BAYLOR (5-3) at PURDUE (3-5)
Dec. 30, 2004 - Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.) - 7:00 p.m. CST

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RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: ESPN+Plus (Time Warner Cable channel 16 in Waco/Temple
INTERNET VIDEO (BEARCAST): none
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor hits the road for its second away game of the season to face Purdue Thursday, Dec. 30, in West Lafayette, Ind. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at Mackey Arena and will be televised live on ESPN+Plus (channel 16 on Waco's Time Warner Cable). The Bears are 5-3 on the season and on a three game winning streak for the first time in the last two seasons following an 84-52 win over Prairie View A&M Tuesday. Baylor, the nation's most inexperienced team, is playing with limited scholarships and with nine newcomers. The Bears haven't won four straight games since December 2003. The Boilermakers (3-5) have won two straight games after defeating Evansville 62-61 Dec. 18 in Indianapolis.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- The Bears haven't won 4 straight games since Nov.-Dec. 2003.
- Baylor is 1-5 vs. current members of the Big Ten Conference.
- The Bears are 1-12 in their last 13 games played on opponents' home courts.
- Baylor leads the Big 12 in steals-per-game, averaging 10.63 [Tommy Swanson ranks 7th (1.9), Mark Shepherd ranks 7th (1.8) & Patrick Fields ranks 14th (1.8)]
- Baylor has shot better than 50% from the field in all 5 wins this season.
- Baylor is the nation's most inexperienced team (only 1 returning scholarship player).
- Aaron Bruce was named co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week this week.
- Kevis Shipman ranks 4th in the Big 12 in 3-pointers (2.5 per game).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 1st in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting (55%), 2nd in FG shooting (59%) and 2nd in FT shooting (89%).
- 4 Bears have double-digit scoring averages.
- Aaron Bruce has made 14-of-22 (64%) 3-pointers over the last 5 games.
- Baylor has dressed 7 or fewer scholarship players for 37 straight games [13-24 record] (since final game of 2002-2003 season).
- True freshman Aaron Bruce has led the team in scoring in 6 of 8 games.
- Baylor ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting, averaging 7.5 3s per game.
- 60 of Kevis Shipman's 62 points scored this season are from 3-pointers (20).
- Baylor's roster includes two active players taller than 6-6 (Mark Shepherd 6-9 and Tommy Swanson 6-10) [Mamadou Diene, 7-0, is expected to join team in January].
- Over the past five seasons Baylor is 48-3 when totaling an equal or higher shooting percentage than its opponent (5-0 this season).
- Two of Baylor's newcomers formerly were at other Division I schools. Sophomore Tim Bush played 10 games as a freshman at LSU in 2002-2003 and sophomore Patrick Fields was a redshirt at Mississippi in 2002-2003.
- Nine of the 12 players on Baylor's roster are Texas natives.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew is in his second season of the massive rebuilding project he undertook at Baylor and owns a two-year mark of 13-24 and a career record of 33-35 (3 seasons). Drew spent 10 seasons at Valparaiso, the last as head coach after nine seasons as an assistant to his father Homer. During his decade at Valpo, the Crusaders earned six NCAA Tournament berths, including five straight from 1996-2000. An outstanding recruiter, Drew is responsible for four national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last six years. He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision and helped produce what HoopScoop named the nation's sixth best recruiting class in 2001, the 10th best in 2004, the 13th best in 1999 and the 19th best in 2003.

THE PURDUE SERIES
Baylor faces Purdue for the second time Thursday. Then No. 21-Purdue won the series opener last season in Waco, a 76-65 decision.

THE PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue (3-5) is led by Gene Keady, in his 25th season in West Lafayette and 27th season as a head coach. His record is 508-254 at Purdue and 546-273 overall. Keady is the 14th-winningest active coach in Division I.

Purdue NOTES: The Boilermakers are 2-2 at home this season... Purdue is led by junior F Carl Landry, who averages 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds... The Boilermakers, who haven't played since Dec. 18, have won two straight games (both by one point)... Purdue lost to Big 12 foe Oklahoma 66-48 at home Dec. 8... Four Boilermakers average in double-figures in scoring.

DREW vs. PURDUE
Scott Drew is 0-2 as a head coach vs. Purdue. In addition to last season's 76-65 loss at Baylor, his Valparaiso team lost to the Boilermakers 87-55 in 2002-2003 in West Lafayette.

