BAYLOR (6-2) at No. 23 SYRACUSE (8-2)
Dec. 16, 2006 - Carrier Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.) - 6:00 p.m. CST/7:00 p.m. EST

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RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / KVCE 1160AM Dallas / Sirius Satellite ch. 161)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: Time Warner (Syracuse, N.Y. area only - no Texas coverage)
INTERNET VIDEO: live video stream for purchase at SUathletics.com
LIVE STATS: live stats at SUathletics.com

THE GAME
Baylor travels to Syracuse, N.Y., for a Dec. 16 matchup against the 23rd-ranked Orange. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST at the Carrier Dome. Baylor is 6-2 and had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 64-59 defeat to South Carolina last Saturday. The young Bears, with nine freshmen and sophomores, are playing a full season and have a full allotment of scholarships for the first time in four years. Syracuse is 8-2 and coming off a 79-52 win over Colgate last Saturday. The game is the first-ever between Baylor and Syracuse. Saturday's contest is Baylor's first this season against a Top 25 opponent, and the Bears will attempt to snap a 22-game losing streak to ranked foes.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Saturday marks first-ever meeting in basketball between Baylor and Syracuse.
- Baylor (6-2) is off to its best start since the 2002-03 squad began the season 6-2 (`02-03 squad began season 9-2).
- Baylor is 3-32 in its last 35 away games (dating to '02-03) and has lost 18 straight since a 73-72 win at Purdue 12-30-04.
- Baylor's team 1.22 assist-to-turnover ratio is the highest in 29 years of records at BU.
- BU has lost 22 straight games vs. ranked teams since a win over #13 OSU in 2003.
- Aaron Bruce has hit 16 straight FTs over the last 7 gms (dating to win over CSU).
- Aaron Bruce is 3rd in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.63.
- Baylor is 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring - 81.6 ppg (18.4 ppg more than last season), the school's highest scoring average since the `93-94 squad averaged 85.5 ppg.
- Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 in blocks, averaging 3.1 per gm (13th nationally).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 5th among the Big 12 assists leaders - 5.3 apg.
- BU is 58-20 in regular-season non-league games the last 7 seasons (6-2 in `06-07).
- Sophomores Henry Dugat (13.9 ppg) & Kevin Rogers (12.8) have both increased their scoring output by 6.7 points from last season. - BU's sophomore quartet (Diene, Dugat, Jerrells & Ro
gers; last season's "Freshman Four") accounts for 55% of Baylor's scoring and 65% of its rebounds.
- Underclassmen have led BU in scoring in 46 of its last 53 games (dating to 2004-05) [in 29 of last 53 a freshman has been top scorer].
- Sophomore Mamadou Diene has made at least 1 block in all 24 career games.
- Henry Dugat & Tweety Carter have both hit at least 1 3-pointer in all 8 games.
- Aaron Bruce and Curtis Jerrells have shot a combined 12% (3-of-25) on 3-pointers in BU's 2 losses - conversely the pair has hit 42% (22-of-53) in the 6 wins.
- Injury Update: Jari Vanttaja (ankle sprain) will dress Saturday at SU; Patrick Fields (knee sprain) is a gametime decision; Penny Thiam (torn ACL) is out for the season.
- Baylor's last three recruiting classes have all been rated Top-20 nationally: 2006 No. 17 (Rivals.com); 2005 No. 11 (Rivals.com); and 2004 No. 10 (Hoopscoop.com).
- True freshman Tweety Carter is Baylor's first-ever McDonald's All-America signee.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fourth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 27-55 at the school and a career record of 47-66 (five seasons). Prior to Baylor, 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 five national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last eight years (No. 17 in 2006, No. 11 in 2005 and No. 10 in 2004 at Baylor; No. 6 in 2001 and No. 13 in 1999 at Valpo). He was named the 1998-99 National Recruiter of the Year by Court Vision.

THE SYRACUSE ORANGE
Head Coach: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, 1966); 734-255, 31 seasons Series vs. Baylor: never met Last meeting: none Streak: none Series at Syracuse: none Drew vs. SU: 0-1 Baylor vs. Big East: 2-7

SYRACUSE NOTES: Syracuse (8-2) is located in Syracuse, N.Y., and is a member of the Big East Conference... The Orange return four starters from last season's 23-12 team which won the Big East Tournament and played in the first round of the NCAA Tournament... Syracuse is led by senior F Demetris Nichols, who averages 17.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game... Freshman phenom G Paul Harris, a preseason Newcomer of the Year pick for the Big East, averages 11.3 points and 7.0 rebounds.

