BAYLOR (12-2, 0-0) vs. IOWA STATE (10-5, 0-0)
Jan. 12, 2008 • Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas) • 5:00 p.m. CST

RADIO: Baylor-ISP Sports Radio Network (ESPN/KRZI 1660AM Waco / Sirius Satellite ch. 161)
INTERNET AUDIO: live broadcast at BaylorBears.com
TELEVISION: ESPN Classic
INTERNET VIDEO: live video stream at BaylorBears.com
LIVE STATS:

THE GAME
Baylor opens its Big 12 Conference schedule Saturday, Jan. 12, when it hosts Iowa State at the Ferrell Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. CST and will be televised live nationally on ESPN Classic. The Bears are 12-2, 0-0 and concluded a record-setting non-conferene schedule with a 72-62 win over Brown at home last Tuesday. Baylor's 12 pre-conference victories mark the most in school history. Iowa State is 10-5, 0-0 and won its final three non-conference games, most recently a 77-51 decision over North Dakota at home last Saturday. Baylor has won three straight games against the Cyclones in Waco. Saturday's game follows a Baylor-Texas A&M women's basketball game at 12:30 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.

BAYLOR TIP-INS
• Baylor is 5-1 vs. Iowa State in Waco and has won three straight.
• BU has lost its last 5 Big 12 openers (all on road) since '01-02 win over ISU in Waco.
• Baylor's 12-2 start is its best since the Bears began 13-1 in 2000-01.
• Over the last 7 seasons Baylor is 19-29 (.396) vs. Big 12 North teams and just 11-53 (.172) vs. Southern teams.
• 5 Baylor players average double-figures in scoring.
• Baylor's 12 non-conference wins is the most in school history.
• Baylor is 7-4 in its last 11 games televised nationally.
• Baylor has dropped 5 straight Big 12 Conference openers, all on the road (last win 79-74 vs. ISU 2002 in Waco).
• Baylor leads the Big 12 (20th nationally) with 9.1 3-pointers per game.
• Baylor's 71.1 free throw % ranks 2nd in the Big 12.
• Baylor is 24-7 in it last 31 games in Waco dating to 2005-06 (7-1 this season).
• BU's 40.1 3FG% is on pace to break the school record (38.5% '86-87).
• BU is 12-0 this season when totaling a higher FG% than its opponents and 0-2 when not. In the Drew Era, BU is 44-7 when outshooting its opponents and 4-64 when not.
• BU has posted a 122-89 team assist-to-turnover mark the last 8 games (7-1 record).
• Baylor has used the same starting lineup in all 14 games this season.
• 10 current BU players average 10 minutes or more & none average more than 30.
• LaceDarius Dunn is shooting 51.4% on 3-pointers (2nd in Big 12).
• Henry Dugat is averaging 16.0 ppg, 2.3 apg & shooting 53.5% the last 4 games.
• Aaron Bruce ranks 11th on BU's all-time scoring list (1,208 career points).
• Baylor won the 2007 Paradise Jam, its first non-hosted tourney title since 1971.

HEAD COACH Scott Drew
Scott Drew, in his fifth season at Baylor in what many have called the most daunting rebuilding project in college basketball history, owns a four-year mark of 48-71 at the school and a career record of 68-82 (six seasons). Drew's 48 wins rank ninth on Baylor's all-time coaching victories list (in eighth place on the list is Frank Bridges with 51 career victories). 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 IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Head Coach: Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1999); 246-148, 14 seasons
Series vs. Baylor: ISU leads 10-6
Last meeting: ISU 71-58, Feb. 3, 2007 in Waco
Streak: ISU won 1 straight
Series in Waco: BU leads 5-1
Drew vs. ISU: 2-3
ISU NOTES: Iowa State (10-5, 0-0) is led by second-year head coach Greg McDermott... ISU has lost three straight games in Waco, and is 1-5 all-time at Baylor... Iowa State is 2-3 away from home this season, and 1-2 in true road games... The Cyclones are led by sophomore F Wesley Johnson, who averages 12.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game... Johnson is a native of Corsicana, Texas... Three other ISU players average double-figure scoring: Jiri Hubalek (12.1 ppg), Craig Brackins (10.9 ppg) and Rahshon Clark (10.5 ppg)... ISU is celebrating 100 years of basketball this season (Baylor's centennial season was 2005-06).

