Baylor Basketball

Gameday Thread: #4 Baylor (18-3; 6-2) vs WVU (13-7; 2-5)

#4 Baylor (18-3; 6-2) hosts West Virginia (13-7; 2-5) in a Big Monday showdown in Waco at 8pm CST on January 31st. The game will be televised on ESPN.
January 31, 2022
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Photo by Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

#4 Baylor (18-3; 6-2) hosts West Virginia (13-7; 2-5) in a Big Monday showdown in Waco at 8pm CST on January 31st.  The game will be televised on ESPN.  

KenPom Prediction:  Baylor 76 West Virginia 61

Torvik Prediction:  Baylor 76 West Virginia 61

Evan Miyakawa Prediction:  Baylor 77 West Virginia 63


Coaches

West Virginia:    Bob Huggins (68); 913-389 (323-178 at WVU) 25 NCAAs; 8 Sweet 16s; 4 Elite 8s; 2 Final 4s

Baylor:  Scott Drew (51); 410-227 overall (389-216 at Baylor); 9 NCAAs; 5 Sweet 16s; 3 Elite 8s; FF; 1 National Championship

Head to Head:   13-9 Scott Drew


West Virginia Starters

Guard:  Kedrian Johnson (SR) 6-3 185 lbs; 5 ppg; 2 reb; 2 st; 42% FG; 25% 3pt; 75% FT

Guard:  Sean McNeil (SR) 6-3 205 lbs; 13 ppg; 3 asst; 2 asst; 43% FG; 38% 3pt; 81% FT

Guard:  Taz Sherman (SR) 6-4 190 lbs; 18 ppg; 3 reb; 3 asst; 42% FG; 34% 3pt; 79% FT

Forward:  Jalen Bridges (SO) 6-7 205 lbs; 9 ppg; 6 reb; 43% FG; 31% 3pt; 84% FT

Forward:  Isaiah Cottrell (SO) 6-10 245 lbs; 4 ppg; 3 reb; 1 blk; 32% FG; 20% 3pt; 53% FT

West Virginia Bench

Forward:  Gabe Osabuohien (SR) 6-7 240 lbs; 5 ppg; 6 reb; 49% FG; 39% FT

Guard:  Malik Curry (SR) 6-1 190 lbs; 9 ppg; 2 reb; 46% FG; 18% 3pt; 77% FT

Forward:  Dimon Carrigan (SR) 6-9 230 lbs; 2 ppg; 3 reb; 44% FG; 39% FT


Baylor Starters

Guard:  James Akinjo (SR) 6-1 190 lbs; 13 ppg; 3 reb; 6 asst; 2 st; 42% FG; 34% 3pt; 78% FT

Guard:  Adam Flagler (JR) 6-3 180 lbs; 13 ppg; 2 reb; 4 asst; 42% FG; 38% 3pt; 74% FT

Forward:  Matt Mayer (SR) 6-9 230 lbs; 10 ppg; 5 reb; 2 st; 41% FG; 33% 3pt; 63% FT

Forward:  Kendall Brown (FR) 6-8 205 lbs; 10 ppg; 5 reb; 2 asst; 65% FG; 33% 3pt; 75% FT

Forward:  Flo Thamba (SR) 6-10 250 lbs; 5 ppg; 5 reb; 1 blk; 58% FG; 61% FT

Baylor Bench

Forward:  Jonathan Tchatchoua (JR) 6-8 250 lbs; 8 ppg 7 reb; 66% FG; 46% 3pt; 73% FT

*Guard:  LJ Cryer (SO) 6-1 185 lbs; 14 ppg; 2 asst; 48% FG; 47% 3pt; 78% FT

Guard:  Dale Bonner (JR) 6-2 170 lbs; 2 ppg; 2 asst; 31% FG; 25% 3pt; 55% FT

Forward:  Jeremy Sochan (FR) 6-9 230 lbs; 8 ppg; 6 reb; 2 asst; 51% FG; 36% 3pt; 56% FT

*injuries, status uncertain

356 Comments
Discussion from...

Gameday Thread: #4 Baylor (18-3; 6-2) vs WVU (13-7; 2-5)

40,757 Views | 356 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by IowaBear
bear2be2
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historian said:

bear2be2 said:

whitetrash said:

bear2be2 said:

BaylorJoy said:

Anyone also see WV fans absolutely losing their s*** over The Sochan-Taz incident? Everywhere I look on social media they're there, talking about protesting this game and the refs
Silly. Sochan may have gotten away with some contact, but he was in pretty good defensive position and there was certainly nothing flagrant or malicious there. This is just sour grapes.


Only real contact I noticed there was Sherman hitting Sochan in the cojones with his lead hand.
Here's a better shot of it. Sochan definitely made contact, but it was pretty clearly inadvertent. And Sherman leans hard into Sochan because he's in solid position and moving his feet.