FULL ROSTER, FULL SCHEDULE
For the first time in four seasons since head coach Scott Drew was hired, Baylor has both a full allotment of scholarships available and a complete schedule to play. For three seasons the Bears have played through handicaps: in each of the first three years the program was playing with scholarship limits; last season, the Bears were stripped of playing a non-conference schedule (all results of sanctions brought on by the previous coaching staff). In 2006-07 Baylor has 13 scholarships available and is playing a full schedule.

BEST START SINCE...
Baylor (6-2) is off to its best start since the 2002-03 Bears began the season 6-2. That `02-03 squad started the season 9-2.

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION UP
Baylor is second in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 81.6 points per game - up 18.4 points from last season and the highest team scoring average since 1993-94 (when the Bears scored an average 85.5 points).

BAYLOR vs. NON-CONFERENCE FOES
The Bears are 58-20 in regular-season, non-league play over the past seven seasons (6-2 this season).

BRUCE & JERRELLS OUTSIDE SHOOTING SETS THE TONE
The results of the perimeter shooting of starting guards Aaron Bruce and Curtis Jerrells seems to have a direct impact on the outcome of Baylor's games. The duo has combined to shoot 12 percent (3-of-25) on 3-pointers in Baylor's two losses and conversely the pair has hit 42 percent (22-of-53) in the team's six wins.

ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 3-32 record in its last 35 games away from home (dating back to the 2002-03 season) and has lost 18 straight (last road win was 73-72 upset at Purdue Dec. 30, 2004). The Bears are 2-28 in their last 30 games played on opponents' home courts and have lost 16 straight.

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Saturday's matchup at No. 23 Syracuse is Baylor's first game against a ranked opponent this season. The Bears are 2-35 over the last six seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 22 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003. This is Baylor's first non-conference ranked opponent since the Bears dropped a 76-65 decision to 21st-ranked Purdue Jan. 3, 2004.

BRUINS BOAST TALENTED BACKCOURT
Baylor's strength in 2006-07 lies in its talented pool of guards, including its trio of starters who each average 30-plus minutes per game: Curtis Jerrells (31.9 mpg), Henry Dugat (30.9 mpg) and Aaron Bruce (30.8 mpg). Reserve Demond "Tweety" Carter averages 21.8 minutes off the bench. The four guards combine to average 45.9 points a game. Bruce (2005) and Jerrells (2006) are former Freshmen All-Americans and true freshman Carter is the school's first-ever McDonald's All-American. Baylor's backcourt was listed among the nation's top 14 backcourts in The Sporting News preseason publication.

MORE TEAM BALANCE (SCORING/MINUTES PLAYED)
A byproduct of Baylor's increased depth and talent is a more balanced team, evidenced by balanced scoring and fewer minutes played. Four Bears average double-digits in scoring, and eight boast scoring averages above 6.0 points per game. Baylor's leader in minutes played (Curtis Jerrells) is averaging 31.9 minutes per game, the lowest such total on a BU squad since 1998-99, when Tevis Stukes' 31.9 was his team's high.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR LAST SEASON'S "FRESHMAN FOUR"
Baylor is powered by its nucleus of youth, namely a quartet of sophomores which as rookies in 2005-06 was nicknamed the "Freshman Four": Mamadou Diene, Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers. As freshmen the quartet combined to account for nearly half of the team's points, rebounds and assists. This season the sophomores have increased that production (percentages below).

DIENE, DUGAT, JERRELLS & ROGERS% of Team's:        Pts     Reb.    Asst.Freshmen in 2005-06 46% (496/1,074) 51% (252/493)   49% (92/186)Sophomores in 2006-07   55% (357/653)   65% (177/273)   46% (62/134)

IMPRESSIVE ASSIST/TURNOVER NUMBERS
Baylor boasts a team 1.22 assist-to-turnover ratio (134-110), the fourth-best ratio in the Big 12 this season. That ratio is currently the highest figure in the 29 years of records at the school (only seven BU teams in the last 28 seasons have finished the season with positive assist-to-turnover ratios). Credit for the high ratio goes to guards Aaron Bruce (2.63 ratio, third among Big 12 individuals), Curtis Jerrells (1.94, 5th in Big 12) and Tweety Carter (2.33).

