BAYLOR (2-8, 2-8) at No. 6 TEXAS (21-3, 9-1)
Feb. 14, 2006 - Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) - 7:00 p.m. CST

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RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: FSN Southwest (state of Texas only)
INTERNET VIDEO: none
LIVE STATS: live stats at TexasSports.com

THE GAME
Baylor plays the 11th game of its abbreviated season when it travels to Austin for a Tuesday, Feb. 14, matchup against No. 6 Texas. Tipoff at the Frank Erwin Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live on FSN Southwest (within the state of Texas). Baylor (2-8, 2-8) has won two if its last four games but is coming off an 80-52 defeat at No. 20 Oklahoma Saturday. Baylor has played just 10 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 sixth-ranked Longhorns (21-5, 9-1) lead the Big 12 and have won 16 straight games in the series, including a 66-47 decision last month in Waco. This is the most-played rivalry for both schools (223rd meeting). BU and Texas are both celebrating their 100th seasons of basketball in 2005-06.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor's schedule is rated the nation's second toughest (by ESPN.com's RPI).
- Baylor has dropped 16 straight contests in the series vs. Texas (dating to 1998).
- Tuesday marks the 223rd meeting between Baylor and Texas, the most-played rivalry for both schools (UT leads 147-75).
- Baylor's "Freshmen Four" account for 52% of the team's scoring, 55% of rebounds, 51% of assists and 52% of minutes played.
- 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 8th in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds (3.1 orpg).
- Over the last 5 games, Curtis Jerrells has averaged 16.8 points and shot 54% (13-of-24) on 3-pointers and 87% (13-of-15) from the line.
- True freshman Curtis Jerrells is an Austin native and Del Valle HS graduate.
- BU has lost 20 straight games vs. ranked teams since a win over #13 OSU in 2003.
- Baylor is 3-28 in its last 31 away games (dating to `02-03) and has lost 14 straight.
- BU's 4 freshmen are outproducing the Bears' 4 returning starters in scoring (30.5-19.2 average points) and rebounding (16.1-10.4 average boards).
- BU's 8.0 average 3-pointers per game ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally.
- Baylor's bench has accounted for 42% of its scoring (245 of 585 points).
- Baylor's 2 Big 12 wins doubles its conference victories from last season (1-15).
- BU has shot 42% (55-131) on 3s over the last 6 games; led by its G trio of Curtis Jerrells (13-26; 50%), Aaron Bruce (17-39; 44%) and Henry Dugat (14-34; 41%).
- Aaron Bruce ranks 4th in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (2.6) and 6th in 3-point percentage (38.8%).
- Freshman Mamadou Diene has made at least block in all 10 career games.
- Henry Dugat ranks 5th in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (39.2%) and 8th in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (2.0).
- Curtis Jerrells' 28-point effort in the win over Missouri matched the top scoring total by a freshman in the Big 12 this season.
- 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 34 of its last 38 games (dating to last year) [in 24 of last 38 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).
- Over the past five seasons Baylor is 52-3 when totaling an equal or higher shooting percentage than its opponent (1-0 this season).

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 19-48 at the school and a career record of 39-59 (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 TEXAS LONGHORNS
No. 6 Texas (21-3, 9-1) is led by seventh-year head coach Rick Barnes, in his 19th year as a head coach. Barnes owns a career record of 384-206 with stints at George Mason, Providence and Clemson; he is 182-72 with the Longhorns.

UT NOTES: League-leading Texas is 13-1 at home this season... The Longhorns are led by junior F P.J. Tucker, who averages 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game... UT leads the Big 12 in rebounding, averaging 41.5 boards per game, and boasts the top two individual rebounders in the league in Tucker (9.5) and sophomore F LaMarcus Aldridge (9.2 rpg)... The Horns have won 12 of their last 13 games and three straight... Texas is outscoring its opponents by a 19.9 margin, tops in the Big 12... The Longhorns also lead the league in scoring defense (58.6 ppg) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (30.6%).

THE TEXAS SERIES
Saturday marks the 223rd meeting between Baylor and Texas, the most-played rivalry for both schools (dating back to the 1905-06 season). The Longhorns own a 147-75 advantage in the all-time series, including an 80-26 edge in games played in Austin. The Longhorns have won 16 straight meetings, including a 66-47 decision last month in Waco. Baylor's last victory over Texas came Feb. 21, 1998 when the Bears knocked off UT 80-75 in Waco (BU's last win in Austin was Jan. 3, 1998).

TURNING THE SEASON AROUND
Over the last five 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 an improvement in its record (2-3 the last four games), the following chart details other significant statistical differences over the last five games:

               First 5 gms Last 5 gms    Win-Loss Record:        0-5     2-3    Scoring Margin:     -23.6       -3.4    3-point FG %:       .307        .426    3-pointers per game:    6.2     9.8    Rebounding Margin:      -11.6       -5.0    Free Throw %:       .582        .699    Jerrells' ppg, 3FG%:    7.4, 11.8%  16.8, 54.2%    Swanson's ppg, rpg, bpg:    2.2, 3.0, 0.2   5.8, 5.2, 1.2

"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 52 percent of the team's points, 55 percent of the rebounds, 51 percent of the assists and 52 percent of the minutes played.

