BAYLOR (8-4, 0-1) vs. No. 25 OKLAHOMA (12-2, 1-0)
Jan. 15, 2005 - Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) - 5:00 p.m. CST

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RADIO: Baylor Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: FSN Southwest
INTERNET VIDEO (BEARCAST): none
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor returns to Big 12 play by hosting No. 25 Oklahoma Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST and the game will be telecast live on FSN Southwest. The Bears are 8-4, 0-1 on the season and after an 86-50 win over Savannah State Thursday have matched last season's win total. Baylor, the nation's most inexperienced team, is playing with limited scholarships and with nine newcomers. The Sooners are on a six-game winning streak, most recently a 77-65 victory over No. 11 UConn Monday. The Bears are trying to snap a 20-game losing streak to Oklahoma. (Saturday's game will be telecast on the Sooner Sports Network in the state of Oklahoma.)

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor has lost 10 straight games vs. ranked opponents (2-23 last 4 years).
- At 8-4, Baylor has matched last season's win total.
- Aaron Bruce ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting (49%), 7th in FG shooting (54%) and 1st in FT shooting (88%).
- Freshman Aaron Bruce is on Dick Vitale's Super Six All-Daiper Dandies listing.
- Baylor leads the Big 12 in steals averaging 10.0 per game.
- Baylor has shot better than 50% from the field in 6 of 8 wins this season.
- Baylor is the nation's most inexperienced team (only 1 returning scholarship player).
- Baylor has dressed 7 or fewer scholarship players for 41 straight games [16-25 record] (since final game of 2002-2003 season).
- Aaron Bruce was named the Midseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year by the Rocky Mountain News.
- Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman will sing the national anthem Saturday.
- 4 Bears have double-digit scoring averages.
- Junior Tommy Swanson has made 41 straight starts (BU's longest streak since John Lucas III started 41 consecutive games from 2001-2003).
- Underclassmen have led Baylor in scoring in 10 of 12 games.
- Baylor ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting, averaging 7.7 3s per game.
- 75 of Kevis Shipman's 84 points scored this season are from 3-pointers (25).
- Baylor is currently playing with 6 active scholarship players and 5 walk-ons.
- Baylor's roster includes two active players taller than 6-6 (Mark Shepherd 6-9 and Tommy Swanson 6-10).

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 16-25 and a career record of 36-36 (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 OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Oklahoma (12-2, 1-0) is in its 11th season under the direction of Kelvin Sampson, who owns a 422-242 career record with stops at Montana Tech (1981-85) and Washington State (1985-94) prior to his days in Norman. Sampson has amassed a 246-94 ledger at Oklahoma, including eight 20-win campaigns.

OU NOTES: The Sooners are riding a six-game winning streak and are ranked 25th nationally... OU has played just one previous true road game this season (five games at neutral sites), a 66-48 victory at Purdue... Oklahoma is holding opponents to a Big 12-best 26.1% on 3-point shots... The Sooners are led by junior F Taj Gray, who averages 15.6 points and 8.5 rebounds...

THE OKLAHOMA SERIES
Baylor and Oklahoma will meet for the 31st time Saturday. The Sooners lead the all-time series 25-5 and have won 20 consecutive games dating back to the 1977-78 season. The Bears trail 11-2 in series games played in Waco and have lost 11 straight.

VITALE NAMES BRUCE AMONG TOP SIX DAIPER DANDIES
On a recent ESPN telecast and again in Tuesday's USA Today, Dick Vitale included Baylor true freshman Aaron Bruce among his "Super Six All-Daiper Dandies" - a listing of the top freshman in the nation. Vitale wrote: "Coming via Australia, he is a lethal three-point shooter who is putting up big numbers for Scott Drew's Bears." Joining Bruce on the list were Jordan Farmar (UCLA), Daniel Gibson (Texas), Malik Hairston (Oregon), D.J. White (Indiana) and Marvin Williams (North Carolina).

BEARS MATCH LAST SEASON'S WIN TOTAL
With its 86-50 victory over Savannah State in the final non-conference game of the season, Baylor upped its record to 8-4 and matched last season's win total. In 2003-2004, the first in Scott Drew's rebuilding project, the undermanned Bears finished 8-21 (3-13 in the Big 12).

CUB FROM DOWN UNDER LEADING BEARS
True freshman G Aaron Bruce has led the inexperienced Bears since the start of his young career. Bruce has started every game and leads the Bears in scoring (16.3 ppg; 5th in Big 12) and free throw shooting (87.5%; 1st in Big 12) and is second in 3-point percentage (49.0%; 2nd in Big 12) and minutes played (31.2 mpg). Bruce has scored in double-digits in 11 of 12 games played.

BUSH POSTING IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS DESPITE LONG LAYOFF
Sophomore F Tim Bush, a transfer from LSU, has made an immediate impact since gaining his eligibility following the fall semester. Bush is averaging 15.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 32.1 minutes and has scored in double-digits in seven of eight games (scored nine points in limited action vs. Southern due to leg cramps). 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 13.4 (from 6.4 as a sophomore), shooting percentage to 59 percent [2nd in Big 12] (from 45), rebounds to 7.2 [6th in Big 12] (from 4.1) and minutes to 27.8 (from 22.1). Swanson has made 41 consecutive starts, Baylor's longest streak since current Oklahoma State All-American John Lucas III started 41 consecutive games during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

BIG 12'S TOP SHOOTER?
Through the first 12 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 second in the conference in 3-point shooting (25-of-51, 49.0%), seventh in field goal shooting (68-of-126, 54.0%) and first in free throw shooting (35-of-40; 87.5%).

