BAYLOR (2-10, 2-10) at No. 22 KANSAS (19-6, 10-2)
Feb. 21, 2006 - Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.) - 7:00 p.m. CST

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RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco & WBAP 820 AM Dallas)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: Jayhawk TV/ESPN+Plus (Time Warner Cable channel 15 in Waco)
INTERNET VIDEO: none
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THE GAME
For the third time in four games, Baylor plays a ranked opponent on the road when it faces No. 22 Kansas Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Lawrence, Kan. Tipoff at Allen Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST and the game will be televised live via Jayhawk TV/ESPN+Plus (Time-Warner Cable channel 15 in Waco/Temple/Bryan). Baylor (2-10, 2-10) has lost three straight games, the latest a 64-60 decision vs. Texas A&M Saturday. Baylor has played just 12 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 toughest schedule. No. 22 Kansas (19-6, 10-2) has won nine straight games, most recently a 79-46 defeat of Missouri Saturday at home. Baylor is winless in six previous trips to Kansas. Baylor is celebrating its 100th season of basketball in 2005-06.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
- Baylor's schedule is rated the nation's toughest (by ESPN.com's InsideRPI).
- BU has lost 21 straight games vs. ranked teams since a win over #13 OSU in 2003.
- Baylor is 3-29 in its last 32 away games (dating to `02-03) and has lost 15 straight.
- Curtis Jerrells was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week and Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week last week.
- At KU, Baylor faces it 3rd ranked opponent on the road in its last 4 games.
- Baylor trails KU 10-1 all-time (BU's shortest series vs. Big 12 schools).
- Baylor has never won in KU's Allen Fieldhouse (0-6 all-time).
- Baylor's "Freshmen Four" account for 50% of the team's scoring, 52% of rebounds, 51% of assists and 51% of minutes played.
- Scott Drew coached his 100th game last Saturday vs. Texas A&M (39-61).
- Mamadou Diene leads the Big 12 in blocks per game (2.0 bpg) and 11th in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds (2.5 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.
- BU's 4 freshmen are outproducing the Bears' 4 returning starters in scoring (29.7-20.8 average points) and rebounding (15.1-11.3 average boards).
- BU's 7.8 average 3-pointers per game ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and 36th nationally.
- Aaron Bruce ranks 4th in the Big 12 in 3-pointers per game (2.7) and 5th in 3-point percentage (40.0%).
- Freshman Mamadou Diene has made at least block in all 12 career games.
- 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 36 of its last 40 games (dating to last year) [in 25 of last 40 a freshman has been top scorer].
- Baylor's bench has accounted for 39% of its scoring (278 of 708 points).
- Baylor's 2 Big 12 wins doubles its conference victories from last season (1-15).
- Baylor is 13-2 when scoring 70+ points (in Drew Era; 3 seasons).
- BU is 1-33 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 19-50 at the school and a career record of 39-61 (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.

DREW REACHES 100 GAMES
Last Saturday's game vs. Texas A&M marked the 100th in the young career of Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew. Drew was 20-11 in one season at Valparaiso and has compiled a 19-50 record in three seasons at Baylor.

THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS
No. 22 Kansas (19-6, 10-2) is led by Bill Self, in his third season in Lawrence (66-22) and his 13th year as a collegiate head coach (273-127 record). Self was head coach at Oral Roberts (1994-97), Tulsa (1998-2000) and Illinois (2001-03) before Kansas.

KU NOTES: Kansas is riding a nine-game winning streak... The Jayhawks are 5-1 in true road games this season and have won four straight... KU is led by freshman G Brandon Rush who averages 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds... Freshman G Mario Chalmers leads the Big 12 in steals, averaging 2.64 per game... The Jayhawks lead the league in field goal percentage defense (.361), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.318), rebounding (41.2 rpg) and assists (18.2 apg).