JERRELLS MAKING BIG SPLASH AS ROOKIE
Curtis Jerrells has steadily produced for the Bears since assuming a starting position as a true freshman. The lefty from Austin, Texas, has averaged a team-leading 12.1 points and 3.3 assists. Over the last five games Jerrells has averaged 16.8 points and shot 54 percent on 3-pointers (13-of-24), and he scored 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).

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 26.3 minutes between them).

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 8.0 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).

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 3.0 points, 6.2 rebounds (12th in the Big 12) and 2.0 blocks (leads the league) per game in 10 games played. Diene ranks eighth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds, averaging 2.9 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.

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 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game combined; by comparison Baylor's four freshmen combine to average 30.5 points and 16.1 rebounds.

BRUCE'S NUMBERS DOWN IN SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN
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 10.8 points per game in his sophomore campaign and ranks fourth in the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (2.6 3pg) and sixth in 3-point percentage (38.8%).

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Tuesday's matchup at No. 6 Texas is Baylor's fourth game against a ranked opponent this season (0-3). The Bears are 2-33 over the last five seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 20 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003.

DOUBLED LAST SEASON'S CONFERENCE WINS
Baylor's 90-64 victory over Missouri last week 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.

MILESTONES & RECORDS WATCH
- Aaron Bruce ranks 3rd on Baylor's career 3-point percentage list (.396).
- Tommy Swanson is 7 blocks shy of moving into 8th place on Baylor's Top 10 career blocks list (58 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).
- Curtis Jerrells' 12.1 scoring average ranks 9th on Baylor's freshman scoring average list.
- Mamadou Diene is 5 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 9 made 3-pointers shy of qualifying for BU's career 3-point percentage list (would be 9th at .360).

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 26.3 minutes per game - the most in the Big 12. Additionally, Baylor boasts the conference's top freshman rebounder [Mamadou Diene, 6.2 rpg], 3-point shooter [Henry Dugat, 39.2%], shot blocker [Diene, 2.0 bpg] and in minutes played [Curtis Jerrells, 32.5 mpg]. Freshmen have led Baylor in scoring in six of 10 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. 5 TEXAS 66 - BAYLOR 47 [Jan. 21, 2006]
Improved play from Baylor's freshmen and 20 points from Patrick Fields was buried under nine 3-pointers by Texas' Daniel Gibson as Baylor lost 66-47 to the fifth-ranked Longhorns at the Ferrell Center. Down 45-24 with 15 minutes to play, an Aaron Bruce layup sparked a 15-0 Baylor run. Fields' 3-pointer at the 9:43 mark pulled the Bears to within 45-38. Gibson answered with another 3-pointer and the Longhorns never looked back. Fields led Baylor with 20 points on five 3-pointers, two of them in Baylor's scoring spurt that did plenty to make UT coach Rick Barnes uncomfortable on the bench. But Gibson then hit four 3-pointers in 12-1 spurt. Gibson finished with a career-high 37 points but Texas' leading scorers, LeMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker -- both averaging almost 18 points a game -- were each held to a single field goal. Up 35-22 at the break, Texas opened the second half with a 10-2 run. Bruce, the nation's top-scoring freshman last season, had a career-low 2 points on 1-of-7 field goals and missed all five of his 3-pointers. He had three fouls and missed his only two shots before halftime. Baylor was playing just its fourth game after being banned from non-conference games because of NCAA violations under its previous coaching staff.

LAST TIME OUT: No. 20 OKLAHOMA 80 - BAYLOR 52
A lackluster effort doomed Baylor as the Bears were drilled 80-52 by No. 20 Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center, the Sooners' 24th straight win in the series. Baylor shot 26.5 percent from the floor and never recovered after seven early points by Curtis Jerrells gave the Bears a brief 7-6 lead four minutes into the game. A Kevin Bookout layup gave OU an 8-7 lead. After Patrick Fields made one of two free throws to tie the game at 8-8 at the 13:19 mark, the Sooners went on a 30-9 run the remainder of the half and took a 38-17 lead into halftime. The Sooners extended their lead to 50-19 in the opening minutes of the second half after three straight baskets from Bookout and a pair of 3-pointers by Michael Neal. Down 50-19 early in the second half, head coach Scott Drew made a five-man substitution of his starters and replaced them with the "black squad," Baylor's scout team made up of walk-ons, a redshirt and reserves. Jerrells hit a 3 before the reserves checked in, but the black squad held its own against the OU starters, providing a needed spark and totaling a 6-3 run in three-plus minutes on the floor. The Sooner reserves scored 47 points and OU's defense shut down the Bears' hot 3-point shooting game (8.4 attempts made per contest). Baylor had only four field goals at halftime (4-for-21) and finished 4-for-13 from 3-point range. Aaron Bruce scored just two points on two free throws. He was 0-for-5 shooting. Other than center Mamadou Diene's eight rebounds, Baylor's inside game was a non-factor.

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) 79.0    27.5    9.9 4.9'01-02 True Freshman (Lucas, Roberts & Taylor)  69.3    33.7    11.4    5.5

ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 3-28 record in its last 31 games away from home (dating back to the 2002-2003 season) and has lost 14 straight (last road win was 73-72 upset at Purdue Dec. 30, 2004). The Bears are 2-25 in their last 27 games played on opponents' home courts and have lost 13 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 have played 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).

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 returns home to host Texas A&M in the second edition of the Battle of the Brazos Saturday, Feb. 18 (Texas A&M won 72-70 earlier this season in College Station). Tipoff at the Ferrell Center is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live via ESPN+Plus syndicated stations.