GETTING INSIDE
After losing several veterans who were among the greatest contributors in the history of Baylor basketball, the Bears needed a new spark.
Gone are standouts Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers and Henry Dugat. While firepower returned in the backcourt, namely from Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn, the Bears’ biggest contribution to date has come from a different kind of veteran.
Ekpe Udoh, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Michigan, wasted no time making a statement and establishing himself as an inside force to be reckoned with in the Big 12. Just for good measure, Udoh almost notched a triple-double in a 94-63 rout of Texas-Arlington on Dec. 20.
He managed 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine blocks before fouling out with 2:04 remaining. Baylor coach Scott Drew left Udoh in the game down the stretch to get the last block, but the center wore down and walked off exhausted after drawing his fifth foul.
“You know I wanted it. Everybody knows I wanted it,” Udoh said. “I had three attempts at it, and I should have gotten one of them.”
The disappointment wasn’t too bad. Udoh managed to show off his versatility, adding an inside force the Bears lacked in recent seasons when Rogers was asked to do a lot underneath despite being a bit undersized on the low block.
Now, with sophomore Quincy Acy becoming more comfortable, the Bears appear to have enough strength underneath to compete in the Big 12. Through the Texas-Arlington victory, the Bears led the conference with a rebounding margin of plus-11.9.
NOTES, QUOTES
• The inside presence presented by 6-foot-10 F Ekpe Udoh has made Baylor a better team defensively. Through the Bears’ 9-1 start, the Bears were allowing opponents to shoot just 35.3 percent, the third-best mark in the Big 12 behind No. 2 Texas (34.3 percent) and No. 1 Kansas (34.9 percent). With 39 blocks on the season, Udoh’s shot-altering frame made it much more difficult for opponents to score in the paint.
• A Dec. 20 victory against Texas-Arlington pushed Baylor’s December win streak to 18 games. A 3-0 start during games played that month bumped Scott Drew’s December record to 27-9 as Baylor’s head coach.
January At A Glance: Baylor gets a home tune-up on Jan. 6 coming off back-to-back road games against SEC opponents, at Arkansas and South Carolina. Trips within 10 days to Kansas on Jan. 20 and Texas on Jan. 30 make the month a severe test. Baylor simply needs to hold serve at home for a good start in Big 12 play, though it won’t be easy facing Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
Quote To Note: “I wanted to see a triple-double. But for Ekpe (Udoh) to get a double-double with nine blocks (against Texas-Arlington) says a lot about him. He isn’t just offensive-minded. He’s also defensive-minded and wants to win.”—Baylor G Tweety Carter.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: After getting pushed around for years as one of the poorest teams in the Big 12, both on the boards and on defense, the 9-1 start for Baylor featured a tougher attitude underneath. F Ekpe Udoh, a Michigan transfer, was key to the makeover, producing six double-doubles through the first 10 games. With streaky shooters still capable of getting hot from 3-point range, Baylor will not be an easy matchup once league play begins.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters —F Anthony Jones, F Ekpe Udoh, C Josh Lomers, G LaceDarius Dunn, G Tweety Carter. Key Subs—F Quincy Acy, F Fred Ellis, G Nolan Dennis, G A.J. Walton.
Game Review:
Baylor 64, Arizona State 61
Baylor 90, Jackson State 60
Baylor 94, Texas-Arlington 63
Game Preview:
at Arkansas, Wednesday, Dec. 30
at South Carolina, Saturday, Jan. 2
vs. Morgan State, Wednesday, Jan. 6
vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, Jan. 9
at Colorado, Tuesday, Jan. 12
In Focus: Back-to-back ventures into the SEC to play Arkansas and South Carolina will test the Bears’ fortitude and offer a nice preview to the difficulty of playing on the road in the Big 12. Rotnei Clarke is a long-range bomber for Arkansas who could get involved in a shootout if Baylor G LaceDarius Dunn is connecting. A 2-0 start to Big 12 play is possible with Oklahoma struggling and Colorado still one of the weaker teams in the conference.
Roster Report:
• F Ekpe Udoh almost bagged a triple-double against Texas-Arlington, missing the feat by one block. He managed 22 points and 16 rebounds, the first Bear to generate at least 20 points and 15 boards in a game since Lawrence Roberts in 2003.
• G Tweety Carter also managed a double-double against Texas-Arlington with 12 points and 10 assists. It was the first double-double of Carter’s career. The performance capped a four-game stretch in which Carter posted 93 points, 26 assists and 10 steals.
• G LaceDarius Dunn made just 16 of 61 shots over a five-game stretch before going 5-for-12 for 17 points against Texas-Arlington.
