SB Nation - Curtis Jerrells

Baylor Guard Carter Suspended

editor@big12hoops.com — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:07:25 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Penn State's Talor Battle (12) reacts next to Baylor's Tweety Carter (45) during the second half of the NIT championship college basketball game Thursday, April 2, 2009, in New York. Penn State won the game 69-63.

Browse more photos »

Mark Allan Peterson
Managing Editor
editor@big12hoops.com

Baylor Senior point guard Tweety Carter received a four-game suspension to begin to 2009-2010 season, according to head coach Scott Drew.

Drew said Carter was suspended for rules violations, but did not go into details on the nature of the suspension.

The 5-foot-10 Carter will miss Friday's season opener against Norfolk State, as well as games against Hartford, Southern and Hardin-Simmons. Carter is expected to return for Baylor's biggest test to start the season, a Thankgiving Day game against Alabama in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Florida.

Carter, the only McDonald's American in school history, averaged a career high 10.6 points and 3.2 assists as a junior for the Bears. He is expected to take over for the departed Curtis Jerrells at the starting point guard position.

In his place tonight, Baylor is expected to start freshman A.J. Walton.

Big 12 Tournament Preview: Baylor v. Texas

Peter Bean — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:47:22 -0000

Next Game

(9) Baylor Bears vs (5) Texas Longhorns

Friday, Mar 13, 2009, 6:00 PM CDT
Big 12 Tournament - Semifinal Round - Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK

TELEVISION: Big 12 Regional (Details)
LAS VEGAS LINE: Texas -4

Complete Coverage >

Saturday, February 21, 1998. Were you there? In Waco? Do you remember?

That, of course, was the last time that the Baylor Bears defeated the Texas Longhorns in basketball. Like his football counterpart, for Tom Penders the 1997-98 basketball season mercifully ended his rocky run as the head man in Austin. The last straw for both coaches? Among other sensational failures, "losing to Baylor" is right up there near the top of the list; Penders' squad was swept by the Bears in his final season.

Out went Penders, in came Barnes, and the Longhorns enter tonight's Big 12 semifinal having bashed the Baptists an astounding 24 straight times. Even if you generously give Texas an 80% chance of winning each of those 24 games, the odds of them winning all 24 are incomprehensibly small -- less than one-half of one percent. Wiggins has a better chance of dunking a basketball.

Nevermind how we got here, though -- none of that has any bearing on tonight's semifinal. Game preview after the jump:

THE STAKES: Prepare yourself to be inundated throughout tonight's broadcast with wholly annoying Fran Fraschilla gushing about the Bears as a tournament "Cinderella." At least it's not Gus Johnson?

Don't kid yourself, it's coming: "Cinderella's thong fills the crack!"

The truth is Baylor's simply doing what they failed to do all season -- playing to their potential by making a 40-minute effort on defense, hitting the boards, and demonstrating a modicum of discretion as pertains to shot selection. As I wrote before their win over Nebraska, Baylor playing to their potential represents "this tournament's uncomfortably dangerous team." And though I wussed out and picked Kansas to squeak by the Bears in the quarters, I was fully expecting Baylor to give the Jayhawks a game:

As athletic as are the Bears, with the ability to hit threes in bunches, and everything to gain/nothing to lose, Baylor has to be considered a live wire for this tourney's favorites....

Oh, how I want to pick the Bears. If they put it all together, I have no doubt at all they can take down a beatable Kansas squad. Still, the percentage play is clearly with the Jayhawks -- they have a substantial frontcourt advantage, defend well with far greater consistency, and the better coach. Still, I'm expecting a fight from a Baylor team playing with nothing to lose.

So here we are. It's Friday, the Bears are alive, still have nothing to lose, and now sit two wins away from the NCAA Tournament berth they couldn't be bothered to earn during the regular season. And that makes them dangerous -- a cornered animal with sharp teeth, ready to fight for its life.

For Texas, the NCAA bid is locked up and there are some seeding implications at stake (moving comfortably past that 7-line would be nice), but in my mind the real prize is the opportunity for Rick Barnes to win his first Big 12 Tournament championship. Though he has won regular season conference titles and a win today would advance the 'Horns to the tournament finals for a remarkable fifth straight year, Barnes has never won the whole thing. As up-and-down as has been this season, it'd be quite the gratifying treat to end things with the tournament title that's eluded him all these years.

THE GAME: The steady development of Balbay and Pittman are especially problematic for the Bears. In Dogus Texas gets an elite on-ball defender who can take away Curtis Jerrells dribble drive game, upon which Baylor depends for consistent open looks in the halfcourt. And in Pittman -- the tournament MVP to this point -- Texas gets a player the Bears just don't have the personnel to handle in the paint. In my estimation the Pittman-Balbay duo probably make the Longhorns (at their best) the toughest match up in the conference for the fighting Baptists.

How does Texas best capitalize on those advantages to win one more against the Bears? I'll be looking for four things:

Contain Jerrells on the drive. At his best, Jerrells is for Baylor a lot like what Reggie Freeman was for Tom Penders back in the day. But also like Freeman, when Jerrells is forced to play exclusively on the perimeter, his value is neutered. His shot simply isn't good enough to thrive solely on the perimeter, and Balbay and Mason have combined to hold Jerrells to 9-35 shooting (4-14 from downtown) in the teams' first two match ups. Another night like that and Rick Barnes will make it 25-0 against the Bears.
25-30 minutes from Dexter. All bets are off if Big Dexter finds himself in foul trouble tonight. As we've seen in the tournament's first two games, he's rounding into a near-unstoppable offensive force and an elite rebounder. And in terms of fouling, not only has his body control improved dramatically on both ends of the floor, but officials seem to be getting used to his play. He's not drawing nearly as many chippie fouls in which the refs simply seem to be punishing him for being large.
Functional ball handling. It's a good thing I was forced to watch yesterday's debacle in a sports bar, because watching Texas cough up 22 turnovers made me want to break something. Had I been in my own home, I'd be shopping for a new TV today. Baylor's not long like K-State, but they're quick and their guards do create turnovers (9 steals against Kansas). Balbay and Mason were awful yesterday; neither needs to be brilliant, but both need to protect the ball today. Also, Damion James should never dribble the ball. Ever. That's not too much to ask, right?
Good AJ. Remember two seasons ago when we wondered if we'd get Good Connor or Bad Connor? That's AJ this year. Good AJ is a value to the team, the appearance of which almost always ensures a Texas victory. Bad AJ is crippling. I don't think I need to elaborate here.

