2012 - 2013 Hoops Review The Baylor Lariat FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 www.baylorlariat.com WE’RE THERE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE

Vol. 115 No. 37 © 2013, Baylor University Ending on a high note

A.J. Walton is carried off court with leg injury

Baylor takes first ever Big 12 NIT title

Ken Starr and Ian McCaw rush court to celebrate

Men bring home NIT championship

Photo by Drew Mills | Round Up staff FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 | the Hoops A2 Baylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com Baylor men beat Iowa in NIT Championship game By Daniel Hill 14-9 lead and some momentum to counter Iowa’s Sports Writer 7-2 run following their timeout. Freshman forward Rico Gathers scored on the next two Baylor possessions on a slam dunk The Baylor Bears won the NIT championship from a Jackson and then again on a layup by defeating Iowa 74-54 Thursday and cut down from a Jefferson assist to give the Bears a 20-14 the nets in victory at New York City’s Madison lead. Square Garden. The NIT trophy is Baylor’s first- Hawkeye Josh Oglesby countered with a ever NIT Championship, and the Bears also be- three, and then Walton buried a baseline jumper came the first Big 12 team to ever take home the with an assist from Jackson to give the Bears a NIT hardware. 22-17 lead. Three Baylor Bears were named to the All- Walton stole the ball and passed it up ahead NIT first team. Senior guard Pierre Jackson, ju- to Jackson, who acrobatically hung in the air to nior forward Cory Jefferson and freshman cen- clear space and made a highlight layup. ter Isaiah Austin were all named as All-NIT first Going into the half, Baylor led 27-22. team members. Starting the second half, Iowa played with a Pierre Jackson was named the Most Out- sudden sense of urgency. The Hawkeyes cut the standing Player for the NIT. Jackson had a dou- game to a one-possession contest when Eric May ble-double with 17 points and 10 assists. The se- drained a 3-pointer and then converted on an- nior also contributed five rebounds. other layup to cut the Baylor lead to three, 30-27. The game’s leading scorer was Jefferson with That was as close as the game would get from 23 points. He also tacked on seven rebounds. there as Baylor stepped on the throttle and put Jefferson was nearly perfect from the free-throw away the Iowa Hawkeyes. line, going 7-8, and also added one and one Jefferson stepped out and buried a jumper, . and then Jackson sank a trey to extend Baylor’s Austin was also named to the All-NIT first lead to 33-27. team. He added 15 points and nine rebounds in Jackson hit two more free throws, and then the victory over Iowa. Jefferson threw down two consecutive vicious Defensive specialist and senior guard A.J. slam dunks. Jackson followed up Jefferson’s high- Walton was a menace against his Iowa oppo- light dunks by silencing the pro-Iowa crowd with nents. Walton had six steals, creating mayhem a cold-blooded step back three. for the Iowa offense. The game really started to swing Baylor’s di- Walton added five points and five assists to rection when Gathers, who’s not known for his help lead the Bears to victory. Late in the game, finesse shooting, stepped out and sank a deep Walton ran into an Iowa player and fell to the jumper to give Baylor a sudden 49-34 lead. court. Baylor’s lead peaked at 21 when Jackson and He was down on the ground for awhile, and Jefferson hooked up on two more slam dunks for then when his Baylor teammates carried him off Jefferson to put Iowa away with a 60-39 lead. the court. He did not put any weight on his in- At this point, the game was Baylor’s to win, jured leg. and Iowa was put into desperation mode. The Bears started the championship match Iowa started to play at a frenetic pace, and by jumping out to a 9-2 lead behind the efforts Baylor took advantage of them in transition as of Austin, Jefferson and a 3-pointer from junior junior guard Gary Franklin scored on two layups guard Brady Heslip. and Jefferson and Austin each threw down one Austin scored the first four points of the game more dunk. with a flurry of offensive moves to create his own With 1:14 to play, senior walk-on forward shot. Then Heslip added the trey, and Jefferson Jacob Neubert entered the game for his last ap- converted on a layup to give the Bears an early pearance in the Baylor green and gold. Jackson 9-2 lead. left the court to a rousing ovation from the Baylor Facing the early deficit, Iowa called timeout to faithful. gather themselves. It must have worked because Baylor walked off the court with a champion- the Hawkeyes rallied to come to within two of ship and accomplished something that no other Baylor, 11-9. Baylor team has done before. Drew Mills | Round-Up Photographer Austin scored on a jumper from the free- The Bears are bringing the NIT championship throw line and was fouled on the way up for a Senior guard Pierre Jackson hoists the NIT Most Outstanding Player trophy after helping the Bears beat Iowa 74-54 Thurs- trophy from New York City’s Madison Square chance to convert the 3-point play. Austin nailed day night. Garden home to Waco’s Ferrell Center. the shot from the charity stripe to give Baylor a Despite NIT Championship, Baylor men underachieved