DUGAT & ROGERS AMONG BIG 12's MOST IMPROVED SCORERS
Sophomores Henry Dugat and Kevin Rogers have each nearly doubled their scoring output from their freshman season in 2005-06. Both players are also among the Big 12's most improved scorers from last season: Dugat and Rogers both average 6.7 more than last season (7th in Big 12).

BRUCE ALMIGHTY'S SCORING DOWN, ASSISTS UP
Third-year guard Aaron Bruce is averaging 11.9 points and 5.3 assists [5th in Big 12] through eight games. His 2.63 assist-to-turnover ratio (42-16) is third in the Big 12. Heading into the Syracuse game Bruce has made 16 straight free throws. The junior, rated the nation's 11th-best point guard by The Sporting News preseason publication, spent the offseason playing for the Australian national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan. Bruce averaged 13.1 points during an injury-riddled sophomore campaign last season and averaged 18.2 points in 2004-05 when he led the nation's freshmen in scoring and was named a freshman All-American.

JERRELLS BUILDING ON STELLAR FRESHMAN SEASON
Curtis Jerrells, who is averaging 12.5 points and 3.9 assists through eight games, is coming off a rookie season in which he led the team in scoring (13.5 ppg), assists (3.3 apg), steals (1.4 spg) and minutes (33.4 mpg) and was named a Freshman All-American. Jerrells is projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by Lindy's, USA TODAY and ESPN.com. He has also been named the Big 12's "Most Underrated Player" by both Athlon and The Sporting News preseason publications.

DUGAT PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS
Henry Dugat has started his sophomore season with a bang. Through eight games (his first eight career starts), the guard is leading the team with 13.9 points per game [14th in Big 12] and shooting 42 percent (16-for-38) on 3-pointers [fifth in Big 12]. He has scored in double-digits in six of eight games.

MAYOR DIENE CONTINUES AS BIG 12's TOP SHOT-BLOCKER
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot sophomore from Senegal, is averaging 6.3 points, 7.4 rebounds [sixth in Big 12] and 3.1 blocks [leads Big 12, 13th nationally]. Diene led the Big 12 in blocks as a freshman, averaging 2.2 in 2005-06 and his 2.50 career figure is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Milwaukee Buck Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene has blocked at least one shot in all 24 career games (16 multi-block games). The 19-year-old Diene, referred to as "The Mayor" by the Baylor coaching staff due to his huge popularity across campus, has gained more than 55 pounds since his arrival in the United States in Jan. 2005 weighing 197 pounds.

INJURIES: VANTTAJA PROBABLE, FIELDS POSSIBLE, THIAM OUT
Three Baylor players have recently dealt with injuries. Redshirt freshman F Jari Vanttaja has missed three games with an ankle sprain but will dress for Saturday's game at Syracuse. Senior G/F Pat Fields has yet to play this season while recovering from a sprained MCL in his knee suffered during a Nov. 4 exhibition contest and may dress for the Syracuse game. Freshman F Djibril "Penny" Thiam sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the win over Texas Southern Nov. 20 and is out for the season.

BEARS STILL YOUNG
Despite returning 11 of last season's 13 players, the Bears are still a relatively young squad in 2006-07. Baylor's roster includes just two seniors and three juniors compared to nine freshmen and sophomores. [Note: Underclassmen have led Baylor in scoring in 46 of its last 53 games (over the last three seasons); in 29 of those 53 a freshman has been top scorer.]

LAST TIME OUT: SOUTH CAROLINA 64 - BAYLOR 59
Cold perimeter shooting hurt Baylor, but several late clutch shots by South Carolina's Tre' Kelley doomed the Bears in a 64-59 defeat to the Gamecocks at the Ferrell Center. In a tightly contested first half, neither team led by more than four and there were four ties and 11 lead changes. With less than 30 seconds left in the half, Brandis Raley-Ross hit a 3-point jumper to give the Gamecocks a 29-27 lead at intermission. The Bears shot 1-of-11 from 3-point range in the first half. In the second half, Baylor went on a 16-4 run to take a 45-38 lead with 10 minutes left, but the Gamecocks withstood the barrage and went on a 13-5 run of their own to take a 51-50 lead with 3:30 left on a 3-pointer by Brandon Wallace and extended it to 53-50 on a put-back by Dominique Archie at 2:21. Kelley's deep 3 from well beyond the arc put the Gamecocks up 58-54 with 1:08 left, but Baylor's Aaron Bruce answered back with a 15-footer to cut the lead to 58-56 with 47 seconds left. Kelley hit another 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down with 13 seconds left, but the Bears quickly answered with a 3 from Henry Dugat with five seconds left. Baylor had only committed five fouls in the second half and wasted valuable time trying to get USC to the line. Archie hit four straight free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory. South Carolina shot 40.4 percent from the field for the game, and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-24), while Baylor shot 42.9 percent from the floor and only 20.8 percent from 3-point range (5-of-24). The Gamecocks also outrebounded the Bears 38-32.