THE PREDICTION: On the bright side yesterday, Texas won a game despite atrocious offense and defensive rebounding simply due to their playing excellent team defense. That's legitimately encouraging, and if they do as much tonight I don't think Baylor has much of a chance. If the Longhorns play good defense, limit transition opportunities, and get 25-30 minutes from Pittman... a double-digit win is well within reach. I'm optimistic about this match up. Texas 77 Baylor 70

Big 12 Tournament: Day One Recap

rockchalk — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:28:12 -0000

The first round of the Big 12 Tournament wasn't all that exciting. There were some close calls, and one epic comeback to close out the night, but for the most part it was full of ho-hum games, and ho-hum results.

This recap isn't going to be anything substantial, by any stretch. Just provides you some general background on each of the games, answering similar questions to the ones I provide with my previews.

As far as my predictions went, ouch. 2-2 is pretty bad, although I really didn't see anyone who predicted the Red Raiders to upset the Aggies, so whatever. I still can't get over the Baylor Bears all of a sudden deciding to play hard, play together and win a game. I'm shocked, right now.

So, let's get this thing going.

#8 Nebraska 49 vs. #9 Baylor 65

How it Happened: Well, the uber-talented Baylor team everyone was scared of in the preseason finally decided to start playing hard. They showed up, played hard, physical defense, and thoroughly outplayed the Huskers. The Bears are clearly the more talented team, that was never the question. But, unlike last Saturday when they lost to these same Huskers on their home floor, they actually showed off this talent. Scary.

Key Stat: Baylor's Rebounding Advantage (+24) - Egads. That is monstrous. Nebraska's short, sure, and they don't really rebound at all. At least, they don't do it well. But this was disastrous. Kevin Rogers, a tip of the cap to you for your 20 boards. That's more than everyone on Nebraska, just in case you were interested.

Game MVP: We'll go with co-MVPs, because I didn't watch the game and the box scores are relatively equal. So, I'll give it to both Curtis Jerrells and the aforementioned Kevin Rogers. Jerrells was the offensive stalwart, posting an efficient 19 points (8-12), while Rogers was the guy who outrebounded an entire team. Ridiculous.

What it Means for Nebraska: They are likely on the fringe of the NIT. I hope they make it, because they deserve it and are definitely better than last year, but if I had to wager, I'd say no. I still say they're on the way up, although it certainly wasn't a good showing Wednesday morning.

What it Means for Baylor: Primarily, it just means they get to fight another day for an NCAA berth they were expected to get the old-fashioned, at-large way. It also means that the beast might have been awakened, which is dangerous. NIT Champions, here we go!

The rest of the recaps after the jump...

#5 Texas 67 vs. #12 Colorado 56

How it Happened: As I predicted, the Longhorns really slogged through this one. They didn't need to give maximum effort, but Dexter Pittman (again, as predicted) was the only one who really showed up to play. Still, Sexy Dexy should have another big one on Thursday; K-State really doesn't have too much of an answer for him. Darren Kent, pfft. But that's for the preview. Higgins had a terribly off day, only shooting 1-11. If he had been hot, and not even Mike Singletary-hot, they could have sprung the upset.

Key Stat: Higgins' 1-11 shooting - Higgins was going to have to explode for the Buffs to have a chance. 1-11 certainly is nothing close to what they needed. Oh, well. There's always next year, right Jeff (Bzdilek)?

Game MVP: Dexter Pittman, baby. Dude can't jump, but who cares? Not when he's pulling down rebounds left-and-right because he can be on both sides of the rim, due to his massive girth, and he is incredibly athletic. Can't jump, but his post moves are ridiculous for a man carrying around that much loose change. I'm falling love, folks.

What it Means for Texas: They prevented slipping down a slippery slope of seeds. Now, even if they lose, they should be able to stay away from the dreaded 8/9 range. Key word: should. They also get another crack at the Powercats, with another crack at the Jayhawks up for grabs. Revenge, baby. Revenge.

What it Means for Colorado: They can start planning for next year. I'm calling it right now; they'll take a huge step forward next season. Cory Higgins is just outstanding, and they have enough halfway-decent role players to make things interesting. Maybe I'm just too optimistic for everybody, though.

#7 Oklahoma State 81 vs. #10 Iowa State 67

How it Happened: Iowa State started out the game piping hot, and Craig Brackins was displaying all of his NBA potential for the world to see, but the Pokes went on their expected second half run to surge ahead. Iowa State stayed in it far longer than I thought, even given the halftime score, so congrats, I suppose. Brackins is still Iowa State's only real offensive threat, though, which means it's Brackins and threes all day long. When the threes aren't falling, they pretty much suck on offense. That's what happened on Wednesday, save for an incredible performance from Jamie Vanderbeken. Who knew.

Key Stat: OSU 5 Turnovers - I don't really care what you say, or how many shots you drain, it's nearly impossible to win a game where you only force 5 turnovers. 5. That's just ridiculous. Iowa State, if you aren't going to dominate on offense, here's a hint: force some turnovers. That way, you get more possessions, to make up for your sometimes-sucktitude on O. Just an idea.

Game MVP: Marshall Moses - Dude is on fire, as of late. He was virtually non-existent in the non-conference slate, but since conference play has started, he's gotten better every game. If Texas gets this hypothetical credit for their post-Balbay play more than before, then Okie State should get the same for Moses. He is going to be the key in any potential NCAA Tournament run.

What it Means for Oklahoma State: Yay! They clinched an NCAA Tournament berth! This win pretty much cinches it up, particularly with the other bubble carnage going on everywhere else. Thursday night's matchup is only for seeding, as are any further matchups. It's all stress-free, from now on.

What it Means for Iowa State: It means that Iowa State's season is done. And, most likely, Craig Brackins will never don a Cyclone uniform again. It also means that Greg McDermott's seat is one step closer to being hot. At least, I'd make it hot.

#6 Texas A&M 83 vs. #11 Texas Tech 88

How it Happened: The most epic comeback of all time, ever. Not really, but it was pretty incredible. A 19-point halftime deficit, and even larger spreads at other points, were all erased with a furious comeback. Absolutely incredible game. You shoulda been there. Oh, and Mike Singletary wasn't terrible.

Key Stat: Texas Tech's 59 Second Half Points - Oh. My. Goodness. Isn't Turgeon supposed to preach defense, or whatever, and shouldn't they be more successful than that? Geez, was I disappointed with Turg. Talk about not having an answer or plan or anything for Singletary. Just double-team the dude, and make the rest of the fairly crappy Red Raiders squad beat you. It could happen, but it's preferrable to facing Kevin Durant. And while they aren't similar players, like at all, and one is clearly better than the others, Singletary's performance was very Durant-esque. No matter what you did, who you put on him, how physical, how much space you gave him, he scored. Ridiculous.