THE KANSAS SERIES
Tuesday marks just the 12th meeting between Baylor and Kansas on the hardwood (Baylor's shortest series vs. Big 12 opponents). Kansas leads the series by a 10-1 margin and has won four straight vs. the Bears. The Jayhawks are a perfect 6-0 in series games played in Lawrence.

"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 50 percent of the team's points, 52 percent of the rebounds, 51 percent of the assists and 51 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 12.3 points and 3.3 assists. Over the last seven games Jerrells has averaged 15.9 points and shot 50 percent on 3-pointers (16-of-32). Jerrells played big in both BU wins this season; he scored 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) a hit the game-winning 3-pointer vs. Kansas State.

HOME vs. ROAD SUCCESS
The Bears have played much better basketball at home in the Ferrell Center this season. In addition to a better record at home (2-4) than the road (0-6), the following chart details other significant statistical differences based on location:

             Home        Road    Win-Loss Record:            2-4     0-6    Scoring Margin:     -7.2        -20.5    Field Goal %:       .413        .341    Rebounding Margin:          -3.0        -12.8    Jerrells' 3FG%:     41.7%       32.0%    Fields' FG%, PPG:           60.0%, 9.2        29.4%, 3.2

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 25.8 minutes between them).

NATION'S 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 toughest strength of schedule (by ESPN.com's InsideRPI).

ROUGH STRETCH
When Baylor plays at No. 22 Kansas Tuesday, it marks the third time in four games the Bears have faced a ranked opponent on the road (lost at No. 20 Oklahoma Feb. 11 and at No. 6 Texas Feb. 14).

BEARS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED FOES
Tuesday's matchup at No. 22 Kansas is Baylor's fifth game against a ranked opponent this season (0-4). The Bears are 2-34 over the last five seasons vs. ranked teams and have lost 21 straight since knocking off No. 13 Oklahoma State 74-72 in Stillwater on Feb. 15, 2003.

ROAD WOES
Baylor owns a 3-29 record in its last 32 games away from home (dating back to the 2002-2003 season) and has lost 15 straight (last road win was 73-72 upset at Purdue Dec. 30, 2004). The Bears are 2-26 in their last 28 games played on opponents' home courts and have lost 14 straight.

THE YOUNG "MAYOR" 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, 5.6 rebounds (18th in the Big 12) and a league-leading 2.0 blocks per game. Diene ranks 11th in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds, averaging 2.5 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 20.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game combined; by comparison Baylor's four freshmen combine to average 29.7 points and 15.1 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 11.4 points per game in his sophomore campaign and ranks fourth in the Big 12 in 3-pointers made (2.7 3pg) and tied for fifth in 3-point percentage (40.0%).

JERRELLS EARNS BIG 12 AND NATIONAL HONORS
Baylor true freshman G Curtis Jerrells was selected the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week and the Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week last week after averaging 22 points in a win over Missouri and a loss at Oklahoma Feb. 7 and 11. The Big 12 award, selected by a media panel, is the first for a Baylor rookie since then-sophomore transfer Tim Bush was honored in January of last season. Jerrells, a true freshman from Austin, averaged 22 points and hit 6-of-7 3-pointers in Baylor's win over Missouri and loss at Oklahoma. He had a career day in the MU win, shooting 11-of-14 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Jerrells also scored a team-high 16 in the loss at OU.

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 average 25.8 minutes played per game - the most in the Big 12. Additionally, Baylor boasts the conference's leading freshman in blocks [Mamadou Diene, 2.0 bpg] and in minutes played [Curtis Jerrells, 32.8 mpg], as well as the No. 2 freshman scorer [Jerrells, 12.3 ppg], rebounder [Diene, 5.6 rpg] and assists [Jerrells, 3.3 apg]. Freshmen have led Baylor in scoring in seven of 12 games this season. Baylor's six freshmen (5 true, 1 redshirt) on the roster is the school's highest total in 28 years (seven frosh on '78-79 squad).

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, has been celebrated by a season-long series of events and culminates with a lettermen reunion the weekend of Feb. 24-25. The highlight of the weekend's events will be the announcing and honoring of Baylor's 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.

