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Baylor Man Bears Basketball
Slow Motion Highlights vs. Texas
The Power Behind the Throne
John Eddie Williams, whose name adorns the football field at Baylor’s McLane Stadium and a prominent member of Bears for Leadership Reform, reports that current regents are telling him they feel marginalized because the executive committee “seems to have all the power and control, and is keeping the knowledge closely held, even from the entire board.” From The Waco Tribune Herald.
Open meetings, press availability and a dramatically restructured board are among the latest demands for Baylor University regents from “Bears for Leadership Reform,” a group of high-profile donors and alumni that has pressured the board for more than two months in the aftermath of the school’s sexual assault scandal.
In response, Baylor regents Chairman Ron Murff said the board will soon adopt more than 30 recommendations given by the board’s Governance Review Task Force, which began its work in November.
“It’s very important that we not just match what other universities might do, but that we become a leader, and leader in transparency and accountability to be the very best, because we can do that,” Williams said.
Famous OBF quote: ‘So those statements we’ve heard about the “entire Board making the decisions” (clears throat) weren’t exactly true?’
Baylor Lady Bears Basketball
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly sat in his hotel room on Tuesday night and pondered the two options he had in front of him before Wednesday night’s game at No. 2 Baylor. Story by WacoTrib’s Tony Adame from BearsExtra.
Neither was very great. Neither involved sleep.
“You can’t sleep,” Fennelly said. “Because if you get sleep, you’re going to have nightmares about who you’re playing.”
“And if you lay there and keep watching video, you’re never going to go to sleep. I told my wife, this reminds me of their (2012) championship team. And again, that was a great team, Brittney (Griner) and those guys. But, there’s nothing they don’t have.”
Baylor (18-1, 7-0 Big 12) has already delivered its fair share of sleepless nights to opposing coaches this season, and showed why with a 68-42 win over Iowa State in front of 5,532 fans at the Ferrell Center.
Despite being held nearly 25 points below their national-best scoring average, the second-ranked Baylor Lady Bears continued their mostly uncontested run through the Big 12 Wednesday night with a 68-42 win over Iowa State. Story by Jerry Hill of the Baylor Bears Foundation from Baylor Bears dot com.
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly joked, "I think they're bigger than our men's team" and went so far as to predict a Baylor-Connecticut championship game at the Final Four in Dallas.
"That's by far the best team we've played, and it's not even close," said Fennelly, whose team fell to 10-8 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12. "I told my wife, this reminds me of the (2012 national) championship team. That was a great team, Brittney (Griner) and those guys. But, there's nothing they don't have."
Baylor's inside duo of Nina Davis and Kalani Brown missed just shots between them (15-of-17) and scored 17 and 16 points, respectively, as the Lady Bears (18-1, 7-0) won their 16th game overall and 24th in a row in league play.
"They want you to play their tempo, and I think we did for the most part, and that's because they made us," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. "They made transition baskets, they missed up their defense, and we were just never in the flor or had continuity. So, give those guys credit. But, you've got to give our guys credit. That team makes eight to 10 threes just about every game, and I thought we were very good defensively."
One of the defensive stars, in particular, was senior guard Alexis Jones. She struggled with her shot, going 0-for-4 from outside the arc and 2-for-12 overall for a season-low four points. But she had a career-high 11 rebounds and held the Cyclones' leading scorer, Seanna Johnson, scoreless for the first time in her career.
"I just didn't want her to take me off the dribble or give her any open looks," Jones said.
Coach Kim Mulkey’s got a problem. But, don’t expect any of her coaching colleagues to show any sympathy. Story by Jerry Hill of the Baylor Bear Foundation from Baylor Bears dot com.
You see, her problem is having too much talent, too many players. What basketball coach in her right mind uses an 11-player rotation while trying to keep six high school All-Americans and a two-time collegiate All-American happy at the same time?
“I’m not a coach that plays a lot of players,” said Mulkey. “I get my rotation down, and I know what I’m doing. This team has challenged me, and I have to play more. And I’m good with that. We’re 17-1 and ranked No. 2 in the country. If that’s the kind of team I have, it’s my time to adjust to them.”
And adjust she has. Eleven players are averaging at least 12 minutes per game, and each of them has hit double-digit points at least once this year.
Senior forward Nina Davis, a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 pick, has seen her numbers drop off this year to 11.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while averaging just under 20 minutes. And she’s OK with it.
“It’s an adjustment to kids in the program who were used to 35 and 40 minutes when you didn’t have the depth,” said Mulkey, referring specifically to Davis and senior guard Alexis Jones. “Now, they’ve got to buy into, ‘Whooh, we’ve got these young kids that can play. And they need to play.’ And there’s a place for all of them. I told the coaches the other day, I don’t even like using the word bench with this team. I could take any of about 10 players out there and start a game with any of them.”
What it’s produced is some of the most competitive and productive practices Mulkey’s had in her 17 years at Baylor. The only thing she can compare it to is her teams at Louisiana Tech when she was playing, “when our first and second teams could have both been in the top five (in the country).”
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio Baylor Fan’s Weekday Farewell
OBF’s last regular weekday Daily Bears Report will publish on Friday, January 20.
“I’ll still give our Lady Bears the love they deserve and make weekend DBR appearances.”