Baylor Bears
Big 12 (34-0, 18-0)
Baylor was expected to have a great season with four starters back from a team that was upset in the Elite Eight by conference foe, and eventual national champs, Texas A&M. And the Bears did not disappoint. They started off by knocking off teams like Notre Dame, Tennessee and Connecticut and kept cruising through conference play with little trouble.
Big Wins: 11/20 Notre Dame (94-81), 11/27 at Tennessee (76-67), 12/18 Connecticut (66-61)
Bad Losses: none
Coach: Kim Mulkey (12 seasons at Baylor)
Why They Can Surprise:
Britney Griner is the superstar of the Bears. The 6-8 junior is a dominate force on both sides of the floor and few teams have even come close to finding a way to deal with her. Griner averaged an impressive 23.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks during the 2011-2012 campaign. Those are some very, very impressive numbers. The frontcourt would be great with just Griner, but do not overlook Destiny Williams and Brooklyn Pope. Williams is the usual starter beside Griner and she will get a lot of easy buckets while the opposition worries about Griner. Williams and Pope are only 6-1, but they are tough players who do compliment Griner quite well.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The opposition’s game plan usually centers around Odyssey Sims, not Griner. The theory is Griner is going to get hers no matter what, so stopping Sims is key. Sims is a great secondary scorer and superb shooter. Unfortunately, Sims is really the only consistent outside shooter on the team and, on a squad that gets a ton of open looks on the perimeter, they should shoot better from long range. Sims is also, arguably, the best ball handler on the team and she has been asked to do a lot this season. Players like Kimetria Hayden and Jordan Madden are not major scoring threats, but at least Madden can help handle the ball. Yet, turnovers have been an issue at times and when this team runs into a quality team and Sims is having an off night, it may be difficult for Baylor to find a shooter to open up space for the talented frontcourt.
Probable Starters:
Odyssey Sims, Sophomore, Guard, 14.8 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.1 spg
Jordan Madden, Junior, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 2.9 apg
Kimetria Hayden, Junior, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 3.6 apg, 4.3 rpg
Destiny Williams, Junior, Forward, 9.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg
Brittney Griner, Junior, Center, 23.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Terran Condrey, Senior, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
Brooklyn Pope, Junior, Forward, 7.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.1 (4th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 51.2 (6, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.4 (1, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 30.7 (2, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.7 (264, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.6 (110, 4)
Rebound Margin: 13.4 (4, 1)
Assists Per Game: 18.8 (3, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.0 (19, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
Baylor 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View A&M
Baylor 2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over West Virginia
Baylor 2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Green Bay
Baylor 2011 NCAA Regional Final loss to Texas A&M
Baylor 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Fresno State
Baylor 2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgetown
Baylor 2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win Tennessee
Baylor 2010 NCAA Regional Final win Duke
Baylor 2010 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Connecticut
Baylor 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas-San Antonio
Baylor 2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over South Dakota State
Baylor 2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
Baylor 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Fresno State
Baylor 2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Pittsburgh
Baylor 2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Chattanooga
Baylor 2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina State
Baylor 2005 NCAA National Final win over Michigan State
*all team stats through 3/1