BEST START SINCE...
Baylor's 12-2 record is its best start under head coach Scott Drew and is the school's best start since the 2000-01 squad started the season 13-1 (the `00-01 team lost its 15th game for a 13-2 start).

CONFERENCE OPENERS
The Bears have dropped their last five conference-opening games, all on the road. Baylor's last conference-opening win (also the last league opener at home) was a 79-74 victory over Iowa State in Waco to open the 2001-02 Big 12 season.

BEARS MORE SUCCESSFULL vs. BIG 12 NORTH
Over the last eight seasons Baylor has had much more success against Big 12 North schools than those in the South. Baylor is 19-29 (.396) the last eight seasons vs. Northern schools and just 11-53 (.172) vs. teams in the South.

BEARS CONTINUE MASSIVE REBUILDING PROCESS
The 2007-08 season is head coach Scott Drew's fifth at Baylor as he continues the unprecedented overhaul he began in 2003. After taking over a program decimated by tragedy, player departures, depleted rosters and NCAA restrictions, Drew recruited a solid foundation of high school players that after earning valuable playing experience is showing progress. After posting 15 wins (the highest win total at Baylor in six seasons) last season (the first in the Drew Era without restrictions), this year's squad is 12-2.

BALANCED SCORING
Through the non-conference schedule Baylor has shown a very balanced scoring attack, evidenced by five players averaging double-digits in scoring (Curtis Jerrells 13.8, LaceDarius Dunn 13.0, Kevin Rogers 12.1, Aaron Bruce 10.6 and Henry Dugat 10.6). The last time a Baylor team finished the season with five players boasting double-figure scoring averages was 1995-96.

BAYLOR'S BACKCOURT: "IN GUARDS WE TRUST"
Baylor's strength in 2007-08 once again lies in its talented backcourt. The Bears utilize a rotation of five guards that each average 20-plus minutes per game. The quintet is made up of four veterans; senior Aaron Bruce (10.6 ppg, 23.8 mpg), juniors Curtis Jerrells (13.8 ppg, 29.1 mpg) and Henry Dugat (10.6 ppg, 24.4 mpg) and sophomore Tweety Carter (8.9 ppg, 22.8 mpg); and heralded true freshman LaceDarius Dunn (13.0 ppg, 20.8 mpg). The fivesome combines for an average 55.9 points and shoots 40.4 percent on 3-pointers.

BEARS ON NATIONAL TV
Saturday's game vs. Iowa State on ESPN Classic is Baylor's fourth national telecast of the season (2-1) and its second-ever appearance on the cable network. Baylor is 7-4 in its last 11 nationally televised games (dating to 1998).

BEARS SHOOT WAY OUT OF OUTSIDE SHOOTING SLUMP
Baylor snapped a relatively poor four-game shooting streak from the perimeter with last Tuesday's 61.1 percent (11-18) 3-point performance in a win over Brown. For the season Baylor is shooting 40.1 percent on 3-pointers (ranks fourth in the Big 12, 19th nationally), and is on pace to top the school record of 38.5 percent [90-234] recorded in 1986-87.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
One significant statistical indicator to Baylor's success in winning games is field goal percentage, offensively and defensively. This season, Baylor is a perfect 12-0 when totaling a higher shooting percentage than it opponents, and conversely is 0-2 when its opponents shoot a higher percentage. Further, in five seasons under Scott Drew Baylor has accumulated a 44-7 record when outshooting opponents and a 4-64 record when being outshot by opponents.

CUTTING DOWN ON TURNOVERS
Baylor has cut down on its team turnovers recently, totaling more than 11 turnovers just once over the last six games (5-1 record). For the season the Bears are averaging 12.9 turnovers per game (11.8 since 26 in season opener), down from a 14.5 turnover average last season.

