Lawrence, KS – The Baylor Bears put their undefeated record on the line as they head to legendary Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for a Big 12 Conference showdown with the Kansas Jayhawks.
This bout marks the 19th meeting between Baylor and Kansas, with the Jayhawks laying claim to a commanding 16-2 lead in the series. Kansas has won the last two contests. Baylor's head coach Scott Drew is 1-8 all-time against the Jayhawks. This matchup will feature the only two teams in the Big 12 that are ranked in the top-3 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Drew may not have a very good record against the Jayhawks, but his team is just one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. Baylor's 17-0 (4-0) start has set new program records for best start and longest winning streak. The Bears were quite impressive their last time out, as they bested Oklahoma State in a 106-65 final on Saturday. Baylor shot 52.9 percent from the field and knocked down a season-high 15 three-pointers. The Bears have the second- widest scoring margin in the conference as they are outscoring their opponents by an average of 18.2 ppg.
Baylor has a deep attack as five players average double figures in scoring. The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Perry Jones III leads the team with 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Quincy Acy and Pierre Jackson are both contributing 12.3 ppg. Acy is an exciting high-flyer as 51 percent of his career field goals have been dunks. Brady Heslip is a threat from long range as he has knocked down 50 shots from beyond the arc coming into this game.
Kansas might be the toughest opponent yet for the Bears. The Jayhawks will be protecting their 15-game home winning streak and their identical 4-0 league record. Head coach Bill Self led his team to its seventh straight win on Saturday as it took down Iowa State, 82-73. The Jayhawks shot 44.3 percent from the field, but made just 12-of-24 from the charity stripe in the win over the Cyclones. Kansas played well at the defensive end, as it held ISU to 35.8 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers. The Jayhawks' plus-8.0 rebounding margin leads the Big 12 as they have outrebounded all but two teams they have faced this season.
Like the visitors, Kansas has an array of weapons at the offensive end. Thomas Robinson is the team's top scorer (17.2 ppg) and the Big 12's top rebounder (12.2 rpg). The junior forward recorded his second straight and 12th double- double of the season his last time out with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor has been a huge factor to the Jayhawks' success as well. Taylor now averages 15.5 ppg after a career-high 28-point performance his last time out. The senior guard also leads the team with 5.2 apg. Junior guard Travis Releford could be the X-factor in this one. Releford averaged 17.5 ppg in the four games preceding the match up with Iowa State, in which he was held to just seven points. Kansas will need Releford to return to his scoring streak against the unbeaten Bears.