Game MVP: Mike Singletary - 43 points, a Big 12 Tournament record and tying the all-time Big 12 mark. Crazy. It was the best performance I've seen all year, save Craig Brackins up in Ames. He just couldn't be stopped. Whenever he felt it, he'd zoom right by whoever was defending him and get straight to the tin, like the opposition were all running in molasses. Only a sophomore, I'm scared to see him in the future. Obviously, he won't be that awesome very often, but the fact that he even has that potential hidden inside of them is frightening.

What it Means for Texas A&M: That the next four days will be as stressful as they come. There is nothing else the Ags can do, only sit and wait and hope bids aren't taken away from them, so-to-speak. They are probably right on the cusp, right now, probably with them leaning IN. Still, if K-State can beat Texas, do they pass up the Aggies? These are the questions that I live for in March. Love it. We'll talk about it more later, but for now, just know that no one knows what will happen to the Aggies. No matter what they tell you, they don't. It's impossible to really figure out.

What it Means for Texas Tech: A couple of things. For one, their dreams are still alive. For two, Mike Singletary is a future First-Teamer. For three, Pat Knight picks up his second signature victory in as many weeks, easing any irrational calls for his head. I'm a big believer in you, Pat. Don't disappoint me next season. Or, hell, just win three more games this year, and get to the Big Dance. Georgia did it last year.

That's all for the recap. In the future, with Kansas being involved (hopefully) throughout, I'll do a typical Kansas review like always, doing something like this for all of the other games.

As far as previews go, we'll be doing the same as last time. Except, it will serve as the OGT as well, this time around. But, again, one for the Morning Session, and one for the Evening (there you go, Warden) Session.

Big 12 Roundup: Big 12 Awards

rockchalk — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:12:04 -0000

Here we sit, at the end of the Big 12 season. It seems just like yesterday when Big 12 action tipped off, when Texas was a Top 10 team and Kansas and Missouri stood unranked.

Much has changed in the past two months, and there were some incredible games. Over the next couple of days, we'll be thoroughly summarizing the Big 12 season, while simultaneously previewing the Big 12 Tournament. But for now, we'll just name our All-Big 12 Selections, just as the Big 12 Media did earlier in the day.

So, let's get to those Big 12 Awards. Those are more fun, anyways.

We'll dish out most of the same categories the media does: First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Rookie Team, Newcomer of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the big one, Player of the Year...

Note: Number rankings is in order of where I'd rank them, which should provide quite a hint for the POY rankings.

First Team

Blake Griffin (F, Oklahoma) -- Obviously. This is as easy as it gets, folks.
Sherron Collins (G, Kansas) -- Emotional leader of the Conference Champions. Plus, for a three-week stretch in late February, he was as good of a guard as anyone in the country.
Craig Brackins (F, Iowa State) -- Best pure scorer in the conference. Overlooked nationwide, but everyone in the Big 12 knows exactly how good he is.
Cole Aldrich (C, Kansas) -- Averaging a double-double. 'Nuff said.
Demarre Carroll (F, Missouri) -- I wanted to go with someone else just to be different than the Media, but he deserves it.

All further Teams and Awards after the break...

Second Team

Damion James (F, Texas) -- Almost got in over Carroll on the First Team. His Durant-esque first half yesterday didn't hurt his case, but it was his offensive rebounding and overall importance that really got him here.
Cory Higgins (G, Colorado) -- Doesn't get the credit he deserves because he plays in the abyss of Boulder. Still, the dude can score on anybody, and will be the leader of any potential Colorado resurgence these next two seasons.
Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State) -- Has a rather large temper, and isn't always consistent, but damn, is he quick with the ball. Oh, and when he gets hot, he's virtually unguardable. Basically, he's like a slightly less-athletic Dogus Balbay, only he can hit the three. So, yeah, be afraid.
James Anderson (G, Oklahoma State) -- Incredible scorer, he probably should be slightly higher on the Second Team. If Sherron and Cole and Blake and Craig all leave school early, he could be the preseason favorite for Big 12 POY in Travis Ford's run-and-gun-type system.
Ade Dagunduro (F, Nebraska) -- A personal favorite of mine. The dude is probably my favorite player in college basketball. It's unreal how good he is, considering he was often the tallest player on the floor for the Huskers, standing only 6'6". I really wish he was only a junior, so he could play with actually tall people next year. In any case, incredibly underrated.

Third Team

Leo Lyons (F, Missouri) -- Dude isn't nearly as good as his frontcourt mate, Carroll, but still plenty talented. When, as RMN calls him, "Good Leo" shows up, he is one of the conference's best. But "Bad Leo" shows up far too often for him to be considered any higher.
Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma) -- Probably should be higher, and I kind of forgot about him, to be honest. The dude can score with the best of them.
LaceDarius Dunn (G, Baylor) -- Another personal favorite. Jerrells probably deserves it more, but I love LDD.
Curtis Jerrells (G, Baylor) -- Dude can penetrate into the lane with the best of them, but isn't consistent enough of a shooter to really scare you. He's a lot better than Dogus, though.
Dexter Pittman (C, Texas) -- Came on really strong at the end of the year, and while his overall season accomplishments probably don't deserve such an honor, but he was awesome yesterday. Pretty much, he destroyed Cole Aldrich. Dude has a really bright future, as long as he doesn't regain that weight back.

All-Newcomer/Rookie Team

Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State) -- See above.
Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma) -- See above.
Tyshawn Taylor (G, Kansas) -- Thank goodness he came to Kansas. He started off the year piping hot, and while he went through a two-month slump of sorts, he's come on late as the badly-needed third scorer behind Cole and Sherron. Dude has a special career in front of him, everybody.
Zaire Taylor (G, Missouri) -- Hit two game-winners in less than a week's time, in Austin and at home in their National Championship (Leo Lyons' words, not mine). Should be a mighty fine player next year, where he and Tiller will likely have to lead the team night-in, night-out.
Marcus Morris (F, Kansas) -- I love me some Marcus Morris, man. He's come on really strong, as of late, and is becoming an awesome rebounder.

And now, on to the Awards.