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 (.399).
- Tommy Swanson is 6 blocks shy of moving into 8th place on Baylor's Top 10 career blocks list (59 blocks, Jamie Kendrick No. 8 with 65).
- Aaron Bruce is 2 made 3-pointers shy of moving into 9th place on Baylor's career 3-point field goal list (101 made, R.T. Guinn No. 9 with 103).
- Curtis Jerrells' 12.3 scoring average ranks 9th on Baylor's freshman scoring average list.
- Mamadou Diene is 1 block shy of qualifying for Baylor's single-season blocks per game list (would be 6th at 2.00).
- Curtis Jerrells ranks 6th on the Big 12's all-time freshman minutes played list (32.75 mpg).
- 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).
- Mamadou Diene is 4 blocks shy of moving into 4th place on Baylor's freshman single-season blocks list (24 blocks, Joey Fatta No. 4 with 28).
- Curtis Jerrells is 8 assists shy of entering Baylor's freshman single-season assists list (39 assists, Matt Sayman No. 10 with 47).

THE LAST MEETING: No. 6 KANSAS 86 - BAYLOR 66 [Jan. 25, 2005]
Baylor's matchup zone limited the sixth-ranked Jayhawks' inside game but Kansas more than made for it by nailing a school-record 16 3-pointers to down the Bears 86-66 at the Ferrell Center. Wayne Simien got the Jayhawks off to a fast start with seven points - including the first two baskets - in a 15-2 run to open the game. Baylor never got closer than seven points after Kansas' game-opening run. Baylor cut the deficit to 54-45 on two free throws by Tim Bush with 13:40 left. But Simien had consecutive baskets to start a 10-1 run and the Bears never got closer than 12 after that. The Jayhawks finished 16-of-27 from beyond the arc. Aaron Bruce led Baylor with 23 points, while Tommy Swanson had 17 and Bush 14. J.R. Giddens had 11 points in the first half, hitting three of his four 3-pointers. Giddens made two long 3s from the top of the key in a 45-second span late in the half for a 38-24 lead. After a 3 by Aaron Miles gave the Jayhawks a 48-29 lead early in the second half, Baylor had a 9-1 run and was within 49-38 after two 3-pointers by Kevis Shipman.

LAST TIME OUT: TEXAS A&M 64 - BAYLOR 60
Baylor's bid for its third straight home win fell short when Texas A&M's Acie Law sank two free throws with 2.6 seconds to clinch a 64-60 victory over the Bears at the Ferrell Center. Texas A&M's Josh Carter made a layup with 8.9 seconds to put the Ags up 62-58, and Tommy Swanson's tip-in cut the deficit to two. Aaron Bruce fouled Law on the in-bounds pass to set up the game-clinching free throws. Baylor missed an opportunity when, trailing 58-56 with 21.9 seconds left, Swanson couldn't corral a rebound of Carter's missed free throw. The ball went off Swanson's fingertips and fell out of bounds. Texas A&M, which shot just 35 percent in the second half, led 28-17 late in the first half before Baylor stormed back. The Bears ended the half on a 14-0 run to take a 34-31 halftime lead. Baylor hit two baskets to start the second half and extend its lead to 38-31, but couldn't sustain it. Curtis Jerrells and Bruce led Baylor with 14 points each. Swanson added 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

LOTS `O 3s
Baylor is averaging 7.8 made 3-pointers per game, the second-most in the Big 12 and No. 36 nationally. That figure currently ranks fifth on the school's single-season 3-point field goals per game list (school record 9.46 3FG/G in 1994-95).

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    26.6    9.5 4.8'01-02 True Freshman (Lucas, Roberts & Taylor)  69.3    33.7    11.4    5.5

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.

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.

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].

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...
The Bears return to Waco for two straight home games, the first a Saturday, Feb. 25, contest against Iowa State. 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. The game is part of Baylor's centennial celebration and will include the halftime unveiling of the school's All-Centennial Team.