Baylor 2010-11 College Basketball Picks

November 18, 2010

BetOnline

Excitement for Baylor basketball is extremely high. That’s because the Bears played in the Elite Eight last year in front of 47,492 fans at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. After going 28-8 last year and ending up 11-5 in the conference, Baylor enters their 2010-11 campaign ranked in the Top 20. Baylor will have to replace three starters, but leading scorer LadeDarius Dunn returns and incoming freshman Perry Jones is one of the best recruits in the nation. Head coach Scott Drew knows this team is gifted, but it will be difficult to replace the leadership they had last year from Ekpe Udoh, Tweety Carter and Josh Lomers.

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Frontcourt:

Udoh set a Big 12 single-season record for blocked shots last season, so clearly that’s not going to be something the Bears can look to replace. The 6’10” Perry Jones will not be the same defensive presence that Udoh was, but he can make up for it with his ability to score around the basket. Many believe he will even be the Bears’ top scoring choice this season. Almost every recruiting service had Jones listed inside the Top 10 on their lists, and he is anticipated to be a 2011 NBA lottery pick. Baylor has never had player leave for the pros after a single season, but Jones is probably going to be the first. The loss of 7-footer Josh Lomers could be getting overlooked here. He stepped his game up at the end of last season. Still, there is some size here with the 6’10″ Anthony Jones coming back at three. Jones put up 6.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG as a solid contributor last year, while junior Quincy Acy put up 9.3 PPG as a sophomore last year. Acy was the team’s sixth man and clearly their most athletic player, dunking 10 times on Texas last year.

Backcourt:

Drew thinks that LaceDarius Dunn is one of the most underrated players in the nation after posting 19.6 points and 4.8 rebounds a year ago. He feels that Dunn will be able to score at will, but hopes he can improve on his ball-handling and distributing skills this year. Though Udoh will be missed on defense, no player will be tougher to replace than Tweety Carter. The senior point guard was the heart and soul of this team, and his vocal leadership will be sorely missed. Taking over for Carter will either be sophomore A.J. Walton or freshman Stargell Love. Walton put up 3.8 points in 17.6 minutes per game last year, while Love is a nice young talent.

Jack’s Pick: 3rd Place in the Big 12 – Baylor tied for second in the Big 12 last season and gave Duke all they could want in the Elite Eight. It’s tough for me to see them having that same kind of season with the players they lose, especially Carter and Udoh. Still, the Bears can compete with anyone in the nation with a frontcourt of Acy, Anthony Jones and Perry Jones along with Dunn at shooting guard. I question this team’s depth and their ability to find a floor leader who can handle the ball, and that’s why I have them third in the Big 12.

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