Player of the Year

Blake Griffin (F, Oklahoma)
Sherron Collins (G, Kansas)
Craig Brackins (F, Iowa State)

Newcomer of the Year

Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State)
Zaire Taylor (G, Missouri)
Mario Little (G/F, Kansas)

Freshman of the Year

Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma)
Tyshawn Taylor (G, Kansas)
Marcus Morris (F, Kansas)

Coach of the Year

Bill Self (Kansas)
Mike Anderson (Missouri)
Travis Ford (Oklahoma State)
Jeff Capel (Oklahoma)

That's all, for now. These being the hotly-contested decisiosn they are, I'm sure yours are something different. Feel free to chastize, criticize and complain, as long as you give your answer. If you think someone should be on the First Team, pick someone to actually come off the team. You can't just add more than 5 to a team. I don't roll like that.

As I said, this is just the kickoff to plenty of Big 12-related content as we quickly move towards the Big 12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday.

I can't wait.

Preview: Baylor at Texas

awiggo — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:00:10 -0000

Next Game

Baylor Bears
@ Texas Longhorns

Monday, Mar 2, 2009, 8:00 PM CST
Frank Erwin Center * Austin, TX
Television: ESPN
Radio: 98.1 FM / 1300 AM (Austin)

Las Vegas Line: Texas -9
KenPom Data Prediction: Texas, 75-68

Other Previews:
TexasSports.com / BaylorBears.CSTV.com

First Season Meeting: Texas W, 78-72
Preview / Recap

Complete Coverage >

SEASON COMPARISON

	Baylor	Texas		Baylor	Texas
Overall Record	17-11	19-9	Offensive Efficiency (Rank)	114.3 (20)	110.3 (52)
Conference Record	5-9	8-6	Defensive Efficiency (Rank)	99.3 (136)	91.3 (27)
Home Record	13-4	12-2	Strength of Schedule Rank	#36	#27
Away / Neutral Record	2-6 / 2-1	4-5 / 3-2	Quality Wins (KenPom Top 50)	Arizona St at Wash State Ok State at Kansas St Texas A&M	UCLA n-Villanova at Wisconsin Texas A&M Okla St Oklahoma
Record Last 5 and 10 Games	2-3 / 2-8	3-2 / 5-5	Losses	n-Wake Forest South Carolina at A&M at OU Texas at Missouri Kansas at Texas Tech OU at Ok State at Iowa St	n-Notre Dame n-Michigan St at Arkansas at Oklahoma Kansas St Missouri at Nebraska at Texas A&M at Ok State

Stakes and Keys to the Game after the jump.

THE STAKES

Simply put, this is a must win game for the Longhorns. With Texas closing the season at Kansas this weekend, a loss tonight would probably fate the Longhorns to an end-of-season three game losing streak. While the non-conference wins over UCLA and Villanova are still jewels in the ‘Horns’ resume, Texas doesn’t not want to see if the Committee values those over a .500 conference record and a late season slide. Texas also does not want to be playing in the Big XII tournament for their NCAA tournament lives.

A win would also assure the Longhorns of a 20-win season, their tenth straight over Rick Barnes. Last, Texas has won 23 straight over Baylor, including a 78-72 win in Waco in late January.

The Bears come staggering into Austin. Baylor did defeat Colorado at home over the weekend but had dropped eight of their previous nine games. During that slide, the Bears quickly went from a likely NCAA tournament team to a team just hoping for an NIT invite. Baylor is also just 1-6 in conference road games this season.

For Baylor, this game is about pride and saving face. The Bears have been close to knocking off the Longhorns multiple times in the last couple of seasons but have never pulled it off. A win over the Longhorns would be especially sweet for Del Valle native and senior guard, Curtis Jerrells, who seems to always play well against the ‘Horns. Although this season was supposed to achieve so much more, Scott Drew’s club could definitely make a loud end-of-year statement by winning in Austin.

Ken Pomeroy

Pomeroy’s stats show the Bears to be a similar team to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Both like to score in transition and rely heavily on the three-pointer for points; both have three or four guards in their starting lineup and struggle on the offensive glass; and both have had trouble this year getting stops, particularly in conference play.

The Baylor defense is so bad that it requires an above average shooting night to produce a victory. Take a look at the Baylor game plan. Baylor is 5-0 in conference when their effective field goal percentage is over 50% and 0-9 when their eFG % is under 50%. Basically, when Baylor is shooting well, they have a chance to outscore their opponents, and when they are not, their porous defense dooms them to a loss.

I’m not sure if the similarities between the two teams bode well for the Longhorns considering Texas scored just 18 points in the first half and needed a significant second half rally to get back into the game. However, Texas should be comfortable with the style of play and should have no trouble recognizing the keys to the game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Find three-point shooters in the half court. This is a game where the Texas guards must remember scouting reports. All the Baylor Bears are going to act like they are three point shooters—some Texas should invite to shoot the three, while others must be run at immediately and made to put the ball on the deck. The two guys Texas cannot allow catch-and-shoot open threes are LaceDarius Dunn (39% from three) and Tweety Carter (43%). Both Dunn and Carter have more made three-pointers than they do two point buckets. The two guys Texas can allow to shoot threes are Curtis Jerrells and Henry Dugat. While both players can definitely knock down the long jumpers, they are more dangerous when collapsing a defense off the bounce and scoring in the lane and at the line.

2. Limit Baylor’s transition opportunities. In the first game between these two teams, Texas held Baylor in check for the first twenty minutes and led at the half 27-24. It was certainly not an offensive show by either team as both defenses forced perimeter jumpers and limited easy looks in transition. The second half was a different story, however. Turnovers led to easy run out opportunities for both teams and scoring increased dramatically. As mentioned above, Baylor wins when they shoot the ball well, and lose when they don’t. Although the Bears may be gifted outside shooters, they really punish their opposition when they get out in transition and score easy points. Texas needs to do two things to limit the Baylor fast break offense. 1) Protect the ball. Since the insertion of Dogus Balbay into the starting lineup, this hasn’t been a problem. Actually, Texas is among the nation’s leaders in turnover percentage on the season, so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. 2) Get back. There isn’t an easier way to say this. Texas must commit a guard, usually Balbay, to defending the bucket when a shot goes up. Earlier this season, with Mason at the point, Texas got into trouble when Justin would compete on the offensive glass instead of retreat on defense. This happens occasionally with Dogus as well but the other problem is when Balbay attacks the basket off the dribble. AJ must be aware when this happens and hustle back, regardless if he starts his retreat from the offensive baseline.

