Welcome to Pop Quiz, a weekly test on Baylor sports taken by SicEm365 insiders. There are no wrong answers here, although some responses may leave you scratching your head. We may venture off topic at times, but hey … you may end up with a good restaurant recommendation because of it.
The thing I admire the most about Charlie Brewer is ____
Colt Barber: That he lets his emotions flow during the course of an emotional game. From Sunday to Friday, the Brewer that we all see is never too high or too low emotionally. But the Brewer we see on the turf is entirely different. He isn’t backing down from anyone and his raw emotions pour out when given the opportunity. My favorite thing is to watch him after a physical rushing touchdown.
Brian Ethridge: The chip on his shoulder is the size of My. Everest. He gives zero worry to what you think and will try to beat you until he can't go any longer.
Grayson Grundhoefer: His winning mentality. Chuck has been through the ringer with close games in his career at Baylor and most times he is able to will his team to wins. It is uncanny: every time Baylor gets the ball late in games, down by one score, or less there is a comfort that Brewer will make the plays necessary to get the win. 2018 vs. OSU; 2018 vs. KSU; 2019 vs. Iowa State; 2019 vs. Tech and 2019 vs. TCU are the ones that come to mind.
Ashley Hodge: His competitiveness, some guys just will do whatever it takes to win and he’s one of those guys. That is inspirational to his teammates. I think the partnership of Larry Fedora and Charlie Brewer is going to be one of the top OC/QB combos in the country. He’s been compared to Baker Mayfield in the past and it would not shock me if he put up Baker Mayfield type production this season.
Jason King: His demeanor. The guy is so calm, cool and collected. He never gets rattled. Never too high or too low. Very even-keeled. All the mannerisms you want in a quarterback. That stuff is infectious and permeates throughout the huddle and locker room.
Craig Smoak: His mental toughness. Whether it’s been injuries, tough losses or just bad showings, Charlie seems to find a way to persevere and come back stronger the next showing. Bad game? I feel confident he’ll bounce back. Bad loss? I feel confident the team will bounce back. Game on the line? He’s got this. He’s even-keeled, which is sometimes misunderstood, but he’s dealt with a lot and handled it well from my vantage point.
David Smoak: His cold-blooded grin. He is so underrated and, as Paul Catalina wrote this week, so underappreciated outside of Waco, Texas. He doesn’t have rabbit ears, but believe me, he knows what’s being said about his arm strength, injuries and overall health.
As a media member, the toughest thing about covering a team during the COVID-era is ___
Colt Barber: The inability to get excited. We are not three days out from the season opener and I find myself holding my breath constantly. I want the season to get here, but I’m waiting for the next bad thing of 2020 to happen. I hope it doesn’t prevent my ability to report, but man, it kills me not being ready to rock as usual.
Brian Ethridge: Not being able to see people’s mouths and facial expressions.
Grayson Grundhoefer: Not being able to go cover the practices and media sessions. The zoom feature is nice but it can’t replace actually being there and building relationships face to face. Also, nothing can replace watching practice during fall camp. Those are very fun to attend and give you a glimpse into the season.
Ashley Hodge: The uncertainty. If I had a dime for every time I heard a coach say, “the safety of our players is the most important thing.” I’m still not sure there has been a hospitalization of an athlete for COVID yet. I bet if there was, it would have been all over the media outlets. That saliva based instant test needs to be implemented sooner rather than later. Right now, the incentives are for teams that know they are about to get beat, to just claim they have too many COVID cases and there are not negative implications for doing so.
Jason King: Not being able to build a rapport with players and coaches, which is very important. Media members need to earn the respect and trust of the people they cover, and it’s just a difficult thing to do when you can’t chat with people in person. It’s been particularly frustrating this season because there’s a new staff that most of us haven’t been able to get to know at all. Hopefully that changes soon.
Craig Smoak: The lack of in-person access. Just being around the team for a few minutes each week gives you a vibe in the air before a big game, or enough time to see how guys act during practice, potential position switches, what they’re doing in drills, size differences from last season, etc. That will be hard to replace. Unfortunately, everything feels a bit more distant now.
David Smoak: Not being able to have one-on-one interaction or read the body language of a player or coach during an interview. And not being able to be at practice where you can get a few notes from those around the program.
A nervous habit of mine that always surfaces during football games is ____
Colt Barber: I would rather watch a game in silence than with distractions. That goes back to my childhood when I watched more games on TV than in person. I can typically handle conversations during other games, but during Baylor game, conversations are off limits. Also, don’t cook or clean up during the middle of a game if being watched at home.
Brian Ethridge: The adrenaline rush of the coming of the competition. If you played at any level, you still feel it. I get a little bouncy from it.
Grayson Grundhoefer: Lucky shirts. This mainly has to do with losses, though. If I wear a shirt and Baylor loses it is retired for the season. The other nervous habit is showering before every game. This is a must for the long day ahead.
Ashley Hodge: I don’t watch key field goal attempts. I can handle the “stress” of being a fan for every other play, but I have trouble watching kicks that win or lose games. I usually just listen to the roar of the crowd for the result.