BAYLOR vs. THE BIG TEN
Thursday marks Baylor's seventh game against a team from the Big Ten Conference. Baylor is 1-5 all-time vs. Big Ten teams, including last season's 76-65 loss to Purdue.

BRUCE CO-BIG 12 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman G Aaron Bruce was named the Phillips 66 co-Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week Dec. 27 for his performance in the Bears win over Maryland-Eastern Shore last Wednesday. This is Baylor's first rookie award since current Oklahoma State and former Bear guard John Lucas III was so honored on Jan. 7, 2002. Bruce, a native of Australia, scored a game-high 22 points to lead Baylor to a 97-73 win over UMES. He shot 73 percent (8-for-11) from the field in the victory, including 4-for-7 from 3-point distance. Bruce added a career-high 5 steals, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Bruce was honored along with Colorado freshman guard Richard Roby (co-Big 12 Rookie of the Week) and Kansas State forward Jeremiah Massey (Big 12 Player of the Week).

ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 2-14 record in its last 16 games away from home (dating back to the 2002-2003 season). The Bears are 1-12 in their last 13 games played on opponents' home courts.

CUB FROM DOWN UNDER LEADING BEARS
True freshman G Aaron Bruce has had an immediate impact on Baylor's inexperienced squad. Bruce has started every game and leads the Bears in scoring (17.3 ppg; 4th in Big 12), minutes (30.8), 3-point percentage (54.5%; 1st in Big 12) and free throw shooting (88.9%; 2nd in Big 12). Bruce has led the team in scoring in six of eight games played and over the last five games has hit 14-of-22 3-pointers (64%).

BUSH PLAYING WELL IN FIRST EXTENSIVE ACTION IN 4 YEARS
Sophomore F Tim Bush, a transfer from LSU, has played well in his first four games since gaining his eligibility following the fall semester. Bush is averaging 15.0 points and 4.3 rebounds and has scored in double-digits in three of four games (scored nine points in limited action due to leg cramps vs. Southern) - including a career-high 20 points Tuesday vs. Prairie View A&M. Bush is playing substantial minutes for the first time in four seasons. After not playing his senior season of high school, Bush played just 36 minutes in 10 games for LSU as a true freshman in 2002-03 and transferred prior to last season - which he sat out at Baylor as a redshirt.

"VETERAN" SWANSON SHOWING STEADY IMPROVEMENT
Junior C Tommy Swanson, Baylor's only scholarship returnee, is stepping into his role as a major contributor in scoring and rebounding for the young Bears. Swanson has increased his average points to 13.5 (from 6.4 as a sophomore), shooting percentage to 59 percent (from 45), rebounds to 7.0 [8th in Big 12] (from 4.1) and minutes to 27.9 (from 22.1). Swanson has made 37 consecutive starts, Baylor's longest streak since current Oklahoma State All-American John Lucas III started 41 consecutive games during 2001-02 and 2002-03.

BIG 12'S TOP SHOOTER?
Through the first eight games of his career, true freshman Aaron Bruce is establishing himself as a proficient shooter. The guard from Australia, tabbed the Big 12's "best jump shooter" in Lindy's preseason publication, currently ranks first in the conference in 3-point shooting (18-of-33, 54.5%), second in field goal shooting (48-of-81, 59.3%) and second in free throw shooting (24-of-27; 88.9%).

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears are 49-18 in regular-season non-league play over the last six seasons, including a 5-3 record this year.

NATION'S MOST INEXPERIENCED TEAM
Baylor returned just three players from it's 2003-04 roster this season, including two walk-ons. Nine new players were included on the 2004-05 preseason roster. Baylor is the nation's only team (and the only team in recent memory) to have only one scholarship returnee. The three returnees had a combined total of four seasons of experience at the Division I level prior to this season. The 2004-05 roster includes nine underclassmen. This marks Baylor's second consecutive season of enduring short roster numbers (the Bears suited up between five and seven scholarship players during the 2003-04 season). Baylor has dressed 7 or fewer scholarship players for 36 straight games (since final game of 2002-03 season; 12-24 record during that span).

LOTS OF NEWCOMERS
The 2004-2005 Baylor roster includes seven newcomers and an additional two players who sat out last season. The nine new faces include three junior college transfers (junior G Kevis Shipman, sophomore G Roscoe Biggers and G/F Patrick Fields); one Division I transfer (sophomore F Tim Bush); and five high schoolers (G Aaron Bruce, C Mamadou Diene, G/F Hall Henderson, F Richard Hurd, F Mark Shepherd).

LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 84 - PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 52
Tim Bush scored a career-high 20 points to lead Baylor to an 84-52 win over Prairie View A&M at the Ferrell Center. Baylor started the game 13-0 and never looked back. The Bears did not permit a Prairie View A&M basket until 14:30 remained in the first half and led 40-22 at the half. Baylor dominated the Panthers in the lane, outscoring Prairie View A&M 46-to-8. The Panthers also committed 25 turnovers, leading to 42 points for the Bears. Baylor opened the second half with 10 straight points and led 50-22 with 17:30 left to play. Ryan Pryor's jumper gave the Bears their biggest lead at 37 points and put Baylor in front 82-45 with just under four minutes remaining. The win game Baylor its first three-game winning streak under head coach Scott Drew.

THE LAST MEETING: No. 21 PURDUE 76 - BAYLOR 65 [Jan. 3, 2004]
Playing with a depleted roster of just five scholarship and five walk-on players, Baylor put together one of the most memorable performances in recent Ferrell Center history, pushing No. 21 Purdue into the final minutes before dropping a 76-65 decision. Baylor trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half, and managed to close to 68-57 on Corey Herring's jumper with five minutes left that capped a 15-5 run. The Bears pulled within 72-65 on Harvey Thomas' 3-pointer with 21 seconds left, before Purdue hit four foul shots to complete the scoring. Four Baylor starters logged 36 minutes, including Thomas who finished with a team-high 20 points. The Bears were playing without former starters R.T. Guinn and Terrrance Thomas, who were declared academically ineligible prior to the game.

BAYLOR'S EARLY SIGNING CLASS RATED 11th NATIONALLY
Baylor's five-man early signee class is rated the 11th-best class in the nation according to HoopScoop and is one of the highest rated recruiting classes in recent school history. The class includes three national Top-100 players and three Top-10 state recruits. The signees include four prep seniors, Henry Dugat of Dayton (Texas) High School, Curtis Jerrells of Del Valle High School in Austin, Texas, Kevin Rogers of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas and Jari Vanttaja of Oulu, Finland; as well as Tony Jones, a freshman at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas.

Rogers, a 6-8, 220-pound power forward, is rated the 35th-best recruit nationally by Rivals and Hoop Alliance and the sixth-best recruit in the state by Rivals. Dugat is a 6-0, 160-pound combo guard rated No. 69 nationally by Scout.com and the fifth-best recruit in the state by TexasHoops. Jerrells, a 6-1, 170-pound point guard, was named to the TABC 4A All-State second team. He is rated the No. 94 recruit nationally by Rivals and the No. 7 recruit in Texas by Texas Roundball. Vanttaja is a 6-10, 215-pound forward who recently averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Finnish Junior National Team at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim, Germany. According to HoopScoop, if Vanttaja played in the U.S. he would be rated among the Top 50 high school prospects. Jones is a 6-7, 185-pound forward who redshirted the 2003-2004 season at Hill College and will have three seasons of eligibility at Baylor.

BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEES:Name        Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)Henry Dugat G   6-0 160 Fr. Dayton, Texas (Dayton HS)Curtis Jerrells G   6-1 170 Fr. Austin, Texas (Del Valle HS)Tony Jones  F   6-7 185 So. San Antonio, Texas (Taft HS/Hill College)Kevin Rogers    F   6-8 220 Fr. Dallas, Texas (South Oak Cliff HS)Jari Vanttaja   F   6-10    215 Fr. Oulu, Finland (South Tapiola HS)

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Nine lettermen from Baylor's season-opening 2003-2004 roster are not on the 2004-2005 edition. With those departed players the Bears have lost 88.8 percent of their scoring and 86.4 percent of last season's rebounding. Gone is Baylor's all-time games-played leader Matt Sayman, the USBL's No. 1 draft pick R.T. Guinn, talented All-District honoree Terrance Thomas, the scoring of third-team All-Big 12 selection Harvey Thomas and 22-game starter Carl Marshall. Four players left due to graduation/expired eligibility (Guinn, Robbie McKenzie, Sayman, T. Thomas), three transferred (Will Allen, Corey Herring, Marshall), one left to play professionally (H. Thomas) and one was dismissed from the team (Ellis Kidd Jr.).

NEXT UP...
Baylor returns to Waco for its third game in seven days to host Chicago State Monday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center.