Nov. 28, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME CENTER: GAME 6 [76 CLASSIC]
[14/14] ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (4-0) vs. [RV/RV] BAYLOR BEARS (5-0)
Date: Friday, Nov. 28, 2008
Tip-Off: 11:45 p.m. CT (9:45 p.m. PT)
Location: Anaheim, Calif.
Arena: Anaheim Convention Center (8,200)
Television: ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
Talent: Scott Graham (pxp), Stephen Bardo (color)
Radio: Baylor ISP Sports Network | ESPN/KRZI 1660 AM (Waco)/Sirius Satellite (Ch. 161) | BaylorBears.com
Talent: Pat Nunley (pxp), Nick Joos (color)
Live Stats: none
Web Stream: BaylorBears.com (live audio)
Series: Arizona State leads 2-1
Last Meeting (Result): Nov. 26, 1988 (L, 73-89)
Tickets: (254) 710-1000

GAME NIGHT STORY LINES
• After a solid 72-56 win over BIG EAST member Providence in the opening round of the 76 Classic Thanksgiving Night, the Baylor Bears will face their first nationally-ranked test of the season against the 14th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils. Tip-off is set for 11:45 p.m. (CT)/9:45 p.m. (PT) Friday on ESPN2. Friday night's winner will advance to the 76 Classic championship game Sunday at 9:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (PT) on ESPN2. The loser will play in the 3rd place game Sunday at 7 p.m. (CT)/5 p.m. (PT) on ESPNU.
• Baylor is 9-64 vs. nationally ranked opponents since the 1996-97 season and 2-32 under head coach Scott Drew. Both wins vs. Top 25 teams of the Drew Era came last season (Texas A&M, Kansas State).
• Friday's meeting is the fourth all-time between the schools. Arizona State leads the series 2-1, while the Bears are just 8-20 all-time against the Pac-10. Baylor will face its second Pac-10 test next Saturday when it travels to Pullman, Wash., to face the Washington State Cougars as the second half of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
• Baylor has had at least four players score in double figures in each of its first five games. Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers and LaceDarius Dunn are the only Bears to reach double figures in all five games. Quincy Acy scored in double figures in the first four games, but was held to 7 points vs. Providence Thursday.
• Baylor committed a season-high 23 turnovers Thursday vs. Providence. The 23 turnovers are the most by a Baylor team since the Bears committed 26 in last season's opener vs. Jackson State (Nov. 11, 2007).
• Freshman Quincy Acy set a new Big 12 record with 20 consecutive field goals made. Acy is 20-of-21 from the floor this season; his first miss came at the 11:07 mark of the first half Monday vs. Jacksonville.
• Baylor has started the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season under sixth-year head coach Scott Drew.
• Baylor is 11-8 all-time on nationally televised games (9-7 on the ESPN family of networks). Friday will be the third of a school-record 11 games televised on the ESPN family of networks. Prior to this season, Baylor had only been on ESPN 14 times.
• The Bears are 87-93 all-time in 76 regular season tournaments, claiming 10 tournament titles.

SERIES HISTORY
• Friday's meeting will be the fourth between the schools as Arizona State leads the series 2-1.
• It will be the third meeting at a neutral site. In the series' last meeting, the Sun Devils defeated the Bears 89-73 at the 1988 Fidelity Holiday Classic in Richmond, Va.
• Baylor's only series win was a 44-31 triumph at the 1938 All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.
• BU is 8-20 all-time vs. the Pac-10. Arizona State will be the first of two Pac-10 opponents for the Bears. Next Saturday, Baylor will face the Washington State Cougars in Pullman, Wash.

ARIZONA STATE SCOUTING REPORT
• The Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0) topped Charlotte 84-56 in the first round of the 76 Classic Thursday night behind Jeff Pendergraph's 23 points and 10 boards. ASU shot 61 percent (25-of-41) from the floor and was 26-of-31 (83 percent) from the foul line, including 19-of-20 (95 percent) in the second half. Through four games this year, the Sun Devils are allowing 53.0 points per game, holding opponents to .351 from the field and .290 from 3-point range, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 76.3 percent from the foul line.
• ASU was 7-8 in games against NCAA Tournament teams a year ago, with wins over Arizona (twice), USC, Stanford, Oregon, Xavier and Coppin State.
• ASU is 4-0 for just the third time in 22 seasons and second time in 14 seasons (2005-06 and 1994-95). It will try and start 5-0 for the first time since 1985-86. Its other 4-0 start in the past 14 years was in 2005-06. It is ranked 14th in this week's AP poll and was ranked 15th in the preseason poll for the first time since 1991-92.

LAST TIME OUT - BAYLOR 72, PROVIDENCE 56 [NOV. 27]
• Kevin Rogers scored a season-high-tying 16 points and seven rebounds before fouling out to help Baylor beat Providence, 72-56, in the first round of the 76 Classic.
• LaceDarius Dunn had 12 points for Baylor while Weyinmi Efejuku led Providence with 16 points and eight rebounds.
• The Bears overcame 23 turnovers by shooting 49.0 percent and out-rebounding PC, 47-33.
• Marshon Brooks, Jeff Xavier and Jonathan Kale added 10 points each for the Friars, which made just 27.4 percent of its field goals.
• Providence shot 22. 6 percent from the field in the first half and got out-rebounded by 10 to trail 36-22 at halftime.

UP NEXT - WAKE FOREST OR UTEP [NOV. 30]
• Baylor will face either UTEP or No. 19/24 Wake Forest in the final game of the 76 Classic Sunday evening. A win by Baylor would put the Bears in the championship game, while a loss would send BU to the third-place game.
• Wake Forest Preview: 19th-ranked Wake Forest overcame a slow start to hold on for a 75-69 victory over Cal State Fullerton in the second game of the 76 Classic Thursday. Jeff Teague scored 24 points and shot 4-of-6 on 3-pointers for the Demon Deacons (4-0), who will play UTEP in the semifinals Friday. Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland added 14 points apiece for Wake Forest. Teague's highlight-reel dunk capped a 14-6 run that put the Demon Deacons in control after the score was tied 21-all in the first half.
• UTEP Preview: Randy Culpepper scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half as UTEP built a big lead before holding off Saint Mary's, 75-62, in the opening round of the 76 Classic on Thursday in Anaheim. It was a quality victory for UTEP over a team ranked 27th in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll and 28th by the Associated Press. The Gaels (3-1) were 25-7 last season and have four starters back from an NCAA Tournament team. The Miners were ahead 40-27 at the break and opened the second half with a 10-0 run to take their largest lead of the night, 50-27, with 18:30 remaining.

LOOKING AHEAD - WASHINGTON STATE [BIG 12/PAC-10 HARDWOOD SERIES]
• Washington State (4-0) opens up play Friday at the Legends Classic (Newark, N.J.) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Cougars will follow up with either Pittsburg or Texas Tech Saturday. Wazzou will also play Idaho State at home on Dec. 2 before welcoming the Bears to Pullman on Dec. 6.
• WSU is led offensively by Klay Thompson with a team-best 12.3 points, followed by Taylor Rochestie (11.5 points) and Aron Baynes (10.5 points). Baynes leads all Cougars with 6.8 rebounds in four games.