BAYLOR (2-7, 2-7) at No. 20 OKLAHOMA (15-5, 6-3)
Feb. 11, 2006 - Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, Okla.) - 12:45 p.m. CST

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RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco; ESPN/KESN 103.3FM Dallas)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: ESPN+Plus complete TV listings
INTERNET VIDEO: none
LIVE STATS: live stats at SoonerSports.com

THE GAME
Baylor plays the 10th game of its abbreviated season when it travels to Norman, Okla., for a Saturday, Feb. 11, matchup against No. 20 Oklahoma. Tipoff at the Lloyd Noble Center is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live via ESPN+Plus syndicated stations (Time-Warner Cable channel 16 in Waco/Temple/Bryan). Baylor (2-7, 2-7) has won two if its last three games and is coming off a 90-64 win over Missouri Tuesday. Baylor has played just nine games after an NCAA ban removed all non-conference games. The result is that the young Bears, playing four freshmen among their eight-man rotation, have played the nation's second-toughest schedule. The 20th-ranked Sooners (15-5, 6-3) have won six of seven games, most recently a 73-65 victory at Oklahoma State Wednesday. BU has lost 23 straight games to Oklahoma. Baylor is celebrating its 100th season of basketball in 2005-06.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor's schedule is rated the nation's second toughest (by ESPN.com's RPI).
- Baylor's "Freshmen Four" account for 53% of the team's scoring, 56% of rebounds, 51% of assists and 52% of minutes played.
- Curtis Jerrells' 28-point effort in the win over Missouri matched the top scoring total by a freshman in the Big 12 this season.
- Baylor is 2-0 this season when scoring more points in the paint than its opponent (12-3 in Scott Drew's 3 seasons).
- Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 in blocks per game (2.0 bpg) and ranks 7th in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds (3.1 orpg).
- Baylor has lost 23 straight games to Oklahoma dating back to 1977.
- BU has lost 19 straight games vs. ranked teams since a win over #13 OSU in 2003.
- Baylor is 3-27 in its last 30 away games (dating to `02-03) and has lost 13 straight.
- BU's 4 freshmen are outproducing the Bears' 4 returning starters in scoring (31.3-20.3 average points) and rebounding (16.4-10.6 average boards).
- BU's 8.4 average 3-pointers per game ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally.
- Baylor's bench has accounted for 41% of its scoring (218 of 533 points).
- Baylor's 2 Big 12 wins doubles its conference victories from last season (1-15).
- BU has shot 43% (51-118) on 3s over the last 5 games; led by its G trio of Curtis Jerrells (12-25; 48%), Henry Dugat (14-30; 47%) and Aaron Bruce (17-38; 45%).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (2.9) and 6th in 3-point percentage (39.4%).
- Freshman Mamadou Diene has made at least block in all 9 career games.
- Henry Dugat ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (42.6%) and 6th in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (2.2).
- For the 3rd straight season BU is playing without its full allotment of scholarships (12 available, 10 filled).
- Underclassmen have led BU in scoring in 33 of its last 37 games (dating to last year) [in 23 of last 37 a freshman has been top scorer].
- Baylor is 13-2 when scoring 70+ points (in Drew Era; 3 seasons).
- BU is 1-32 when allowing opponents to shoot 50% or higher (in 3 years under Drew).

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his third season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a three-year mark of 19-47 at the school and a career record of 39-58 (four 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 four national Top-20 recruiting classes over the last seven years (No. 17 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 OKLAHOMA SOONERS
No. 20 Oklahoma (15-5, 6-3) is in its 12th season under the direction of Kelvin Sampson, who owns a 450-253 career record with stops at Montana Tech (1981-85) and Washington State (1985-94) prior to his days in Norman. Sampson has amassed a 274-105 ledger at Oklahoma, including nine 20-win campaigns.

OU NOTES: The Sooners have won six of their last seven contests, the only loss a one-point decision at Kansas... OU is 10-1 at home this season... Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +11.6... The Sooners are led by senior F Taj Gray, who averages 14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds... The OU roster includes two Texans; junior G Michael Neal (11.3 ppg), who prepped at Mesquite Poteet High School and freshman G Austin Johnson (3.4 ppg) from Palo Duro High School in Amarillo.

