2011-12 Baylor Basketball Preview

2010-11 Results:

Overall: 18-13 (15-3 H, 2-8 A, 1-4 N)
Big 12: 7-9 (5-3 H, 2-8 A)
Conference Tournament: Lost in First Round

After missing the postseason for the first time since 2007, Baylor has reloaded with its most decorated recruiting class in program history. Despite a disappointing season that saw LaceDarius Dunn become both the school and Big 12 all-time leading scorer, the Bears are 91-47 in the last four seasons — the best such stretch since making two Final Four appearances in five years from 1945-50.

The Bears posted an 18-13 record last season, and they played very strong at home. They tallied a 7-9 mark in Big 12 play. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Oklahoma. Behind Dunn, Baylor averaged 69.5 points per game on 47% shooting from the field.

Roster

Returning Starters
A.J. Walton
Perry Jones III
Quincy Acy
Anthony Jones

Other Returning Players
Levi Norwood
Jacob Neubert
Fred Ellis
J’mison Morgan
Cory Jefferson

Newcomers
Gary Franklin
Brady Heslip
Deuce Bello
Logan Lowery
Quincy Miller
Pierre Jackson

Head Coach
Scott Drew

Key Losses

LaceDarius Dunn is the lone starter gone from a Baylor squad. Dunn averaged 19.5 points per game and held the team’s highest FT-percentage at 83 percent. He became both the school’s and Big 12’s all-time leading scorer last season.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
11/1/2011	vs. Abilene Christian (Ex)
11/11/2011	vs. Texas Southern
11/13/2011	vs. Jackson State
11/15/2011	vs. San Diego State
11/22/2011	vs. South Carolina State
11/23/2011	vs. UT Arlington
11/29/2011	vs. Prairie View A&M
12/4/2011	@ Northwestern
12/14/2011	vs. Bethune Cookman
12/17/2011	@ BYU
12/19/2011	vs. Paul Quinn
11th Annual iBN Sports Las Vegas Classic
12/22/2011	vs. Saint Mary’s
12/23/2011	vs. West Virginia
Regular Season
12/28/2011	vs. Mississippi State
1/2/2012	vs. Texas A&M *
1/7/2012	@ Texas Tech *
1/10/2012	@ Kansas State *
1/14/2012	vs. Oklahoma State *
1/16/2012	@ Kansas *
1/21/2012	vs. Missouri *
1/24/2012	@ Oklahoma *
1/28/2012	vs. Texas *
2/1/2012	@ Texas A&M *
2/4/2012	@ Oklahoma State *
2/8/2012	vs. Kansas *
2/11/2012	@ Missouri *
2/13/2012	vs. Iowa State *
2/18/2012	vs. Kansas State
2/20/2012	@ Texas *
2/25/2012	vs. Oklahoma *
2/27/2012	vs. Texas Tech *
3/3/2012	@ Iowa State *
Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
3/7/2012	First Round
3/8/2012	Quarterfinals
3/9/2012	Semifinals
3/10/2012	Championship Game
*Conference Games

2011-12 Preview

With its athletic roster and impressive depth, Baylor, which hasn’t won a conference title since 1950 in the old Southwest Conference, is a legitimate Big 12 title contender in 2011-12. Despite losing top scorer Dunn, the Bears will again feature one of the nation’s most athletic frontcourts with Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones and Perry Jones III. Preseason expectations continue to climb in Waco and this summer and several media outlets have Baylor as a top-16 team in early polls.

Backcourt

Led by returning starters Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones and Perry Jones III, Baylor possesses one of the nation’s top frontcourts entering the 2011-12 season. A.J. Walton, who averaged 7.9 ppg and 4.7 apg, anchors Baylor’s talented backcourt.

The new guards for Baylor are freshman Deuce Bello, sophomore Gary Franklin, sophomore Brady Heslip and junior Pierre Jackson. Jackson led College of Southern Idaho to a national title and was named 2011 NJCAA Division I Player of the Year. Heslip is currently playing on Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team training camp roster and is expected to be Baylor’s top deep threat.

Frontcourt

Returning to hold ground for Baylor’s frontline are Anthony Jones, Quincy Acy and Perry Jones III. Anthony Jones last season averaged 8.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG while Perry Jones III posted 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 54.9 FG% per contest. Forward Acy was the Bears’ third leading scorer last season averaging12.4 PPG, along with 7.6 RPG, 1.5 BPG.

Also adding bulk to the frontline is Freshmen Quincy Miller. Miller will be the second consensus top-10 recruit to don a Baylor jersey in as many seasons, following Jones III. Not only will Baylor’s frontcourt get a booster from Miller, it will also welcome back F Cory Jefferson, who redshirted in 2010-11. Along with Walton, Jefferson has spent the previous two summers competing with Athletes In Action overseas in a pair of European tours. Seniors Fred Ellis and J’mison Morgan will provide the Bears with more frontcourt depth.

Other Resources on Bears Basketball

More Big 12 Basketball Predictions

Kansas Jayhawks	Missouri Tigers
Baylor Bears	Iowa State Cyclones
Kansas State Wildcats	Texas Longhorns
Oklahoma State Cowboys	Oklahoma Sooners
Texas A&M Aggies	Texas Tech Red Raiders

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