MOST PRE-CONFERENCE WINS EVER
Baylor finished its non-conference schedule with a 12-2 record. The 12 wins mark the most during the regular-season non-conference schedule in school history. The previous high of 11 pre-conference schedule wins was recorded three times, in 1945-46 (11-1), 1996-97 (11-1) and 2000-01 (11-0).

ESTABLISHING A HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Bears are quietly establishing a winning tradition at home in the Ferrell Center. Baylor is 24-7 in its last 31 games in Waco (dating to 2005-06). The Bears are 7-1 at the Ferrell Center this season.

JERRELLS POWERS BEARS
Curtis Jerrells is leading the Bears in scoring (13.8 ppg, 13th in Big 12), assists (3.7 apg, eighth in Big 12) and minutes (29.1 mpg) for the third straight season. The junior guard has started all 62 career games since arriving at Baylor, was named Big 12 Player of the Week Nov. 19 and took home tournament MVP honors after leading Baylor to the championship of the 2007 Paradise Jam in November. Jerrells is a preseason Cousy Award candidate and projected a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league coaches, Athlon and Lindy's. He ranks eighth in school history in assists per game (3.65) and 10th in 3-point shooting percentage (36.4).

VETERAN LEADER BRUCE CONTINUES CLIMB UP RECORD LISTS
Senior Aaron Bruce is averaging 10.6 points per game and continues his climb up the school's all-time records lists, most notably the career scoring chart. Bruce, Baylor's veteran-most player with 88 career games played, currently stands 11th all-time with 1,208 career points (complete list of his ranking on seven different Baylor career charts below). On the season he leads the team in free throw percentage (81.8%) and steals (1.4 spg). The guard was selected a preseason All-Rolls Royce (All-American) fourth team selection by ESPN.com's Dick Vitale and was named the Big 12's "Best Leader" by the Sporting News preseason publication prior to his final season in Waco.
BRUCE ON BAYLOR'S CAREER RECORD LISTS
• 3-point FGs: No. 3 - 201
• 3-point FG %: No. 3 - 40.0%
• Free Throw %: No. 5 - 81.7%
• Minutes Played: No. 7 - 2,697
• Games Started: No. 7 - 88
• Assists: No. 8 - 294
• Points scored: No. 11 - 1,208

MR. ROGERS BUILDING ON BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE SEASON
Junior forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 12.1 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds (10th in Big 12) this season. He has recorded four double-doubles, 10 blocks and is shooting 55.0 percent from the field (fifth in Big 12). Rogers was named the Big 12 Player of the Week Dec. 24 after averaging 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while leading Baylor to road wins at South Carolina and Southern. He was named to the 2007 Big 12 All-Improved team following a sophomore season in which he doubled his scoring average (12.8 from 6.1 ppg) and nearly doubled his rebounding average from his freshman season (7.6 from 4.0 rpg).

TRUE FRESHMAN DUNN PUTTING TOGETHER BREAKOUT SEASON OFF BENCH
Thirteen games into his true freshman season, LaceDarius Dunn has made an immediate impact on a Baylor squad stocked with talented guards. The highly recruited rookie from Monroe, La., is second on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and is second in rebounds (4.3 rpg), despite playing just 20.8 minutes per game off the bench. Dunn has been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Nov. 26 after leading Baylor to wins over Winthrop in the Paradise Jam championship and over Centenary) and has posted two 20-plus scoring outings (27 points in win over Brown and 24 points in upset win at South Carolina). Dunn is the highest-rated Baylor signee in recent memory (rated the nation's No. 24 recruit by Scout.com). He was named the "Best Perimeter Scorer" among incoming Big 12 newcomers by Rivals.com. He was a three-time all-state player and two-time class MVP in Louisiana who led Excelsior Christian School to a 118-9 record and one state championship. Dunn was rated the nation's No. 6 shooting guard prospect by Scout.com and the nation's No. 8 wing guard by Hoopmasters.com.