THE OKLAHOMA SERIES
Baylor and Oklahoma will meet for the 34th time Saturday. The Sooners lead the all-time series 28-5 and have won 23 consecutive games dating back to the 1977-78 season, including an 82-52 win in Waco in January. The Bears trail 13-2 in the series in games played at Norman, including the last 10 straight.

TURNING THE SEASON AROUND
Over the last four games the young Bears have seemingly overcome the handicapped start to their season (in which BU was banned from playing a non-conference schedule) and have played competitively. In addition to a noticeable change in its record (2-2 the last four games), the following chart details other significant statistical differences over the last four games:

               First 5 gms Last 4 gms    Win-Loss Record:                 0-5        2-2    Scoring Margin      -23.6       +2.8    Field Goal %        .321        .443    3-pointers per game 6.2     11.3    Rebounding Margin              -11.6        -3.7    Jerrells 3-pointers 2-17        12-23

"FRESHMAN FOUR" LEADING THE BEARS
Four of Baylor's six freshmen, the "Freshman Four" (Mamadou Diene, Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells, and Kevin Rogers), are playing significant minutes and have made an immediate impact on this year's team. The freshmen have combined for 53 percent of the team's points, 56 percent of the rebounds, 51 percent of the assists and 52 percent of the minutes played.

JERRELLS MAKING BIG SPLASH AS ROOKIE
True freshman Curtis Jerrells has steadily produced for the Bears since assuming a starting position in his first career game. The lefty from Austin, Texas, has averaged 11.7 points and 3.1 assists. Over the last four games Jerrells has averaged 17.0 points and 4.3 assists, including a career-best 28 points on 5-of-6 3-pointers in Baylor's 90-64 win over Missouri (the 28-point effort matched the top scoring game by a Big 12 freshman this season).

DOUBLED LAST SEASON'S CONFERENCE WINS
Baylor's 90-64 victory over Missouri Tuesday doubled the number of Big 12 wins (one) the Bears totaled last season. Baylor, which has been hamstrung by sanctions in each of Scott Drew's three seasons at the helm, has finished 3-13 (`03-04) and 1-15 (`04-05) in Big 12 play the last two years.

NATION'S SECOND-TOUGHEST SCHEDULE
Baylor's lack of non-conference games resulted in a schedule filled solely with Big 12 opponents. The Bears' difficult conference-only slate is rated the nation's second-toughest strength of schedule (by ESPN.com's RPI), trailing only Duke.

LOTS `O 3s
Baylor is averaging 8.4 made 3-pointers per game, the second-most in the Big 12 and No. 22 nationally. That figure would rank 4th on the school's single-season 3-point field goals per game list (school record 9.46 3FG/G in 1994-95).

YOUNG BEARS OVERCOMING CRIPPLING SANCTIONS
Baylor was hamstrung to start its season by a crippling combination of no non-conference games and heavy inexperience. Due to NCAA sanctions Baylor was set back by having to start its season against teams in mid-season form (what Texas Tech Head Coach Bob Knight termed a "tremendous handicap"). At the same time, the Bears had to do so with a roster loaded with freshmen lacking collegiate experience (BU's "Freshmen Four" play an average of 26.5 minutes between them).

BRUCE AGAIN LEADING THE BRUINS
The Bears are once again led by second-year guard Aaron Bruce, though he hasn't had to carry the team's scoring load as he did during his sensational rookie year in which he led the nation's freshmen in scoring (18.2 ppg) and earned All-Big 12 and Freshman All-American accolades. Bruce is averaging 11.8 points per game in his sophomore campaign and ranks third in the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (2.9 3pg) and sixth in 3-point percentage (39.4%).

BAYLOR'S "MAYOR" THE BIG 12's TOP SHOT BLOCKER
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot redshirt freshman from Senegal, has made his presence felt early in his young career. Diene, referred to as "The Mayor" by the Baylor coaching staff due to his huge popularity across campus, has averaged 3.2 points, 6.0 rebounds (12th in the Big 12) and 2.0 blocks (leads the league) per game in his first nine games played. Diene ranks seventh in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds, averaging 3.1 per game. The 18-year-old Diene has gained more than 40 pounds since his arrival in the United States in Jan. 2005 weighing 197 pounds.