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Saturday's matchup vs. No. 25 Oklahoma is Baylor's second game against a ranked opponent this season (0-1). The Bears are 2-24 over the last four seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 11 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater (2-15-03).

BEARS-BUFFS TO TURN BACK CLOCK FOR NATIONAL AUDIENCE
Baylor's game against Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 19, will be televised live nationally from the Ferrell Center as part of ESPN Classic's "Turn Back the Clock" series. The new series hopes to capture the look and feel of a 1979 telecast, the first year ESPN was on the air. The series utilizes retro graphics, 1970s-era music and "throwback" announcers. Jim Simpson, an original ESPN commentator, has come out of retirement to do play-by-play announcing for the series and he is expected to be joined by former coaching great Jud Heathcote for Wednesday's telecast. In the spirit of the "Turn Back the Clock" series, Baylor is encouraging all fans to dust off their polyester suits and afro wigs and help create an old-school atmosphere. Baylor's cheerleaders will wear retro uniforms and The Courtside Players pep bad will perform tunes from the 1970s. Free pizza will be awarded to the best-dressed fans in the crowd and one lucky fan will win free pizza for a year from Pizza Hut. Baylor will also turn back food prices at the Ferrell Center and sell all concession items at $1 off. Additional giveaway items will be provided by ESPN and Pizza Hut.

LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 86 - SAVANNAH STATE 50
Patrick Fields scored 17 points to lead Baylor to an 86-50 win over Savannah State at the Ferrell Center in the Bears' final non-conference game of the season. With the victory over winless Savannah State, the Bears (8-4) matched their win total for last season, when they finished 8-21 in head coach Scott Drew's first year at Baylor. The Bears opened the second half on an 11-2 run and moved in front 51-26 with 17:30 left to play. Baylor pushed its lead to 30 points at 65-35 with just under 12 minutes remaining. Savannah State trailed 7-6 five minutes into the first half as the Bears connected on only one of their first 13 shots. But Aaron Bruce, Fields, and Tim Bush nailed 3-pointers to key a 13-3 Baylor run and the Bears led 20-9 just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half. Baylor extended its margin to 40-24 at halftime with Fields scoring 12 first-half points. The Bears forced Savannah State into 19 first-half turnovers.

THE LAST MEETING: OKLAHOMA 46 - BAYLOR 41 [Mar. 6, 2004]
The Bears put together a stunning effort on the road in their final game of the season, but their upset bid fell just short against Oklahoma as Baylor was defeated 46-41 in Norman. Oklahoma's Lawrence McKenzie hit a pair of free throws with 21.4 seconds left and Jaison Williams made a steal on the next possession, helping Oklahoma deny the gutsy Bears of their biggest win of the year. Baylor went on a 14-2 run to open the second half and led 32-22 on Terrance Thomas' soaring layup along the baseline with 13 minutes left. The Sooners pounded the undersized Bears on the boards, and slowly whittled away at the deficit. McKenzie tied the game at 33 on a scoop layup with 8:28 to go. OU took its first lead since early in the second half, 40-39, on a 3-pointer with 2:45 left. Thomas pulled Baylor within 42-41 on another layup with 41.7 seconds to go, but McKenzie's free throws sealed the win for Oklahoma. The Bears were led by 10 points each from Harvey Thomas and Terrance Thomas. The contest marked the final game for Baylor seniors R.T. Guinn, Matt Sayman and Terrance Thomas. The Sooners almost lost to the Bears, who have only seven scholarship players, despite forcing 18 turnovers and outrebounding them 36-24.

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM
Christian rock artist Steven Curtis Chapman will sing the national anthem prior to the game Saturday. A four-time Grammy Award winner who has sold over nine million records, Chapman has two platinum albums, seven gold albums and 41 No. 1 songs to his credit. Chapman, who has a daughter enrolled at Baylor, was the headliner for the 2004 Curves Hot Air Balloon Concert at Floyd Casey Stadium last September.

BIG 12 ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Baylor newcomers have been honored as Big 12 Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks recently. Sophomore forward Tim Bush was selected Jan. 3 and true freshman guard Aaron Bruce was honored Dec. 27. Bush, a transfer from LSU, received the award after leading the Bears to wins over Purdue and Prairie View A&M and averaging 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Bruce, a native of Australia, was honored for his performance in a win over Maryland-Eastern Shore in which he scored a game-high 22 points and shot 73 percent (8-for-11) from the field - including 4-for-7 from 3-point distance. This is the first time Baylor has had two players named rookie of the week in the same season since 2001-2002, when former Bears John Lucas III (twice) and Lawrence Roberts were so honored.

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 41 straight games (since final game of 2002-03 season; 16-25 record during that span).

FERRELL CENTER'S 17th YEAR
The Bears are in their 17th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 7-2 at home in 2004-2005 and owns a 149-102 all-time record in the arena, which opened in November 1988. The Ferrell Center is a golden-domed structure that seats 10,284 for basketball games.

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).

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...
The Bears wrap up a three-game homestand in style when they host Colorado Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Ferrell Center. The game will be televised live nationally at 7 p.m. CST as part of ESPN Classsic's "Turn Back the Clock" series and the night will be filled with a retro atmosphere and several promotions.