"THE MAYOR" HITTING HIS STRIDE AFTER ANKLE REHAB
Mamadou Diene, a seven-foot junior from Senegal, has averaged 14.1 minutes off the bench in seven games played since returning from an Oct. 25 procedure to repair a chronic stress fracture in his ankle (had started all 43 games played in his freshman and sophomore seasons). Diene has recorded 87 career blocks and his 1.74 career blocks per game total is second all-time at Baylor behind only current Phoenix Suns Brian Skinner's 3.36 average (1994-98). Diene is referred to as "The Mayor" due to his huge popularity across campus.

COMEBACK WINS OVER QUALITY OPPONENTS
Baylor is a perfect 3-0 this season when trailing at halftime. Included in those three come-from-behind victories is a 14-point rally against Notre Dame and a 20-point comeback win at South Carolina.

LAST TIME OUT: BAYLOR 72 - BROWN 62
True freshman LaceDarius Dunn scored a career-high 27 points on seven-of-eight 3-pointers to lead Baylor past Brown 72-62 at the Ferrell Center. Baylor held a 46-40 lead with 12:07 remaining before Kevin Rogers scored eight points in an 11-1 run that resulted in a 57-41 Baylor advantage with 7:49 left. The Bears were up 69-55 before back-to-back 3-pointers pulled Brown to within eight, 69-61, with 1:35 to play. Dunn then answered with his seventh 3-point basket of the game to put it out of reach. Baylor hit on 11 of 18 3-point shots and shot 55.1 percent from the field, while turning the ball over just eight times. The win gave the Bears 12 wins on the season, the most non-conference victories in Baylor history. Aaron Bruce hit back-to-back 3s followed by a Dunn 3-pointer to spark an 11-0 run and give Baylor a 19-14 lead. Consecutive 3-pointers by Dunn just before the half pushed the Baylor cushion to 34-25 at halftime.

PARADISE JAM CHAMPS
Baylor earned the 2007 Paradise Jam championship with an impressive three-game run Nov. 16-19 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bears defeated Wichita State (64-55), Notre Dame (68-64) and Winthrop (62-54) to earn the title at the eighth annual tournament. Baylor overcame second-half deficits in both the semis (down 10 to N.D) and the final (down six to Winthrop) to earn the title. Curtis Jerrells was named the tournament MVP after leading the Bears with 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and Aaron Bruce also earned a spot on the all-tournament team. The title marked Baylor's first in-season tournament championship (excluding the Baylor-hosted Dr Pepper Invitational) since winning the 1971 Holiday Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. (last eight-team tournament title was the 1968 East Carolina Classic in Greenville, N.C.).

BAYLOR'S SUMMER TOUR TO CANCUN
Baylor spent Labor Day weekend 2007 on a basketball tour to Cancun, Mexico. The four-day trip included two exhibition games as well as sun and fun for the Bears. Baylor beat Belize Tuff E Nuff 115-47 Sept. 1, before defeating the hometown Mexican professional team Quintana Roo 91-57 Sept. 2. Both games were played in Cancun's sweltering Kuchil-Baxal Gymnasium. The Bears were led in scoring both games by junior Henry Dugat, who totaled 25 and 20 points over the weekend. Aside from the games, the players and travel party enjoyed swimming, jet skiing, fishing and shopping on the Yucatan Peninsula.

THE LAST MEETING: IOWA STATE 71 - BAYLOR 58 [Feb. 3, 2007]
Baylor dropped its 22nd straight true road game with a 71-58 loss to Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum. Up seven at the break, the Cyclones jumped ahead 47-32 by hitting eight of their first 11 shots in the second half. Mike Taylor hit a 3-pointer to give Iowa State its biggest lead, 52-36, with 12:05 left. Baylor made things interesting late, getting within 65-58 on a 3-point play by Kevin Rogers with 2:17 to go. Iowa State's Corey McIntosh answered with a layup on the other end, and Baylor turned it over on its next possession. Jiri Hubalek then hit a floater in the lane and a free throw to seal the win. Curtis Jerrells led Baylor with 16 points. Rogers had 15 and Josh Lomers added a career-high 13 for the Bears, who have dropped five of their last six.

