Baylor coach Scott Drew is selecting to take the optimistic outlook along with his up-and-down group forward of Saturday’s Huge 12 Convention house sport towards UCF in Waco, Texas.
The Bears (14-8, 6-5) have performed shorthanded over the past 10 video games, the period of time guard Langston Love has missed with an ankle damage. As well as, Duke switch Jeremy Roach simply returned from concussion protocol after lacking 4 video games, whereas VJ Edgecombe sat out Tuesday’s 73-59 loss at No. 13 Texas Tech with an ankle damage.
“On this league, it is exhausting if you’re enjoying six, seven guys,” Drew mentioned. “Hopefully, we get VJ and Langston again, and that may actually assist with issues. Us coaches, our performs actually work rather a lot higher when we’ve got extra gamers.
“I do not know if anybody’s gone by way of what we have gone by way of with the damage bug.”
Nonetheless, Baylor is in place to earn an NCAA Match berth with a powerful end. The Bears are led by ahead Norchad Omier (15.4 factors, 10.4 rebounds per sport), who recorded his 79th profession double-double with 16 factors and 12 rebounds towards the Purple Raiders.
In the meantime, the Knights (13-9, 4-7) are coming off a 93-83 setback at house Wednesday evening to Cincinnati that prolonged their shedding streak to 3 video games. They have been gashed inside, permitting a whopping 56 factors within the paint.
“We’ve to get again to understanding what the priorities are defensively,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins mentioned. “That is defending our paint and understanding that guys have to be the place they’re speculated to be. We all know what our assignments are … that is consideration to element.”
The Knights have allowed 79.4 factors per sport, practically 5 greater than another Huge 12 group, and have permitted league opponents to make 48.4 p.c of their subject objectives. That is additionally the worst mark within the Huge 12.
Keyshawn Corridor leads the assault with 18.3 factors per sport whereas Darius Johnson chips in 15.0 per sport.
Baylor earned a 77-69 win final season in Orlando within the groups’ first-ever assembly.
–Area Degree Media
