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SHOCKER GAME NOTES AND LINKS
SCOUTING BAYLOR:
***Rebuilding Baylor lost its top-four scorers and is picked ninth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll.
***The Bears finished 19-15 last year and tied for sixth in the Big 12 race (8-10). One of the last four teams left off the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Bears fell to Mississippi State in the second round of the NIT.
***Prior to 2018, Baylor had appeared in a school record four-straight NCAA Tournaments.
***Leading scorer Makai Mason (14.3) is the first graduate transfer in Baylor history after graduating from Yale.
***King McClure (14.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Tristan Clark (13.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 bpg) are returning starters.
***Mark Vital is the only other 2017-18 holdover on this year's active roster. He's averaging 5.3 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds.
MATCHUP MASHUP:
***Under Gregg Marshall (289 wins in 12 seasons at WSU) and Scott Drew (301 wins in 16 seasons at Baylor) the Bears and Shockers have been two of the nation's best rebounding programs. Going back to the start of the decade, WSU's average rebounding margin (+7.79) ranks second nationally. Baylor is 10th (+6.31). Both teams have been uncharacteristically average this year. The Shockers are +0.7 on the glass. Baylor is +3.7. Neither rank in the top-100.
***Both sides are rebuilding. WSU returned just 11.2 percent of its minutes from last year. Baylor returned 33 percent. Samajae Haynes-Jones is the only Shocker who saw time in last year's win at Baylor. He went scoreless in seven minutes. Markis McDuffie (injury) and Asbjørn Midtgaard (coach's decision) did not see action.
***Likewise, just three of the eight Bears are back from last year's game. Tristan Clark (six points, nine rebounds in 29 minutes) and King McClure (12 points in 29 minutes) both started. Mark Vital added eight points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes. A fourth Bear, Jake Lindsey, is redshirting this year. He scored three points in 24 minutes off the bench against WSU.
***WSU is in the top-50 nationally in KenPom for fewest shots blocked. Baylor ranks No. 4 nationally in blocks/game (7.0) and No. 1 on KenPom's block percentage chart. The Bears have blocked just over 12 percent of opponent shots. Clark is a big reason why, averaging 3.0 blocks on his own (seventh nationally). As of Wednesday, he also ranked No. 2 on the national field goal percentage chart (.780).
SCOUTING BAYLOR:
***Rebuilding Baylor lost its top-four scorers and is picked ninth out of 10 teams in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll.
***The Bears finished 19-15 last year and tied for sixth in the Big 12 race (8-10). One of the last four teams left off the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Bears fell to Mississippi State in the second round of the NIT.
***Prior to 2018, Baylor had appeared in a school record four-straight NCAA Tournaments.
***Leading scorer Makai Mason (14.3) is the first graduate transfer in Baylor history after graduating from Yale.
***King McClure (14.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Tristan Clark (13.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 bpg) are returning starters.
***Mark Vital is the only other 2017-18 holdover on this year's active roster. He's averaging 5.3 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds.
MATCHUP MASHUP:
***Under Gregg Marshall (289 wins in 12 seasons at WSU) and Scott Drew (301 wins in 16 seasons at Baylor) the Bears and Shockers have been two of the nation's best rebounding programs. Going back to the start of the decade, WSU's average rebounding margin (+7.79) ranks second nationally. Baylor is 10th (+6.31). Both teams have been uncharacteristically average this year. The Shockers are +0.7 on the glass. Baylor is +3.7. Neither rank in the top-100.
***Both sides are rebuilding. WSU returned just 11.2 percent of its minutes from last year. Baylor returned 33 percent. Samajae Haynes-Jones is the only Shocker who saw time in last year's win at Baylor. He went scoreless in seven minutes. Markis McDuffie (injury) and Asbjørn Midtgaard (coach's decision) did not see action.
***Likewise, just three of the eight Bears are back from last year's game. Tristan Clark (six points, nine rebounds in 29 minutes) and King McClure (12 points in 29 minutes) both started. Mark Vital added eight points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes. A fourth Bear, Jake Lindsey, is redshirting this year. He scored three points in 24 minutes off the bench against WSU.
***WSU is in the top-50 nationally in KenPom for fewest shots blocked. Baylor ranks No. 4 nationally in blocks/game (7.0) and No. 1 on KenPom's block percentage chart. The Bears have blocked just over 12 percent of opponent shots. Clark is a big reason why, averaging 3.0 blocks on his own (seventh nationally). As of Wednesday, he also ranked No. 2 on the national field goal percentage chart (.780).
:bball_spin::yahoo:
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