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- Aaron Bruce ranks 2nd on Baylor's career free throw percentage list (.829).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 5th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.390).
- Pat Fields ranks 6th on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.378).
- Mamadou Diene ranks 2nd on Baylor's career blocks-per-game list (2.50).
- Aaron Bruce is 12 made 3-pointers shy of 5th place (126, Tevis Stukes No. 5 with 138) on Baylor's career 3-point field goal list .
- Mamadou Diene is 5 blocks shy of moving into 8th place on Baylor's career blocks list (60 blocks, Tommy Swanson & Jamie Kendrick No. 8 with 65).

WIDE RECEIVER SIMS BACK ON HARDCOURT
After taking a short break following the conclusion of the football season, sophomore wide receiver Carl Sims re-joined the basketball team as a walk-on guard in late November. Sims played 10 basketball games last season as a true freshman, totaling 18 points in 23 minutes played. Sims caught 15 passes for 108 yards in his second football season in 2006.

BEARS RETURN PRODUCTION NUMBERS
In 2006-07 Baylor returns four-of-five starters, 11-of-13 roster players and a great majority of its production, statistically speaking. The Bears return 87.6 percent of last season's points, 84.7 percent of rebounds and 93.5 percent of assists.

FRESHMAN CLASS RATED 17th NATIONALLY
Baylor's 2006 signee class was rated the nation's 17th-best class by Rivals.com and is made up of a trio of freshman, all top-100 national recruits. The signees include Demond "Tweety" Carter of Reserve Christian School (Reserve, La.), Josh Lomers of Boerne (Texas) High School and Djibril "Penny" Thiam of Stoneridge Prep (Tarzana, Calif.).

INTERNATIONAL ROSTER
Baylor's 14-man, 2006-07 roster boasts 10 Americans and four players from overseas. The four international student-athletes include junior Aaron Bruce (native of Australia), sophomore Mamadou Diene (native of Senegal), redshirt freshman Jari Vanttaja (native of Finland) and true freshman Djibril "Penny" Thiam (native of Senegal).

EARLY 2007 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, LaceDarius Dunn of Monroe, La., and Fred Ellis of Sacramento, Calif. Dunn, a senior at Excelsior Christian School, is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory. Dunn is rated the No. 18 recruit nationally by Scout.com's Dave Telep. Other national ratings include: No. 27 by Hoopmasters.com, No. 29 by HoopScoop.com and No. 33 by Rivals.com. A 6-4 shooting guard, Dunn was rated the No. 5 player at the 2006 Adidas Superstar Camp in Atlanta by USA TODAY. He is rated the nation's fifth-best shooting guard by Scout.com and the No. 7 shooting guard by Rivals.com. Dunn is a two-time, first-team all-state honoree who guided ECS to a 35-4 record as a junior in 2005-06, averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Dunn led Excelsior Christian to the Class C state title and a 47-2 record as a sophomore in 2004-05. Ellis is a senior at Sacramento High School in Sacramento, Calif. He was called the "biggest sleeper" recruit of the summer by Telep at Scout.com. A 6-7 wing, Ellis led SHS to a 29-6 overall record and an 11-1 conference mark as a junior in 2005-06. Sacramento lost in the SJS-Div. III championship game. Ellis averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds. Ellis was invited to the Super 100 Basketball Camp in Berkeley last summer.

BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEES:Name        Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)LaceDarius Dunn G   6-4 190 Fr. Monroe, La. (Excelsior Christian School)Fred Ellis  F   6-7 190 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento HS)

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just two lettermen from it's 2005-06 roster: four-year forward Tommy Swanson (6.6 ppg) and two-year transfer guard Kevis Shipman (2.1 ppg).

NEXT UP...
Baylor returns home to begin a four-game homestand, its final four non-conference games, with a Dec. 22, matchup against Prairie View A&M. The game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. CST at the Ferrell Center.