Looks to me more like Sherman ran into Sochan's arm. Calling it a "punch" is absurd. Isn't a punch done with a fist & not part of the arm?
Sochan got him with the top of his hand trying to come through to swipe at the ball, so it should have been a foul, but it was absolutely not a punch. And there was no body check as described by the WVU writer. The only contact was up top, and it came as a result of Sherman leaning into Sochan in an effort to create contact.
TeamPlayer
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Gutsy win by the good guys! On a night when we could have sulked our way to a loss after West Virginia made countless low percentage, forced prayers, our guys hung tough.

These wins could really prepare us for March by giving the bench some great experience. You could see us in the middle 20 minutes of the game get out of sync until we got comfortable and finally developed some rhythm. Such a strange game seeing us play with a bunch of bigs on the floor trying to play guard. Our players just willed themselves to a win tonight.
vanillabryce
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Huggins knows he has a group that just isn't that good and he's trying not to lose them for the rest of the season
Big_Pumpin
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Just happy that we aren't the ones stuck complaining about the refs
Crawfoso1973
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Sochan punched a guy in the face, now other teams know what it's like to lose their best players.
william
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Johnny Bear
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DanaDane said:

He's worried about us? That's basically Gabe Osabuohein's entire game on this team and was Oscar Tscheibwe and Derrick Culver's entire games when they played for Huggins.

Let's also not forget some of the things Javon Carter used to routinely get away with during the "press Virginia" days.
william
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bear2be2 said:

historian said:

bear2be2 said:

whitetrash said:

bear2be2 said:

BaylorJoy said:

Anyone also see WV fans absolutely losing their s*** over The Sochan-Taz incident? Everywhere I look on social media they're there, talking about protesting this game and the refs
Silly. Sochan may have gotten away with some contact, but he was in pretty good defensive position and there was certainly nothing flagrant or malicious there. This is just sour grapes.


Only real contact I noticed there was Sherman hitting Sochan in the cojones with his lead hand.
Here's a better shot of it. Sochan definitely made contact, but it was pretty clearly inadvertent. And Sherman leans hard into Sochan because he's in solid position and moving his feet.


Looks to me more like Sherman ran into Sochan's arm. Calling it a "punch" is absurd. Isn't a punch done with a fist & not part of the arm?
Sochan got him with the top of his hand trying to come through to swipe at the ball, so it should have been a foul, but it was absolutely not a punch. And there was no body check as described by the WVU writer. The only contact was up top, and it came as a result of Sherman leaning into Sochan in an effort to create contact.
certainly wasnt a punch.... LOL....

good win for the bruins bold.

- KKM

{ sipping coffee }
TeamPlayer
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Who cares what other players, coaches, and fans say. We're a national championship program. Might not win it this year, but we're set up for another window starting next year. People are going to take shots at us, we will get everybody's best game. Bring it on.
BaylorJoy
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I only care when I see death threats and harassment towards Jeremy online. He doesn't deserve that, the guy is still pretty much a kid at 18 years old. Thankfully most of them have been removed. Shouldn't be too surprised from classless WV fans.
Robert Wilson
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bear2be2 said:

historian said:

bear2be2 said:

whitetrash said:

bear2be2 said:

BaylorJoy said:

Anyone also see WV fans absolutely losing their s*** over The Sochan-Taz incident? Everywhere I look on social media they're there, talking about protesting this game and the refs
Silly. Sochan may have gotten away with some contact, but he was in pretty good defensive position and there was certainly nothing flagrant or malicious there. This is just sour grapes.


Only real contact I noticed there was Sherman hitting Sochan in the cojones with his lead hand.
Here's a better shot of it. Sochan definitely made contact, but it was pretty clearly inadvertent. And Sherman leans hard into Sochan because he's in solid position and moving his feet.


Looks to me more like Sherman ran into Sochan's arm. Calling it a "punch" is absurd. Isn't a punch done with a fist & not part of the arm?
Sochan got him with the top of his hand trying to come through to swipe at the ball, so it should have been a foul, but it was absolutely not a punch. And there was no body check as described by the WVU writer. The only contact was up top, and it came as a result of Sherman leaning into Sochan in an effort to create contact.
THAT's what they're crying about? Good Lord. Not even top 10 fouls in that game. What a bunch of babies. Obviously just reaching for the ball. Uncalled, but WVU was handchecking all day with it going uncalled, then they would bizarrely call one every now and then (usually on us). WVU has always had the approach of foul so much the refs get tired of calling them. It always works, to an extent.

Gutsy win. Akinjo played over 38 minutes and showed out down the stretch. Mayer kept on at it (after looking just awful) and came up huge in the last 3 min. We outscored them on second chance points 24-2. That's the stat.
historian
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TeamPlayer said:

Who cares what other players, coaches, and fans say. We're a national championship program. Might not win it this year, but we're set up for another window starting next year. People are going to take shots at us, we will get everybody's best game. Bring it on.

In the long run, getting everyone's best shot will make us a better team.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
historian
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I don't know if anyone posted this before, but I was surprised that Mayer's first points of the game came so late. He then went on a mini scoring bonanza. Better late than never!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
whitetrash
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historian said:

I don't know if anyone posted this before, but I was surprised that Mayer's first points of the fame fame so late. He then went on a mini scoring bonanza. Better late than never!
First 36:32 of the game: 0-6 from the field, 0-2 from 3, 0-4 from the line.