Jason King: If I’m watching a Baylor game on television, I get very irritated with people in the room who aren’t as fixated on the action as I am. I don’t want any side conversations between others occurring within an ear shot. Take that banter outside or to a different room. And if you stay, don’t ask me questions or bring up topics that don’t relate to the game. Either lock in with me or take a hike.
Craig Smoak: Tapping my foot like a madman and sometimes sitting a certain way depending on how the game is going. I don’t know where this comes from, but it’s something I do far too often, especially in close games. It has absolutely no bearing on the outcome or performance and yet I can’t manage to break myself from this silliness.
David Smoak: I guess we’re referring to watching my favorite pro (Washington Football Club) and college team (Nebraska) play. Unfortunately, both are just plain below average after years of tremendous success. I would plan my entire weekend around when either played and now, in shocking fashion, there have been some games when I didn’t even know the kickoff time. I’m not a front runner because I’ve never thought about changing to “another favorite team.” Those two teams gave me a lot of amazing memories over time, but now it’s just sickening to watch them. Yes, I was so spoiled. I was so spoiled that if Nebraska gave up anything—hell, even a simple first down—I would say some very bad things. And “back in the day,” I didn’t have to say very much negative because they dominated. Now, though? Urgh.
After Jared Butler and MaCio Teague, the Baylor basketball team’s third-leading scorer will be ___
Colt Barber: Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua. Call me crazy, but Baylor will need a big man to score and replace the production of Freddie Gillespie. This might be because I’m nervous about relying on Tristan Clark, but I think an offensive rebounder with elite athletic ability is going to feast on the boards with the guards Baylor will put on the court. Mark Vital has that ability too, but JTT is 6-foot-8 with the same athletic ability and hopefully motor.
Brian Ethridge: Tristan Clark. He may be the second.
Grayson Grundhoefer: Adam Flagler. Last year Devonte Bandoo was fourth on the team in scoring at 7.6 points per game while playing 25.8 minutes per game. I think Flagler will play slightly more minutes and also be more efficient from the field and free throw line. Bandoo shot 38.5 percent from the field and 73.5 percent from the line. I think Flagler posts better numbers and will be third, with Davion Mitchell being right next to him. Both will be in double figures which will give the Bears four players averaging 10 points or more.
Ashley Hodge: Davion Mitchell is my answer. It wouldn’t shock me if it is Adam Flagler or Matthew Mayer but Davion Mitchell went from 4 ppg as a frosh to 10 ppg as a sophomore. And the guy is relentless in working on his game to get better. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t raise that to over 13 ppg. Hard for me to imagine another guy getting above that.
Jason King: Adam Flagler. For nearly a year now I’ve been hearing that Flagler might be the second-best guard on the roster. I loved Devonte Bandoon and the word is that Flagler will be a significant upgrade, especially on the defensive end. Fran Fraschilla watches a ton of Baylor practices and he absolutely loves Flagler. I’m excited to see him play.
Craig Smoak: I’d love nothing more than to go Tristan Clark here, but there’s still too much health uncertainty surrounding the San Antonio native. Instead, I’ll go with Davion Mitchell, given where he landed in last year’s totals and knowing he’ll get a heavy dose of minutes. I look forward to reading what the site’s hoops experts, like Jason and Ashley, answer here as they are my guide to this program.
David Smoak: Davion Mitchell. As someone within the program told me about his offense, “much, much, much improved.”
The No. 1 essential food item at any tailgate is ___
Colt Barber: Truthfully, I’m not eating at any tailgate before a Baylor game. I’ll have something small before the game to hold me over, or if the game is late I’ll eat an early breakfast, but I rarely will eat much. Now, catch me after the game and it’s a different story.
Brian Ethridge: Beer. Cold, refreshing, great tasting, 3Nations Brewing beer.
Grayson Grundhoefer: I guess beer isn’t food so breakfast tacos. This is a staple for me before every game but it is the best when a tailgate is happening. I love going to the SicEm365 tailgate and eating a loaded breakfast taco with a mimosa or beer in hand at 8 a.m.
Ashley Hodge: The first two things that came to mind (have Milo in mind here) were a good fajita set-up, steak, chicken, cheese, guac, salsa and jambalaya when the weather is colder.
Jason King: i always get excited when people break out something that’s homemade. My buddy, Zollie, used to have the best tailgates. His relatives would make everything from dirty rice to charro beans to homemade salsa—not to mention all types of ribs and barbecue and desserts. I always felt like the biggest mooch, because the food was so good I went back for seconds and thirds and fourths.
Craig Smoak: Besides the beer? Oh, you said food. I’ll go with sausage links. A simple but tried and true staple of most tailgate scenes. A juicy link right off the grill can be a great finger food while mingling and you can always mix it up a little with a tortilla or bun. Just don’t forget the spicy mustard.
David Smoak: For me it’s various kinds of chicken wings, preferably smoked or grilled—and without too much sauce on them so it doesn’t get all over me.