By Daniel Hill bound effort and against BYU in the Staff Writer Sports TAke NIT semifinals with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Austin also disappeared truly successful and exceptional cam- for key moments throughout the sea- Considering the Bears’ lofty pre- paigns this season: senior point guard season ranking of No. 19 in the coun- son. In the Big 12 Conference tourna- Pierre Jackson and junior forward ment, Austin pulled a no-show against try, it’s difficult to see this season as Cory Jefferson. nothing short of bittersweet. Oklahoma State with two points and Jackson led the entire Big 12 in one . If Austin dreams of be- Sure, it’s fantastic for head coach scoring with 19.9 and Scott Drew and seniors Pierre Jack- ing an NBA player one day, he can’t assists with 7.0 per game. Many times get pushed around in the paint as he’s son and A.J. Walton to go out on top throughout the season, Jackson had to in with an NIT championship, but the done so often this season and he can’t carry the team on his shoulders. disappear in monumental moments. NIT was never the goal for this group Jefferson also exhibited massive of Bears. Heslip was billed as one of the best growth and development throughout three-point shooters in college basket- Even though Baylor did win the the course of the season. Jefferson av- first NIT in program history and in ball, Heslip flopped throughout the eraged 13 points and 8 rebounds for course of Big 12 play. Big 12 history, this team had the talent the year. Those are easily the best sea- to do more. Heslip’s best effort in Big 12 play son numbers he’s achieved in his entire came against a dismal West Virginia This season was supposed to be Baylor career. As a redshirt freshman, the season the Bears returned to the team when he was practically un- Jefferson scored 1.6 points per game guarded and hit 6 treys and posted 20 NCAA’s Elite Eight for the third time then as a redshirt sophomore Jefferson in four years, not the season where points. scored 3.6 points per game. Jefferson In other central Big 12 games, Hes- Baylor failed to make the NCAA Tour- has played so well down the stretch nament entirely. lip couldn’t get open and hit the deep that he is widely considered a late first shots against teams that played honest At the beginning of the season, the round to early second round NBA Bears teased Baylor Nation by getting defense. Heslip scored just three points Draft prospect. agasint Iowa State and didn’t score a off to a record-best 5-1 start in the Big While Jefferson and Jackson rose 12. The Bears faltered down the stretch single point in the Big 12 tournament. to the occasion, there were other Bears Winning the NIT takes a por- by losing nine of 12 games and ended who just didn’t live up to expectations up missing the NCAA Tournament tion of disappointment away from this season: freshman center Isaiah this season’s men’s basketball team. despite major wins against Kansas, Austin and junior guard Brady Heslip. Oklahoma State and Kentucky. The RG3 showed Baylor Nation that they Austin was highly publicized and should expect to win in football and résumé for the Bears fell short of the favored to be a top pick in the 2013 premiere NCAA tournament so the now Scott Drew’s Baylor basketball NBA Draft as a one-and-done pros- teams have done the same. Baylor ex- Drew Mills | Round-Up Photographer team had to settle for the secondary