DUGAT'S INSTANT OFFENSE
True freshman G Henry Dugat has displayed impressive scoring prowess off of the bench. In the last four games, he has averaged 14.0 points, hit 14-of-29 3-pointers (48%) and led the team in scoring twice. Dugat ranks third in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (42.6%) and 6th in 3-pointers made (2.2 3pg). Able to score in bunches, Dugat recently scored 13 straight points over a five-minute, nine-second span vs. Texas A&M and he scored 17 of Baylor's 20 points during a seven-minute, 20-second stretch in a win over Kansas State.

BAYLOR ROOKIES OUTPERFORMING THE VETERANS
Baylor's four returning starters haven't carried the team as much as most Bear fans might have expected heading into the season. The quartet (sophomores Aaron Bruce and Richard Hurd, junior Tim Bush and senior Tommy Swanson) is averaging just 20.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game combined; by comparison Baylor's four freshmen combine to average 31.3 points and 16.4 rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 90 - MISSOURI 64
Underdog Baylor turned heads with a resounding 90-64 decision over Missouri at the Ferrell Center to notch its second win of the season. Freshman Curtis Jerrells exploded for a career-high 28 points on 5-of-6 3-pointers and the Bears shot 62.3 percent from the field in the improbable win. Baylor led 11-10 with 13:41 left in the first half before holding the Tigers scoreless for 7:51 and putting together a 10-0 run. A Kevin Young lay-up pulled the Tigers to 21-12 with 5:50 left. With 3:36 left in the first half, the Bears shooters got hot. First Jerrells knocked in a 3-pointer at 3:36 to play to put Baylor ahead 30-17. Henry Dugat followed with a 3. Then Aaron Bruce. Then Jerrells again. Bruce then converted a rare four-point play to cap a 17-4 run by the Bears. They led 43-21 at the half. Missouri committed 13 first-half turnovers that the Bears turned into 22 first-half points. Jerrells pushed the lead to 56-31 after a steal and breakaway dunk with 15:24 to go. The freshman, who came in averaging 9.6 points per game, had nine more points in the next seven minutes. He finished 11-for-14 from the floor. His 3-pointer with 8:22 to play gave the Bears their biggest lead at 76-44.

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- Aaron Bruce ranks 3rd on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.397).
- Tommy Swanson is 8 blocks shy of moving into 8th place on Baylor's Top 10 career blocks list (57 blocks, Jamie Kendrick No. 8 with 65).
- Aaron Bruce is 2 made 3-pointers shy of entering Baylor's Top 10 career 3-point field goal list (95 made, Patrick Hunter No. 10 with 97).
- Mamadou Diene is 7 blocks shy of qualifying for Baylor's single-season blocks per game list (would be 6th at 2.00).
- Tommy Swanson is 1 disqualification shy of moving into a 7th place tie on Baylor's Top 10 career fouled out list (12 FOs, 3 players tied at No. 7 with 13).
- Kevis Shipman is 10 made 3-pointers shy of qualifying for BU's career 3-point percentage list (would be 7th at .367).

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Wednesday's matchup at No. 20 Oklahoma is Baylor's third game against a ranked opponent this season (0-2). The Bears are 2-32 over the last five seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 19 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003.

BAYLOR'S THREE TRUE FRESHMEN REMINISCENT OF `01-02 TRIO
Baylor's three true freshmen - Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers - have made an immediate impact this season; an impact that is reminiscent of another trio of Bear cubs that made a big splash in 2001-02. This year's freshmen are putting up numbers comparable to the previous trio of John Lucas III, Lawrence Roberts and Kenny Taylor. [Lucas and Roberts were eventual All-Americans and NBA players].