Last 3:28 of the game: 4-4 from the field, 1-1 from 3.
vanillabryce
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We were definitely talking about it as the game played out. There was someone who called for him to be benched prematurely.

TXBEAR_bf
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With the lineup we had out there, you absolutely could not have benched Mayer. We had no scoring options at the 3-4 other than Jeremy. Matt can make some bone head moves but the D has to account for him at all times which opens up the floor for everyone. That pass to Jeremy for the three was an awesome find.
Bear living in the woods of Bend Oregon
vanillabryce
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TXBEAR_bf said:

With the lineup we had out there, you absolutely could not have benched Mayer. We had no scoring options at the 3-4 other than Jeremy. Matt can make some bone head moves but the D has to account for him at all times which opens up the floor for everyone. That pass to Jeremy for the three was an awesome find.


You bring up a great point, one that goes unnoticed. Guys like MM can space the floor; one reason we really miss Flagler and Cryer.

MM brings a unique skill set; one I think our coaches under utilize. I don't think he's as good as Banchero, but Duke gets Banchero the ball in his sweet spots. Elbow, mid post and he can shoot over smaller defenders, back down smaller ones and he passes well out of those.

I took a look at our last 10 games. MM only has 8 TOs.
historian
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whitetrash said:

historian said:

I don't know if anyone posted this before, but I was surprised that Mayer's first points of the fame fame so late. He then went on a mini scoring bonanza. Better late than never!
First 36:32 of the game: 0-6 from the field, 0-2 from 3, 0-4 from the line.

Last 3:28 of the game: 4-4 from the field, 1-1 from 3.

Thanks for the stats. I noticed it at the time & almost said something but a lot was happening quickly.

I do Recall, did he also have a made free throw?
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
historian
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That is common: people panicking & making ridiculous suggestions.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
historian
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That is an excellent point. I think it illustrates how important Matthew was in the championship game against Gonzaga even though he only had two points in the whole game. He did so much else that was impactful especially on defense.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
bear2be2
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historian said:

That is an excellent point. I think it illustrates how important Matthew was in the championship game against Gonzaga even though he only had two points in the whole game. He did so much else that was impactful especially on defense.
Yesterday's game was basically a microcosm of this season for Mayer. Early on, he was doing everything well but shooting/finishing while fans largely ignored the other good stuff he was doing. Later on, he made shots and everyone realized how important he is.
historian
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I like the way you put that. Well said. However, some of us have been paying more attention to MM for the past few years.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
historian
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Watching again now. I like it when Schambi & Fruccilla (spelling in both?) call Baylor games. They always do a decent job.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
vanillabryce
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Sciambi and Fraschilla. I do too. Maybe my favorite combo.

historian
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Better spelling!!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
BleacherBum95
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historian said:

That is common: people panicking & making ridiculous suggestions.
You mean something like: #FireCoachScottDrew
historian
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Yep.
Thankfully we don't see that one very often but I would not be too surprised if some people are still thinking it.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
EvilTroyAndAbed
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BleacherBum95 said:

historian said:

That is common: people panicking & making ridiculous suggestions.
You mean something like: #FireCoachScottDrew
Or maybe something like #kickAkinjoofftheteam. You sure you didn't start that one?
historian
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There were plenty of posts saying Akinjo or Mayer needed to be benched. Thankfully our coaches don't pay any attention to what is on these boards!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Stefano DiMera
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I liked the clown in the game thread when we were down 6..IN THE FIRST HALF..who said we wouldn't make the field of 68
historian
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Probably a troll or someone going a very good impersonation.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
EvilTroyAndAbed
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ImABearToo said:

#1 seed? I'm worried we get left off the 64 team bracket.
Found it.
vanillabryce
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EvilTroyAndAbed said:

ImABearToo said:

#1 seed? I'm worried we get left off the 64 team bracket.
Found it.


Lol, some of us show a real ability to overreact to a half of a basketball game.

Also, it's 68. So maybe that eases his pain.
historian
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BTW, did anyone see a video of Mayer's half court heave that went in? I thought it was a great 3 point shot even if it didn't count & would love to see the video but the buzzer had already sounded & the ESPN camera operator lazily showed Mayer shoot but did not follow the ball in & no one said anything. I wanted to kick myself for not having my camera ready.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Aliceinbubbleland
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vanillabryce said:

Aliceinbubbleland said:

This team is going to struggle for a win the rest of the year. I really thought they could do better tonight.


Are you talking about us??? Or WV???
Yes. I am no expert on BB but I know lack of effort when I see it and I've seen a lot of that from this team. Meanwhile UH,UCLA and Zaga continue to build on their records while we recede.

I feel really bad for Drew. He has a major problem on his hands. As far back as our Villanova game I happen to watch Kansas that week and I knew or expected the embarrassment we had given to us yesterday.
Astros in Home Stretch Geaux Texans
 
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