pect. While Austin’s season did have pects to win now. Winning the NIT Seniors guards A.J. Walton and Pierre Jackson embrace Thursday after defeating Iowa 74-54 to win NIT tournament. highs against Oklahoma early in the There were only two Bears who had is a solid accomplishment, but Baylor the NIT Championship. Big 12 schedule with a 19 point, 20 re- needs to aim higher. Be sure to follow us NCAA brackets bound to fail early on Twitter By Phillip Ericksen games correctly. It’s impossible. ry and NBA draft stocks skyrocket Reporter Sports TAke The seeds don’t mean anything or plummet. It’s an exciting time once the game begins: it’s just two for sports. can I take away from my intense During mid-to-late February, teams and a basketball on a court. Nevertheless, knowing you @BULariatSports failure? Am I not a “real sports a certain air begins to come over In this tournament, a 15-seeded have a busted bracket is not excit- fan”? Am I just some guy who the sports world. Everyone feels it Florida Gulf Coast beats second- ing. It’s frustrating and embarrass- watches ESPN and thinks I know and there’s no doubt to its source: seeded Georgetown, then wins ing, especially if you’re in it with a what I’m talking about, when I March Madness. Or as I call it, another game after that. Bracket group of friends where everyone don’t? @BULariat March Sadness. busted. can see. Spinning into a pit of self-de- Before filling out my bracket Wisconsin, coming off of a Studying stats and reading nial is never very fun, especially this year, I watched hours of analy- huge win over Indiana to take the scouting reports won’t help pre- when it’s caused by only a few col- sis of ESPN’s so-called “experts” Big 10 Tournament, loses in the dict anything. Bad shooting nights, lege basketball games. and gained as much insight as I first round to 12th-seeded Missis- injuries, controversial calls or just Having a busted bracket is could. I thought I knew what I sippi. So much for momentum and pure, dumb luck can easily trans- equivalent to being the last one was doing. I didn’t. I really can’t a predicted Final Four appearance. late to lost games in this tourna- picked for kickball in grade school emphasize my wrongness enough. Kansas, also after winning its ment, and those are impossible to or going to the dentist. It’s as bad as Here’s what I got: conference championship in domi- pick. I think I’ve finally accepted dropping your phone or having to I correctly predicted 19 or nant fashion, loses in the Sweet 16. that after using my studying meth- retake Chapel. 32 second-round games, 7 of 16 So much for a predicted national od for as long as I can remember. Why even predict these games? third-round games and one of championship. It’s all fun and games, but there’s We might as well predict the eight Sweet 16 matchups. Only one I try not to beat myself up over still something telling me other- weather each day or how many of my Elite 8 teams, Louisville, was this. After all, the NCAA tourna- wise. times a bird dog barks within one right. One. No Final Four teams. ment is all about great players and The need to be correct on these minute. What does it all mean? What great games. Buzzer-beaters and goes beyond regular excitement. There’s no way to pick these Cinderella teams go down in histo- It’s hope. FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 www.baylorlariat.com Hoops the Baylor Lariat|A3

Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer

No. 34 forward Cory Jefferson dunks the ball during the match against TCU on Saturday evening, Jan. 12, 2013, in the Fer- rell Center. The Bears de- Men’s feated the Horned Frogs 51- 40. season recap

Drew Mills | Round Up Photogra- pher

No. 5 5 point guard Pierre Jack- son passes the ball during the semi- finals round of the National Invitation Tournament Championship on Tuesday, April 2, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Bears defeated the Cougars 76-70 to advance to the championship.

Monica Lake | Lariat Photographer

No. 2 for- ward Rico Gathers dunks the ball in the game against Hardin- Simmons on Jan. 19, 2013.

Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

During the Big 12 Tournament match- up against OSU on Thursday, Mar. 14, 2013, No. 5 guard Brady Heslip shoots Monica a 3-pointer for Baylor. Lake | Lariat Unfortunately, the Bears Photographer walked away with a 74-72 defeat at the Sprint Center No. 35 forward Tau- in Kansas, Mo. ending their rean Prince shoots Big 12 run. and scores in the game against Hardin-Simmons on January 19, 2013.

No. 2 1 cen- ter Isa- iah Matt Hellman | Lariat Aus- Photo Editor tin During the Big 12 shoots Tournament matchup the ball against OSU on Thurs- for two day, Mar. 14, 2013, No. points 22 guard A.J. Walton per- during the forms a layup earning Baylor semifinals another two points. Unfortunate- round of the ly, the Bears walked away with a 74- National Invi- 72 defeat at the Sprint Center in Kansas, tation Tourna- Mo. ending their Big 12 run. ment Champion- ship against BYU on Tuesday, April 2, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Bears defeated the Cougars 76-70 to advance to the championship.

Drew Mills | Round Up Photographer FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 | the Hoops A4 Baylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com Top-ranked Lady Bears fall short of expectations

By Parmida Schahhosseini underachieved considering the talent on Sports Writer this roster. Senior post and junior guard were a As tears streamed down the players force to be reckoned with on the floor as faces when the buzzer hit zero, the Bay- they dominated most basketball games lor Lady Bears came to the realization with Griner protecting the paint and Sims that their quest for a second consecutive leading the other guards to defensive mas- National Title was over. With the expec- tery. tations high, Baylor saw their chances The duo were named to three All- dwindle with each 3-point jumper Louis- American teams including the John R. ville made. Wooden Award All-American team, 2012- “If Louisville can hit 16 threes a game, 13 U.S. Basketball Writers Association good Lord, they’ll win a national champi- Women’s All-America Team and Associ- onship,” head coach said. ated Press’ five-member All-American. In the Brittney Griner era this loss in Other seniors such as senior guards the Sweet Sixteen is the earliest Baylor ex- Jordan Madden and Kimetria Hayden also ited the tournament. The Lady Bears went had strong years with Madden improving to the Final Four in 2010, the Elite Eight in on offense scoring 7.7 points per game 2011 and won the National Championship compared to 4.3 the previous year. Mad- last year. den also had the assignment of defending It was a heartbreaking loss for both the the best player on the opposing team and players and the fans because Baylor was her defense along with the other guards the heavy favorite to win a National Title was the reason why they had a +27.0 scor- after being the first team in NCAA his- ing margin. tory to have a 40-0 record. Baylor had the Hayden is ranked in the top 25 in assist longest winning streak in the nation at 32 to ratio at 2.07 while averaging games with their only regular season loss 7.5 points and 3.97 rebounds per game. coming against Stanford in which they lost The Big 12’s sixth man of the year by two points. Both of Baylor’s losses have award winner Destiny Williams accepted been for a combined three points, making her role despite being a starter last year. this loss worse. Williams was effective coming off the Baylor seemed like an unstoppable bench averaging 8.2 points along with 6.6 force due to all the talent on the team. De- rebounds per game. spite the talent fundamentals are extreme- Despite the shortcomings this season ly important in the tournament. A prob- has had high points such as wins over lem for Baylor this season has been free Notre Dame and Connecticut. Griner also throw shooting. It had the second worst recorded a career high nine assists against shooting percent in the Big Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament 12 as Baylor only shot 64.9 percent from and had her 1,000th rebound against Rice the line. In close tournament games free on November 2012. throws are important because the compe- In the second round of the NCAA tition is better. tournament Baylor gave little doubt that Baylor’s perimeter defense has also they would be beat making their early been questioned because of the 3-point exit unfathomable. Griner recorded three shots allowed. On Senior night Bay- dunks against Florida State becoming lor played Kansas State and it was tight the first woman to record three dunks in throughout the game as Wildcats scored a game. Those three dunks increased her 15 3-point shots not allowing Baylor to career total to 18, an NCAA record. pull away. However, late in the second Griner also has an NCAA record in quarter Kansas State began to miss shots blocked shots at 748 surpassing Louella and Baylor turned up their defense to win Tomlinson on Jan. 25 against Oklahoma. the game. Also, Griner’s career high 50 Griner finished her career at Baylor with points also helped lift Baylor. 3,283 career points, second all-time in the Louisville most likely took notice NCAA. and changed their game plan, making 16 Hayden scored her career 1,000th point 3-point jumpers tying an NCAA record. against Texas on Feb. 9 and continued to The Cardinals continued to shoot and move up the scoring charts with her 1,061 Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer Baylor had no response until late in the career points ranking No. 26 on Baylor’s second half when it was too late. career scoring list. Junior guard Odyssey Sims falls to the floor and covers her face after Sunday’s loss to Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen. Sims finished with As much as this may scar us, this team 29 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. Louisville women top Tennessee Twitter Reaction