BAYLOR TRUE FRESHMEN                MPG PPG RPG APG'05-06 True Freshman (Dugat, Jerrells & Rogers) 80.1    28.1    10.4    5.2'01-02 True Freshman (Lucas, Roberts & Taylor)  69.3    33.7    11.4    5.5

THE BIG 12's YOUNGEST TEAM
Baylor is playing with a very inexperienced squad of youngsters. The Bears roster includes six freshmen (nine total underclassmen) and only two seniors. Baylor's freshmen account for 26.5 minutes per game - the most in the Big 12. Additionally, Baylor boasts the conference's top freshman rebounder [Mamadou Diene, 6.0 rpg], 3-point shooter [Henry Dugat, 42.6%], shot blocker [Diene, 2.0 bpg] and in minutes played [Curtis Jerrells, 32.8 mpg]. Freshmen and sophomores have led Baylor in scoring in seven of nine games this season. Baylor's six freshmen (5 true, 1 redshirt) is the school's highest total in 28 years (seven frosh on '78-79 squad).

THE LAST MEETING: No. 22 OKLAHOMA 82 - BAYLOR 52 [Jan. 25, 2006]
No. 22 Oklahoma soundly defeated the inexperienced Bears, playing just their fifth game of the season, 82-52 at the Ferrell Center. It was Baylor's 23rd straight defeat at the hands of OU. OU's Michael Neal started a 2 ½-minute go-ahead spurt when he stole an errant inbounds pass near midcourt and hit a 3-pointer with 12:40 left in the half. Patrick Fields responded with a 3-pointer for Baylor, but Terrell Everett answered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put Oklahoma up 14-12. After Fields was called for an offensive foul, Neal hit another 3-pointer. On the next OU possession, Everett drove the baseline for a layup and it was 19-14. Baylor pulled within 24-21 when Aaron Bruce penetrated with six minutes left in the first half, then made a one-handed pass behind his head to Kevin Rogers for a layup. The Sooners then scored eight straight to pull away. Oklahoma led 37-26 at the half. Curtis Jerrells, one of four freshmen playing significant minutes for Baylor, had a steal and layup to start the second half. Oklahoma then scored nine straight points and maintained a double-figure margin the rest of the way. Fields had 14 points and Bruce added 10 for the Bears.

ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 3-27 record in its last 30 games away from home (dating back to the 2002-2003 season) and has lost 13 straight. The Bears are 2-24 in their last 26 games played on opponents' home courts and have lost 12 straight.

BAPTISM BY FIRE FOR BAYLOR'S CUBS
Rarely have collegiate freshmen been thrust into NCAA Division I play as emphatically as Baylor's cubs. The Bears rookies, without the benefit of non-conference games, jumped right from the high school ranks into Big 12 play (and the nation's second-toughest schedule). Additionally, the freshmen are playing substantial minutes against experienced opponents in mid-season form.

HALF A SEASON
Due to unprecedented NCAA sanctions brought on by the previous coaching staff, Baylor did not play any regular-season non-conference games this season. Baylor will play a minimum of 17 games this season (16-game Big 12 schedule plus at least one game in Big 12 Championship). The last time the Bears played fewer than 21 games in a season was 1944-45, when Baylor finished 0-17. [NOTE: Baylor is eligible for postseason play]

BAYLOR'S THIRD HANDICAPPED SEASON
For the third straight year, Baylor enters the season without its full allotment of scholarships. The Bears have 12 available scholarships (only 10 filled). During head coach Scott Drew's first two seasons, Baylor dressed seven or fewer scholarship players in every game.

BEARS REACH NEW HEIGHTS... LITERALLY
Unlike last season when Baylor's roster had a noticeable lack of height - with only two players taller than 6-6 (one a walk-on) - the 2005-2006 roster boasts five such players: Kevin Rogers (6-9), Mark Shepherd (6-9), Tommy Swanson (6-10), Jari Vanttaja (6-10) and Mamadou Diene (7-0).

PRESEASON HONORS
Aaron Bruce is rated the eighth-best point guard nationally by CBSSportsline.com and No. 12 in Lindy's preseason publication and is also honored with the league's "Best Instincts" by Street & Smith's magazine. The sophomore was also projected an All-Big 12 honoree by Lindy's and Athlon. Baylor freshman Kevin Rogers was named the Big 12's "No. 1 Signing Coup" by Lindy's and Rivals, as well as being tabbed a "Top 100 College Freshman by Street & Smith's.