3. Attack the rim, get to the foul line, and make defenses pay for playing off the Texas guards, save AJ. Texas did the opposite of those three things in the first half in Stillwater and scored just 18 points. We shot 24% from the field, didn’t attempt a single free throw, and let Terrel Harris double team the post when Balbay still had the ball in his hands. Texas, and particularly Balbay, got better in the second half. Dogus made the defenses react by taking the ball into the lane; Texas tried to feed the post from the hands of shooters like AJ Abrams and Harrison Smith; and aggression by Damion James and Dexter Pittman was rewarded by trips to the free throw line. It shouldn’t take 20 minutes to adjust to a sagging defense. If it does and Baylor is hot, then it could be a long night for this offensively limited bunch.

4. Feed the post—Dexter Pittman, Gary Johnson, Clint Chapman, and Damion James. This is obviously not easy when the post is being double teamed without the ball. However, Texas still needs to make a conscious effort to play inside-out on offense. I pray that Gary Johnson is able to go tonight, as his presence alone makes defenses play more honest. But even if he isn’t, dropping the ball to Dexter or Chap on the low block will help free up shooters and cutters. Simply pounding the ball at the top of the key will not.

This is a big one Horns’ fans. Come out to the Erwin Center tonight on Senior Night for AJ Abrams and Connor Atchley. It is likely the final home game for junior Damion James as well.

Williams named finalist for Senior CLASS Award

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:15:03 -0000

Wednesday, Terrence Williams was named as one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, an honor presented annually to an outstanding senior student-athlete.

According to the official release, "each finalist displays numerous accomplishments across all four award pillars: classroom, community, character, and competition"

The other nine finalists are A.J. Abrams (University of Texas, Austin), Jimmy Baron (University of Rhode Island), Dionte Christmas (Temple University), Tyler Hansbrough (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Lester Hudson (University of Tennessee at Martin), Curtis Jerrells (Baylor University), Jerel McNeal (Marquette University), Andy Wicke (Belmont University) and Sam Young (University of Pittsburgh).

You can vote for T-Will here. The fan vote will be combined with the ballots of the coaches and media to decide the winner.

A KenPom Preview: Baylor

rockchalk — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:48:52 -0000

OK, this is going to have to be ridiculously quick. We have to get this done in, like, 45 minutes, so, yeah. Speed-typing, engage.

Opening Thoughts

The game we've all been waiting for since conference play began. The goal, by-and-large, was to get to 6-0 going into Waco. This has been accomplished. That's over, done with. Now, we get the game that people have been assuming to be an L for awhile. That's always nice; to go into a game where you expected a L in the preseason. This presents us an opportunity to pick up a game, as it were. It's especially awesome when you go into an expected loss kind of game where you know you have a really good shot at winning.

And no matter how you slice it, we really could win this game. I promise. I mean, KenPom predicts it to be a one-point game (77-76), giving Baylor a 51% chance to win, and Kansas a 49% chance. That is about as close as it gets to a 50/50 toss-up. That's just how it is.

I can't wait.

Some quick, but in-depth, thoughts after the jump...

The Background

Coming into the year, Baylor was fully expected to make a return trip back to the NCAA Tournament. They returned nearly everyone important from last year's squad, and were picked by some to even win the Big 12. They started off the season well, getting to the finals of the absolutely-loaded 76 Classic out here in Anaheim. By getting to the Championship game, they offed better-than-expected Providence and potential-Pac 10-Champion (although, they've struggled a bunch in conference play) Arizona State. After a narrow loss to Wake Forest (yes, that Wake Forest), they won on the road, in Pullman, against Washington State. All of these are big positives, things that will help them a whole lot come Selection Sunday. However, the rest of their non-conference schedule was filled with fluff, except for a home game against South Carolina, which they lost. Now, while the Gamecocks' recent surge to the top of the SEC East Standings makes the loss look more forgivable, it isn't all that good of a loss.

And since conference play started, they've struggled big-time. They opened up conference play with a win against Tech, then went on the road to College Station and lost. They then beat two pretty solid teams in Oklahoma State (at home) and Kansas State (on the road) to seemingly right the ship. However, since then, they've been a bad team, losing three in a row. Now, those losses were @ Oklahoma, vs. Texas and @ Missouri, but three straight losses is three straight losses. All of that essentially makes this game tonight a must-win of sorts for the Bears; their non-conference resume is looking a little less solid with the dropoffs of Wazzu and ASU, and they have to win at least 9 in Big 12 play to make it. These are the type of game that they really, really need to win. This game is huge for them; ginormous.

The Offense

Four Factors

Effective FG% (17th) -- This is, easily, the best aspect of the Bears' offense. This is how they score a shitload of points, and how they win games. They make both threes and twos incredibly proficiently (36th and 25th, respectively), and are dangerous from anywhere on the floor. The key will be limiting their open looks, hoping this causes them to miss more shots than usual. If they aren't hitting their shots, they are very, very beatable. If they're on fire, they could beat just about anyone in the country.
Turnover % (70th) -- They don't turn the ball over a bunch, but they aren't like A&M, either. They are playmakers, after all, and playmakers tend to turn the ball over on occasion. If we can force a bunch of turnovers, that could only help us, but it isn't an incredible key, either.
Offensive Rebounding % (136th) -- No Nebraska, but the Bears don't get a whole lot of second chances on offense. With only two real threats on the offensive glass (Kevin Rogers and Quincy Acy), it isn't terribly difficult to focus on them and box them out. The key, like always, will be simply sticking a body on them and getting inside position. The Morris twins have improved a bunch over the past few games at this; let's see how they do it against legitimate, All-Big 12-caliber athletes.
FTA/FGA (48th) -- They do get to the line, a whole bunch. Particularly driving extroadniaire, Curtis Jerrells, but really, everyone on the team can draw fouls at a reasonable level. They aren't Xavier, or anything, shooting nearly as many freebies as field goals, but they still are well familiar with the charity stripe.

Miscellaneous

Beyond the really good field goal percentages, there are a couple other nuggets of note. One is that, despite merely a 'good' turnover %, they never, ever get the ball stolen from them. So, yeah, they'll turn the ball over, but it usually isn't on steals. Secondly, they aren't a good free throw shooting team. They get to the line quite a bit, but only shoot 68% there as a team. Nothing special.