Jay Hicks (@jayfhicks) - Griner is to punch ticket to New Orleans crying so hard her voice can barely be By Jeff Latzke we could win, I just kept telling heard on the first reporter questions. Associated Press them we’re playing with house money, people. I mean, if we win, OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — hey, it’s one more to chalk up. If Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) - People Jeff Walz sees no reason to pile on we lose, everybody’s going to say, with all the pressure that naturally ‘I told you so.’ So, who cares? And poke and make fun of B. Griner all the time comes with the NCAA women’s that’s how they approached it.” but C’MON MAN....Them girls were LITER- tournament. Louisville rode a hefty re- ALLY throwing elbows, slaps, weave.... The Louisville coach wants his bounding advantage and another players to play fearless, play free solid 3-point shooting outing — and have fun. Even against two of especially when compared to Ten- the sport’s most intimidating op- nessee’s 0-for-9 start — to take a Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) - No ques- ponents, the formula worked to 49-29 edge 90 seconds after half- tion, Baylor losing is THEE biggest upset perfection. time following back-to-back 3s of either tournament. Shoni Schimmel scored 24 from Antonita Slaughter and Sho- points and the plucky Cardinals ni Schimmel. That same tandem beat second-seeded Tennessee 86- combined for 12 of the Cardinals’ You 78 Tuesday night to earn their sec- 16 treys, matching the tournament Stuart Scott (@StuartScott) - ond trip to the Final Four, continu- record, in the epic upset of Baylor. won’t find a more compelling game than ing a captivating postseason run. Spani finally broke Tennessee’s Louisvile/Baylor!! An unreal emotional Two nights after taking down 3-point drought right after that, physical battle!! Props to both. Brittney Griner and defending and the Lady Vols were able to chip national champion Baylor, the away at the 20-point deficit. Their fifth-seeded Cardinals (28-8) built full-court pressure, which wasn’t a 20-point lead then withstood a tight enough to prevent over-the- Trey Wingo (@Wingoz) - Baylor, we second-half comeback by the pow- top passes for layups in the first are. Forever proud of @Brittney4Griner erhouse Lady Vols (27-8) before half, started to be effective. celebrating another big victory. Tennessee gave up just one and @KimMulkey basket over an 8-minute span, and “I’m proud of every single one Alonzo Adams | Associated Press of them, and I know that we’re get- Williams’ short jumper at the end Louisville’s Shoni Schimmel cuts down a piece of the net after her team of an 18-6 rally got the Lady Vols as ting a chance to go play in the Final defeated Tennessee during their regional final game Tuesday. Four. It’s a memory these players close as 68-65 with 4:28 remaining. will never forget,” Walz said. First, they took down Griner that far. Only Connecticut has won Spani missed a 3-pointer from “You beat Baylor with arguably and her Baylor team that had lost both titles in the same season, in the right wing that would have one of the best players to ever play just once in 75 games. Then, it was 2004. tied it on the next possession, and the game, everybody thought that the eight-time national champion The Cardinals’ only other Final Tennessee’s comeback fizzled after was a fluke. And I promise you no Lady Volunteers. Four trip was in 2009 behind Angel that. one thought we’d win tonight, ei- Next up is a Sunday showdown McCoughtry and ended in a loss to Shoni Schimmel had a pair of ther, except this team, and we fig- in New Orleans against Final Four Big East rival Connecticut in the driving layups and Jude Schimmel