LOTS OF BIG 12 HONORS
Baylor players have received three weekly Big 12 honors this season (in seven weeks of awards), the matching the school's highest single-season total (also three awards in 2001-02). Baylor has earned two player of the week awards and one rookie of the week award:
Curtis Jerrells, Big 12 Player of the Week, Nov. 19, 2007
Jerrells was honored after leading Baylor to wins over Wichita State and Notre Dame at the Paradise Jam tournament. He averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two victories and shot 54 percent from the 3-point line and 92 percent from the free throw line.
LaceDarius Dunn, Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Nov. 26, 2007
Dunn was honored after leading the Bears to to wins over Winthrop (in the championship game of the Paradise Jam) and Centenary. Dunn set then-career-highs for points with 17 in each game, shooting a combined 13-of-20 (.650) from the floor off the bench. He also shot 5-of-10 on 3-pointers and averaged 5.5 rebounds.
Kevin Rogers, Big 12 Player of the Week, Dec. 24, 2007
Rogers was honored after leading the Bears to two road victories at South Carolina and Southern that snapped a 25-game losing streak in true road games. He averaged 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds and registered two double-doubles. Rogers had a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double vs. USC and scored a game-high 21 points in a win at Southern.

THIAM LEAVES PROGRAM
Redshirt freshman Djibril Thiam left the Baylor basketball program in early December with the intent of transferring to another school. Thiam played in each of the season's first seven games, averaging 2.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game. The second-year wing from Dakar, Senegal, played in four games as a true freshman in 2006-07 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Thiam left Baylor with career totals of 26 points (2.4 ppg) and 34 rebounds (3.1 rpg) in 11 games played.

MOST EXPERIENCED BEAR SQUAD IN YEARS
For the first time in years, Baylor took the court in 2007-08 with a predominantly upperclassman, experienced team. After several seasons of young, inexperienced teams, the Bears returned nine lettermen, including seven lettermen with multiple letters. The roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Veteran Aaron Bruce is the just the fourth four-year senior to play at BU in the last eight seasons. Baylor's '07-08 returnees entered the season with a combined 246 career starts under their collective belts, the highest such number at the school in over a decade.

BEARS RETURN HIGH PRODUCTION NUMBERS
Baylor in 2007-08 returned all five starters, nine of 12 roster players and nearly all of its statistical production. The Bears return 90.6 percent of last season's points, 86.9 percent of rebounds and 94.5 percent of assists.

FERRELL CENTER'S 20th YEAR
The Bears are in their 20th season in the beautiful Ferrell Center this year. Baylor is 7-1 at home in 2007-08 and owns a 174-119 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.

EARLY 2009 SIGNEES
Baylor signed two players in the early signing period, Anthony Jones of Houston (Texas) Yates High School and Russian Artem Valov of Three Rivers Community College. Jones, a senior at Yates, is rated 46th nationally by Rivals.com and is a consensus top-70 recruit. He is rated No. 51 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 62 by Scout.com. Jones averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds last season as a junior for a Yates squad that finished 25-8 in 2006-07. A 6-10 forward, Jones is rated No. 8 among the nation's forwards by Rivals.com and ranked as the fourth-best recruit in the state by TexasHoops.com. Valov is a junior college sophomore who was recently named a preseason NJCAA first-team All-American. He is rated the No. 12 junior college recruit nationally by Rivals.com's JucoJunction.com. The 6-9 forward helped lead Three Rivers to a 26-11 record and into the second round of the NJCAA tournament. Valov was named to the 2007 NJCAA All-Tournament team. Valov finished his freshman season with averages of 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

DEPARTED PLAYERS
Baylor lost just three lettermen from its 2006-07 roster: three-year forwards Tim Bush (6.3 ppg) and Patrick Fields (3.0 ppg) and one-year forward Jari Vanttaja (0.9 ppg).

NEXT UP...
Baylor plays a second-straight Big 12 home game Tuesday, Jan. 15, when it hosts Oklahoma State at the Ferrell Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. CST and will be televised live within the state of Texas on FSN Southwest.