The Defense

Four Factors

Effective FG% (129th) -- You'll see that type of ranking a bunch with the Bears. Lots of mediocre (for power conference teams, at least), well-below-average numbers, but nothing outstandingly poor. They are just, around the board, a poor defensive team. Not a terrible one, maybe not even a bad one, per se, just a below-average, poor, mediocre D.
Turnover % (146th) -- See what I mean? They don't turn you over all that much, so the key will be no stupid mistakes. It's one thing to turn the ball over 20+ times against Nebraska; a team that forces so many turnovers, it's almost acceptable. That's who they are as a defensive team, so if they turn you over a bunch, it's somewhat defensible. But, if you turn the ball over a bunch because you simply can't take care of the ball against a D that isn't terribly proficient at turning you over, and you are in big trouble. Big, big trouble.
Offensive Rebounding % (214th) -- You know how I said none of their defensive statistics stood out as particularly bad? Well, I was kind of wrong. Their OR% rate is quite awful, and we should have plenty of opportunities to pick up second chance points. Morris twins, I'm looking at you. You've done an excellent job these past two games against abnormally small teams at going up and grabbing the freakin' ball. Let's see if you can do it against a more athletic, more talented, taller Baylor frontline.
FTA/FGA (146th) -- Aaand, back to the simply mediocre stats. They'll foul you some, they'll let you shoot the freebies, some, but nothing extravagant. Just same old, same old. I don't think we'll do anything differently in this sense; just continue to have Sherron and Tyshawn (if he's 'on', at least) drive the lane and either kick or continue in and draw fouls, or whatever.

Miscellaneous

They are particularly poor at allowing the three (184th in the country), so we'll get to that in a second. That is about all that is relevant, however.

The Players

Curtis Jerrells G -- The Bears' best player, Jerrells is a slasher extroadinaire. He loves driving to the ball, he loves attacking the rim and drawing contact. Like I said, he gets the foul line a whole hell of a lot. And he'll shoot the three some, too (93 attempts on the year, second on the team), but his main game is to drive and get fouled.

Henry Dugat G -- Dugat is the defensive specialist on the Bears; the guy that will most likely be the one assigned to guard Sherron Collins. Good luck. But seroiusly, that is his main purpose to the team; the best defender on an overall porous defensive ball club. Offensively, he is also a driver, although he can spot up and shoot the rock from the outside, too.

Tweety Carter G -- Tweety is, statistically, the best offensive player on the team, at least in terms of Offensive Rating. He rarely turns the ball over, which is nice, and loves shooting the three. Not as much as the soon-to-be-mentioned LaceDarius Dunn, but still; Carter likes the long ball.

Quincy Acy F -- A freshman, Acy is their dirty-work player, of sorts. He is, by a very large margin, the best rebounder on the team; particularly defensive. He isn't much of a scorer, only has taken 14% of the team's shots, and is entirely confined to the interior, he's taken 0 threes on the year. However, he serves his purpose on the Bears as the dude who gets rebounds so the Mickey D's All-Americans can score the points. He also is a very good rejecter of shots.

Kevin Rogers F -- Rogers, honestly, is probably the Bears' most gifted player. He is, actually, better on the offensive glass than Acy, and is, really, their only scorer on the inside.

Lacedarius Dunn G -- Lacedarius, besides having an incredibly awesome name (I always like creativity in names, as long as it's within reason), is probably the best three-point specialist in the Big 12. Hell, he might be the best this side of Kyle McAlarney in the entire country. He doesn't do much besides shoot the trey, but he's shot 154 of them on the season; making 42% of them. That is just ridiculous. And he isn't entirely immune to the two-pointer; he's taken 72 of them. But don't get mistaken; Lacedarius likes standing behind the 20'9" line. He isn't afraid in the least to shoot, either; he's taken 30% of Baylor's shots on the year, the 114th highest percentage in the country. For reference, Sherron has only taken 29.3% of our shots so far this season. So, yeah, damn. However, despite all of that shooting, he is still easily the best shooter on the team according to eFG%; the 56th best in the country. The key to the game is shutting down Lacedarius.

The Keys

Limit Open Threes -- The key to this game is to force them to take contested, hand-in-their-face three-pointers. They'll still take the shots, sure; particularly that one Lacedarius fool. But if they're contested, they won't make as many. And when they aren't hitting as many threes, their offense isn't nearly as good. They are then left with, pretty much, just Curtis Jerrells driving and Kevin Rogers on the interior. Still a damn good offense, really, and they could still put up 80 on us. But, not quite the 8th best offense in the country.
Limit Your Turnovers -- This is huge. They don't turn you over a whole bunch usually, so if they do, their defense is exponentially better. No, seriously, like exponentially. If we can't hold on to the ball, we are in for a treat. In a bad way, though. A really, really bad treat.
Second Chance Points -- We'll get more into this in a second in the KenPom Preview's newest feature, but if we can get free points off the offensive glass, we could win this game by a bunch. Their D is pretty bad, and we'll score quite a bit on them regardless. But, if we can get free points by simply outhustling the Bears on the glass, we could conceivably score every time down. Obviously, that's ridiculous, but it is theoretically possible. Really.

Who to Watch For

Baylor - Lacedarius Dunn (G) -- If he goes off, like he did against K-State (9-12 from three), we could be in for a long night. Thank goodness for us, we have this one dude named Brady Morningstar to shadow him across the entire court. Still, even with Brady, the dude's a shooter, and if he goes off, we're in big trouble. Particularly if we are spending Brady's incredible defensive talents on him, and he's still hitting his shot. Brady, please cover him really well. Thanks.

Kansas - Morris Twins (Fs) -- Really, I created this feature to talk about Markieff and Marcus. They've got a big game in them, and I think this is when it's going to burst out of them. They've both played damn-near-awesome in the past two games; now is the time for them to show up that well against a really good opponent. And, being the huge fan of them that I am, I say they show up in a big way. They get a bunch of extra layups off of second chance points, pickup a shitload of rebounds in general, and stay out of foul trouble for the most part. They even limit their stupid turnovers, and make a couple of nice shots. And even make their free throws.

I'll go with a combined line of: 19 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls.

Victory is ours, if that last little line happens. I promise.

I know this is late, but hopefully you read it. I'm really pleased with how it came out.

OGT in about 10...

Mizzou-Baylor: Statistical Applause

Bill C. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:00:09 -0000

Nice win. It was a game of runs, as expected, and in the end Mizzou's depth and home-court advantage did the deed for the Tigers. Actually, no. Mizzou's starters and home-court advantage won the game. The Mizzou bench was surprisingly thin and ineffective.

Great crowd...even if some of the major donors whose seats are on camera at all times were extremely noticeably absent.

To the numbers!

