maybe Marcus Sloan or Emeka Okafor? Was Lawrence the first one to committ or what? Where has Marcus and Emeka signed?

Dave Bliss: We felt Lawrence Roberts was the very best player for our team, and with Greg Davis, Steven Othoro, RT Guinn, and Logan Kosmalski, and the 13 scholarship limit, we couldn't recruit Marcus or Emeka. Marcus will attend TCU, and I believe Emeka has committed to UConn.

Mizzou Fan: Congrats on a great season from a Baylor standpoint. I am a mizzou student and would like to know if you think that Mizzou is a top ten team next year with everyone returning.

Dave Bliss: There is no doubt that Mizzou will be up there with Kansas, Oklahoma, and the others next year, especially if Rush comes back healthy.

Justin Cange: Hey Coach- Im sure our out of conference schedule will be improved next year, but are there any confirmed dates and teams yet?

Dave Bliss: Our schedule will be released soon, and it will be much more ambitious than last year's, including many of the state private schools and some good intersectional games. We believe our RPI can improve dramatically by improving our strength of schedule. We are also contemplating a trip to Puerto Rico at Christmastime.

Shawn Schultz: Dear Coach Bliss, Was you at a Dallas Mavericks game this past week? I thought that I saw you there.

Dave Bliss: I was at the Mavs game with my family, and I really enjoy the pro game, especially around playoff time.

PAUL DAVIS/CHANNEL 12/AUGUSTA: COACHHHHHHHH!, ITS BEEN AWHILE...BUT ITS ALWAYS FUN TO TURN ON ESPN LATE AT NIGHT AND CATCH A GAME WITH YOU ON THE SIDELINES..AND REMEMBER MY TV DAYS IN ALBUQUERQUE COVERING THE LOBOS! WE NEVER DID GET A CHANCE TO TAKE IN A DUKES BASEBALL GAME TOGETHER...MAYBE 1 DAY WE CAN HOOK UP WHEN YOU COME TO THE MASTERS...I'VE BEEN HERE 7 YEARS BUT WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER MY DAYS OUT WEST...

Dave Bliss: Where do you go to sign up for duty in Augusta, Georgia? Because all of us would do this. All kidding aside, I always enjoyed your coverage of Lobo basketball. As you remember, Paul, the fans couldn't get enough basketball news, and you helped us spread the word. Whereas some people thought we didn't enjoy the fish bowl, we actually used it to our advantage and there is no doubt that it contributed to our success. It's great to hear from you. Good luck!

Bill: Coach, Has R.T. Guinn gotten any taller?

Dave Bliss: R.T. Guinn is 6-9, 245 pounds, and is also one of the best shooting big men we have ever been around. We feel he will have a chance to start immediately.

scott: Will Terry Black be an NBA superstar?

Dave Bliss: Whereas Terry Black still needs to work on his shooting, I feel his competitive drive and tenacious spirit will allow him to eventually make the NBA. He is the best traffic dunker (dunking with people around him) that I've ever seen. We hope he will be invited to the Chicago pre-draft camp in early June, along with DeMarcus Minor.

AlabamaBU bear: What is your impression of the Big 12 as compared to the WAC where you coached with great success in New Mexico? Keep up the great work!

Dave Bliss: Whereas the WAC only had 1 or 2 top-25 teams, i.e., New Mexico, Utah, the Big 12 usually has 5 or 6. The difference is the depth of each team, and that has been shown in the NCAA postseason picks as well as the NBA draft picks.

Chi-Town1: Coach-Who is your favorite BAYLOR UNIVERSITY alumn? Mike Singletary, Michael Johnson, or Trey Wingo?

Dave Bliss: We had a chance last fall to show Trey Wingo our new facilities (office, locker room, etc.), and he was excited about what was happening. Hopefully he enjoyed reporting the Kansas and Iowa State wins, because he's sure been a terrific alum.

Adam in Evansville: Coach, This is Adam Greenberger, I used to be the Operations Manager at the Ferrell Ceter. I just wanted to commend you on a great season. I loved watching you beat Kansas. Hopefully you will schedule a game in the area so I can come out and see the Bears in action. Good luck next season.

Dave Bliss: It's great to hear from you, and we appreciate the nice comments. Please say hello to our good friend Jim Crews, who coaches the Evansville Aces. There's too much snow up there for us to go there to play.

Jim Wright: Speaking of 5/8, with Jones, Roberts, and Taylor already signed, are you looking at bringing in 1 or 2 more recruits during the Spring signing period?

Dave Bliss: Although we've got three signees from fall recruiting, we hope to add a few more in the spring and will probably reach our max of five. Their names will be available in the next few weeks.

Dave Bliss: I have to go recruiting now, because we have a point guard on campus. I know all you Bear fans know that we need one. I look forward to my next chance to share Baylor basketball with all of you.