ured out a way to pull it out.” newcomer California, the Spokane championship game. Tennessee hit a 3-pointer and set up Slaughter When it was over, the Cardinals regional champion. was trying to add to its NCAA- for a reverse layup in a 9-3 burst for huddled at center court and shout- “We were going out there to record 18 Final Four trips. Louisville. Even when Simmons, ed “Louisville!” in celebration. win, and that’s exactly what we did “Hate it or love it, the under- who started out 1 for 22 in the two The Cardinals became only is we beat Baylor and we beat Ten- dogs are on top,” said Monique games in Oklahoma City, hit three the second No. 5 seed to reach nessee,” said Schimmel, the region- Reid, who hit the clinching free late 3-pointers, it wasn’t enough for the national semifinals, joining al’s most outstanding player, “and throws to beat Baylor on Sunday Tennessee. Southwest Missouri State’s 2001 now we’re going to the Final Four.” night. “It’s crazy. Nobody believed “We thought we had a good team that featured guard Jackie Taber Spani led the Lady Vols in us, but we believed in ourselves. year, but we didn’t have a great Stiles, the all-time leading scorer in with 20 points, and Meighan The world’s going to know our year. That’s just the nature of our NCAA history. Only seven teams Simmons and Kamiko Williams name now. It’s an amazing feeling.” program and our expectations,” outside of the top four seeds have chipped in 12 apiece. Tennessee Walz showed his players the said Holly Warlick, the longtime ever made it to the Final Four since headed home with a third straight documentary on North Carolina assistant in her first season replac- the NCAA tournament started in loss in the regional finals, failing State’s 1983 team that made per- ing NCAA wins leader Pat Sum- 1982. to make the Final Four for a fifth haps the most notable Cinderella mitt as coach. No team seeded higher than straight year. run to the men’s championship “Whether you’re Pat Summitt fourth has ever won a game at the Louisville joins the school’s and footage of Muhammad Ali to or myself, it’s just what we’re all Final Four. But the seemingly im- men’s team in the national semi- try and inspire them. He also took about. It’s in our blood. It’s in our possible hasn’t stopped this group finals, marking the 10th time that them to Ali’s center in Louisville. m a ke up.” of Cardinals yet. a program had both teams make it “Because no one believed that FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 Hoops the www.baylorlariat.com Baylor Lariat|A5 An era ends.

Joe Photographer | Lariat staff No. 0 point guard Odyssey Sims moves the ball down the court during the game against TCU on Feb. 16 in the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears beat the Horned Frogs 78-45.

Monica Lake | Lariat staff No. 10 forward Destiny Williams maneuvers in the paint during the NCAA matchup against Prairie View A&M on March 24 in the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears dominated the Panthers 82-40.

Matt Hellman | Photo Editor No. 32 forward Brooklyn Pope shoots for two points during the game against OSU in the Ferrell Center on Jan. 6. Pope led the Lady Bears in their 83-49 victory over the Cowgirls with 18 points.

Despite a one-loss season and being the No. 1 seed, the Lady Bears fell short of a second-consecutive National Title. And thus ends the Griner Era.

Monica Lake | Lariat staff Head coach Kim Mulkey shouts out plays during the NCAA match- up against Florida State University at the Ferrell Center on March 26. The Lady Bears upset the Seminoles 85-47, advancing to play against Louisville at the Sweet Sixteen. FRIDAY | APRIL 5, 2013 | the Hoops A6 Baylor Lariat www.baylorlariat.com