Stats by StatSheet.com

	Mizzou	Baylor
Points Per Minute	2.23	1.80
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.18	0.95
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.53	1.16
2-PT FG%	62.5%	56.4%
3-PT FG%	16.7%	26.1%
FT%	83.3%	71.4%
True Shooting %	60.3%	52.8%

	Mizzou	Baylor
Assists	17	11
Steals	9	7
Turnovers	13	18
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.00	1.00

	Mizzou	Baylor
Expected Offensive Rebounds	11	12
Offensive Rebounds	10	8
Difference	-1	-4

Against a team that would play six guards if they could, you had to figure that the BCI would be an insanely important figure, and sure enough...it was turnovers and passing (and free throws, and both of Mizzou's big men going crazy) that made the difference. Mizzou was more aggressive on both sides of the court.
They were more aggressive on the boards as well. Needless to say, when Mizzou wins the BCI AND the rebounding battle, chances are they're going to win about 99.8% of the time.
After a career of absolutely murdering Mizzou, we'll say yesterday was a regression to the mean for Curtis Jerrells, whose line of 5 points on 10 shots, and 2 assists to 9 turnovers, really put Baylor in a bind. Granted, Jerrells is still basically Sex Panther against us (60% of the time, it works every time)...

...but it was nice that he's capable of not killing us sometimes.

(Sorry, after watching that movie again last night, I was bound and determined to make a Sex Panther reference...that was the best I could do.)

Stats by StatSheet.com

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
DeMarre Carroll	26.57	0.78	25 Pts, 9 Reb (5 Off), 2 Stl
J.T. Tiller	24.29	0.84	10 Pts, 7 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 Stl
Leo Lyons	23.15	0.77	30 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 TO
Marcus Denmon	10.60	0.41	9 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl
Zaire Taylor	4.24	0.15	0 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast
Kim English	2.77	0.14	9 Pts, 3 TO
Laurence Bowers	1.30	0.33	2 Pts, 1 Stl in under five minutes
Justin Safford	0.33	0.07	2 Pts
Miguel Paul	-0.49	-0.49	0 Pts in 1 minute
Matt Lawrence	-1.14	-0.08	2 Pts
Keith Ramsey	-2.61	-0.37	0 Pts

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It does the same thing my previous measure of choice did (it takes points, assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls into account to determine an individual's "score" for a given game), only the formula is more used and accepted. The "adjustment" in Adjusted Game Score is simply matching the total game scores to the total points scored in the game, thereby redistributing the game's points scored to those who had the biggest impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

Statistics say that when Leo Lyons plays like a Lottery pick, DeMarre is at his Junkyard Doggiest, and JT Tiller threatens to mess around and get a triple double, Mizzou is damn near unstoppable. Go figure.
And seriously...you know you had a bunch of guys show up bigtime when the dude who scored 30 points ended up with the third-most game score points.
Mizzou's starters contribued 81 of Mizzou's 89 game score points...not exactly the common trend. Mizzou's rotation of 10-11 guys was basically a 7-man rotation, with only Denmon and Lawrence playing more than 7 minutes off the bench.
Laurence Bowers: 4 minutes. Because DeMarre and Leo were so lights out, and because Ramsey (7 minutes) and Safford (5) barely played either, I won't complain too much, but I'm just going to continue to list his minutes each game.

vs Big 12
Mizzou: 5-2

	Mizzou	Opp.
Points Per Minute	2.11	1.80
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.14	0.98
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.41	1.23
2-PT FG%	53.3%	46.5%
3-PT FG%	40.3%	36.4%
FT%	70.2%	72.3%
True Shooting %	58.9%	52.9%

	Mizzou	Opp.
Assists	127	87
Steals	72	48
Turnovers	96	133
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.07	1.02

	Mizzou	Opp.
Expected Offensive Rebounds	85	89
Offensive Rebounds	74	85
Difference	-11	-4

Baylor's craptastic 3-point shooting performance (6-for-23) regulated the 3pt% allowed figures a bit after K-State couldn't miss.
Speaking of K-State...feeling better about that loss after they went down to Austin and won.
And quietly, Mizzou has moved above 70% FT shooting in league play. A welcome improvement.

Player	AdjGS/Gm*	GS/Min	Line
DeMarre Carroll	18.62	0.65	17.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Leo Lyons	12.24	0.60	14.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.7 APG
Zaire Taylor	10.23	0.39	5.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.0 SPG
J.T. Tiller	9.81	0.41	9.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.0 SPG
Marcus Denmon	8.39	0.45	9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG
Matt Lawrence	6.33	0.32	7.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG
Kim English	5.84	0.35	7.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG
Keith Ramsey	5.37	0.30	5.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG
Laurence Bowers	4.28	0.57	4.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG
Miguel Paul	2.87	0.28	2.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.3 APG
Justin Safford	2.41	0.29	2.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG
Michael Anderson Jr.	0.76	0.13	0.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG
Jarrett Sutton	0.25	0.08	1.5 PPG
Steve Moore	-0.49	-0.09	1.5 PPG, 1.0 RPG

DeMarre can still be neutralized by teams with lots of size (who can't?), but he really has to be getting a serious all-conference look here, just for his all-around stats (and 17 PPG).

Rachel Phelps Update: five pieces of the puzzle (i.e. wins to basically clinch an NCAA Tourney bid) to go.

South Carolina at Baylor: A Quick Recap

Gamecock Man — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:48:35 -0000

Yesterday, I said this team is good enough to win a game against an elite opponent at some point in the year. "At some point" ended up being last night, when Zam Fredrick hit a go-ahead shot with five seconds left to give the Gamecocks the lead and victory over Baylor. Fredrick scored 19 and Devan Downey scored a game-leading 23. Bears guards Curtis Jerrels lead Baylor with 22. The Bears deserve credit for a hard-fought game. On a day when South Carolina shot 57% from beyond the arc, Baylor almost beat us despite shooting below 50% from the field, indicating that they are likely the better team. However, it wasn't their night; the Gamecocks were hot and weren't going to let this one get away from them.

Make no mistake, this was a huge win for USC. In terms of indicating what this team is capable of, we now know that we can win a game against a top-flight opponent, something we were incapable of accomplishing a year ago. In a down year in the SEC, Baylor might well be one of the, if the not the, best teams we'll play all year. We just beat the Bears on the road, indicating that we're capable of beating anyone we play. As it did last night, big wins will likely require us to shoot extremely well, but we're capable of doing that regularly. Another important point about this game: If we manage to win around 10-12 games in SEC play, which I honestly think is possible if the ball rolls our way, this quality OOC win will go a long way towards securing us an at-large NCAAs bid.

As I said yesterday, Darrin Horn's team is going to please a lot of sad Gamecocks this year. It's time to put the disappointment of the football season behind us and get behind this team. They're everything the football team isn't: they have fire, they've found an identity, and they're maximizing their potential. Last night was our first indication of what they're capable of.

