Very few college basketball teams will ever face a gauntlet like Baylor saw against nationally ranked Kansas, Kansas State and Texas.

You’d think Baylor coach Scott Drew would take a deep breath and relax.

He’s not.

Though the No. 24 Bears have played the toughest part of their Big 12 schedule, the second half of conference play will still be challenging, beginning with tonight’s ESPN2 matchup against Nebraska at 8 in Lincoln.

Josh Lomers and the Bears remain in prime position for an NCAA tournament berth.
Duane A. Laverty/Waco Tribune-Herald

“The Big 12 is the No. 1 conference in America RPI-wise for a reason,” Drew said. “What makes the Big 12 the best league in the country this year is not that you have four great teams and eight average teams. You have 12 very good teams. There’s no place you can go and say we’re going to get a win there. Every game is a battle.”

With a 17-5 overall record and a 4-4 Big 12 mark, the Bears are still in excellent position for an NCAA tournament berth. Through Sunday’s games, Baylor stood No. 28 nationally in the RPI, a tool the NCAA tournament committee weighs heavily when it chooses the 65-team field in March.

The Bears had a great chance to move up in the rankings Saturday, but couldn’t finish off Texas A&M in College Station. But their backs are hardly against the wall.

“You look at our record and you say 4-4, that’s an average record,” Drew said. “But in the Big 12 this year, that’s not a bad record. You just have to make sure your players know just how tough the league is, and what a good team we are.”

The Big 12 has never placed more than six teams in the NCAA men’s tournament, but most bracketologists are predicting seven this year. That means one or two teams with an 8-8 Big 12 record will likely dance.

If Baylor can get on a roll in the next two weeks, it won’t have to sweat out Selection Sunday.

The Bears certainly have a chance to rack up some wins with home games against Missouri and Texas Tech following the Nebraska game. After that stretch, the Bears will have home dates remaining against Texas A&M and Texas and road games against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Drew is taking none of these games for granted. But he still has to like his chances in any of them, even on the road, where the Bears have won just one of their last 10 Big 12 games.

“Every game we could win, and every game we could lose,” Drew said. “Most of these games are going to come down to the last three minutes and who makes a couple of plays. After each loss in conference, our team has improved. Hopefully, we can keep learning from games and improve.”

The Cornhuskers are scraping the bottom of the Big 12 with a 1-7 record, and are averaging just 59.4 points in conference games. However, they always play tough, physical defense, and make teams work for every point. Nebraska gave No. 1 Kansas a fight in Lawrence on Saturday before dropping a 75-64 decision.

“Just to show the parity, Nebraska is coming off a hard fought 40-minute game against Kansas,” Drew said. “It shows that anybody in this league can play against anybody. Nebraska is one of the toughest places to play in the country, and we know we’re going to have our hands full.”

The Bears have proven they can win in Lincoln. Two years ago, they snapped a 25-game Big 12 road losing streak with a 72-70 thriller over the Cornhuskers.

One crucial area Drew is concerned about as his team plows deeper into February is trying to keep his players fresh. Point guard Tweety Carter leads the Big 12 with 37 minutes per game, while forward Ekpe Udoh ranks third with 35 minutes. Guard LaceDarius Dunn isn’t far behind with 32 minutes.

Freshman guard A.J. Walton and forward Cory Jefferson are seeing more minutes, and Drew plans to keep mixing them into the rotation.

“We’ve got to find ways to get Tweety, Ekpe and Lace more rest,” Drew said. “It’s tough for coaches because they’re still capable of making plays when they’re tired. But some of the other guys have played well and have given us some energy and have earned more minutes.”

jwerner@wacotrib.com

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