SWANSON'S SENIOR EXPERIENCE A RARITY
Fourth-year senior Tommy Swanson entered the season as not only the most experienced member of the Bear squad - he's also a rare veteran in BU's recent basketball history. Swanson was just the second BU player in the last six years to enter his senior season with more than 60 career games played as a Bear (73 prior to season); former teammate Matt Sayman had 89 entering senior year.

INTERNATIONAL ROSTER
Baylor's 13-man 2005-2006 roster boasts 10 Americans and three players from overseas. The three, all signed by Scott Drew in the last two years, include sophomore Aaron Bruce (native of Australia), redshirt freshman Mamadou Diene (native of Senegal) and freshman Jari Vanttaja (native of Finland).

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost four lettermen from it's 2004-05 roster: three walk-on guards (freshman Hall Henderson, sophomore Turner Phipps and senior Ryan Pryor) and sophomore guard Roscoe Biggers.

PLENTY OF NEWCOMERS
Baylor's 2005-06 roster lists five newcomers and a redshirt who had yet to dress for a game before the season. The six rookies include five true freshmen [Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers, Carl Sims and Jari Vanttaja] and one redshirt freshman [Mamadou Diene].

RECRUITING CLASS RATED 11th NATIONALLY
Baylor's 2005 signee class was rated the nation's 11th-best class by Rivals and No. 17 according to HoopScoop. The class included three national Top-100 freshmen and a top international signee. The signees include four prep seniors, Henry Dugat of Dayton (Texas) High School, Curtis Jerrells of Del Valle High School in Austin, Texas and Kevin Rogers of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas; as well as Jari Vanttaja of Oulu, Finland.

100th SEASON OF BASKETBALL
The 2005-2006 season marks the 100th season of collegiate basketball at Baylor. Baylor's Centennial, which is presented by H-E-B, will be celebrated by a season-long series of events, culminating with a basketball lettermen reunion the weekend of Feb. 24-25. The highlight of the weekend's events will be the announcing and honoring of the 15-man Baylor All-Centennial Team during the Bears home game vs. Iowa State Saturday, Feb. 25. Baylor basketball officially began in 1906-07 with a seven-man squad that won its first two games and finished 5-6. The Bears' storied history includes Final Four appearances in 1948 and 1950, a national runner-up finish in 1948, five conference championships as well as the heroic tragedy of the 1927 Immortal Ten team.

BAYLOR'S EARLY SIGNING CLASS RATED 21st NATIONALLY
Baylor's two-man early signing class was rated 21st nationally by Rivals.com, the second-highest national ranking for a class of two or fewer players. The signees include two consensus Top 100 recruits, guard Demond "Tweety" Carter and center Josh Lomers. Carter, a 5-10 point guard for Reserve Christian from LaPlace, La., is one of the most prolific scorers in high school basketball history. His national rankings include No. 45 HoopScoop, No. 47 CSTV.com, No. 61 Rivals.com, No. 82 Hoopmasters and No. 87 Scout.com. Carter is rated a Top-10 point guard recruit nationally by both Rivals.com and Hoopmasters. Carter, whose nickname is "Tweety," has scored more than 6,000 career points and been a varsity starter since the seventh grade. He is a four-time all-state selection and has led Reserve Christian to three state championships, including the school's first-ever title in 2002 as an eighth grader when he was honored as the tournament MVP. Lomers is rated the No. 6 center nationally by Rivals.com. Overall he is rated nationally by CSTV.com (No. 39), Rivals.com (No. 43), Hoopmasters (No. 64), and Scout.com (No. 88). Lomers is also the third-rated recruit in Texas according to Rivals.com. A 7-foot, 1-inch center, Lomers plays for Boerne (Texas) High School and was named to the 2005 TABC 4A All-State team as a junior last season after averaging 22 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7 blocks per game.

BAYLOR EARLY SIGNEES:Name            Pos.    Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Schools)Demond "Tweety" Carter  G   5-10    170 Fr. LaPlace, La. (Reserve Christian School)Josh Lomers     C   7-1 250 Fr. Boerne, Texas (Boerne HS)

NEXT UP...
Baylor plays its second straight road game when travels down I-35 for a Valentine's Day matchup in Austin vs. No. 6 Texas Tuesday, Feb. 14. Tipoff at the Frank Erwin Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live on FSN Southwest.