Taking a Look at Our Chances During the Hoops OOC Schedule

Gamecock Man — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:43 -0000

Below is the OOC basketball schedule, per the USC athletics website.

F-Nov. 7 Kentucky Wesleyan (EX) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.
F-Nov. 14 Jacksonville State (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.
Su-Nov 16 Winthrop (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 4 p.m.
Sa-Nov. 22 USC Upstate (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 1 p.m.
Tu-Nov. 25 Gardner Webb (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.
F-Nov. 28 College of Charleston Charleston, S.C. (Carolina First Arena) 7 p.m.
Tu-Dec. 2 Princeton Princeton, N.J. (Jadwin Gym) 7 p.m.
F-Dec. 5 Furman Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 6 p.m.
Tu-Dec. 16 NC Central (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 8 p.m.
Sa-Dec. 20 The Citadel (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 5 p.m.
Tu-Dec. 23 Presbyterian College (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.
Tu-Dec. 30 Clemson (FSN) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.
F-Jan. 2 Baylor (FSNSW) Waco, Texas (Ferell Center) 5:30 p.m.
M-Jan. 5 Wofford College (SS) Columbia, S.C. (Colonial Life Arena) 7 p.m.

Four games stand out here as important tests for our team: Winthrop, College of Charleston, Clemson, and Baylor. The other games should be easy wins. Of course, Gardner-Webb did beat Kentucky last year, but hopefully we'll escape that fate. Princeton's career as a giant killer is well known, but the Tigers have fallen on hard times. As far as Jacksonville State is concerned, we'll just have to hope that record keepers don't get confused when we play them and credit the wrong team with the win.

We're flattered, really.

Let's take a closer look at the better OOC opponents we face.

Winthrop

Winthrop has had a lot of success in the Big South conference in recent years. Last year, they went 22-12 and, as usual, represented their conference in the NCAA tournament. Despite their Big South success, though, wins over major conference foes have not come often for the Eagles, so they'll be looking for blood when they come to Columbia.

Luckily for us, however, the Eagles should be in a rebuilding phase this year. They lose four of their top five scorers from a year ago, and while Randy Peele has proven that he's a good enough coach to get his young team ready for the Big South, he'll likely have trouble with a more experienced, athletic Gamecocks team.

Verdict for Winthrop: Likely Win

College of Charleston

The COC had a tough year last year, going 16-17 and 9-11 in the Southern Conference, otherwise lately known as Davidson's Whipping Boys. However, Bobby Cremins's team returns every significant player this year. Cremins is a good, proven coach, and if things come together for his group of players, his team should challenge Davidson in the SoCon.

COC may be a tough out for the Gamecocks. The Cougars present minor matchup problems for Carolina. Carolina's Achilles Heel last year was talented big men, and COC sports two in Jermaine Johnson and Dustin Scott. Johnson and Scott don't sport quite the size of the SEC big men that plagued the Gamecocks last year, but they should be able to score some points in the paint against us. Also playing in COC's favor is that this game will take place in Charleston and lots of COC fans will undoubtedly be on hand to see the Cougars try to take out one of the big boys.

Verdict for COC: Somewhat Probable Win

See previews for Clemson and Baylor after the jump.

Clemson

Our friends from Pickens County have developed a nice little basketball program over the last few years under Coach Oliver Purnell, who is undoubtedly one of college hoops bright young coaching stars. The Tigers made the NCAA tournament last year and anything less than that this time around will be a disappointment, as they return senior guard and team leader K. C. Rivers along with other talented players. Many media outlets rate Clemson in their pre-season top 25s.

This will definitely be a difficult game for the Gamecocks. The Tigers have a number of talented shooters and are capable of scoring lots of points, and Darrin Horn's up-tempo offense plays into Clemson's hand to a certain degree because the Tigers have strong full-court and perimeter defenders. Clemson also brings in 7-2 center Catalin Baciu from Romania. Baciu is raw player and will need development before he really blossoms into a top player, but he's capable of scoring under the basket and Clemson will undoubtedly try to get him the ball so he can take advantage of the fact that he's a good several inches taller than our big men.

To make a long story short, we'll need to play a great game to beat the Tigers. We can do it, but it's not very likely. The game takes place in Columbia, so hopefully we'll get a little help from a pumped up crowd.

Verdict for Clemson: Likely Loss

Baylor

After enduring well-publicized scandal and tragedy in 2003, the Bears surged to a 21-11 record last year and ended up being one of the season's feel-good stories. A repeat performance may be likely this year, as Baylor returns its best players. The Bears sport one of the nation's best backcourts in Curtis Jerrells and Henry Dugat, and their frontline is also good. They won't sneak up on anybody again this year, but they're good enough to play with most teams.

Baylor doesn't have a player like Clemson's Baciu that will give Carolina fits. They also aren't as good defensively as the Tigers, so we should be able to score points against them. However, they'll get their points as well, and since they have a little more momentum coming into the season than we do, they'll likely be favored in this game.

Verdict for Baylor: Somewhat Probable Loss

Final Thoughts

Our OOC schedule this year is a good bit easier than what we faced last year. Gone are the Southern Cals, NC States, and George Masons, most of them replaced by teams that we should handle easily. That being the case, we should have no more than three losses headed into conference play. That's a good thing for this team, as the wins will build confidence and gives us a better chance of finishing with a respectable record even if we don't play great in SEC play. Playing tough OOC opponents is great for good teams that need the quality wins to help their NCAA seeding, but we're probably not at that point this year. And if we are, we need to beat Clemson and Baylor.

SB Nation - Curtis Jerrells

Baylor Guard Carter Suspended

Big 12 Tournament Preview: Baylor v. Texas

Next Game

Big 12 Tournament: Day One Recap

#8 Nebraska 49 vs. #9 Baylor 65

#5 Texas 67 vs. #12 Colorado 56

#7 Oklahoma State 81 vs. #10 Iowa State 67

#6 Texas A&M 83 vs. #11 Texas Tech 88

Big 12 Roundup: Big 12 Awards

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

All-Newcomer/Rookie Team

Player of the Year

Newcomer of the Year

Freshman of the Year

Coach of the Year

Preview: Baylor at Texas

Next Game

THE STAKES

Ken Pomeroy

Williams named finalist for Senior CLASS Award

A KenPom Preview: Baylor

Opening Thoughts

The Background

The Offense

The Defense

The Players

The Keys

Who to Watch For

Mizzou-Baylor: Statistical Applause

vs Big 12Mizzou: 5-2

South Carolina at Baylor: A Quick Recap

Taking a Look at Our Chances During the Hoops OOC Schedule

vs Big 12
Mizzou: 5-2