MBB No. 25 Kicks Off Conference Showdown with Utah

	25/21 BAYLOR BEARS (8-3, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Waco, Texas Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler, 1993) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)	UTAH (8-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. 25/21 BAYLOR (8-3, 0-0 Big 12) Dec. 31, 2024 • 1:00 p.m. CT Waco, Texas • Foster Pavilion (7,500) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast WATCH: ESPN+ Commentators: Rich Hollenberg (pxp), Chris Spatola (analyst) LISTEN: Baylor Sports Media Network via ESPN 1660 AM / 92.3 FM in Central Texas and globally at centexsportsfan.com Commentators: Pete Sousa (PBP), Pat Nunley (Analyst) SIRIUS XM: SiriusXM 385 or on the SXM App Baylor Social Media:
	Utah Utes (8-3, 0-0 Big 12) Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Conference/Affiliation: Big 12 Head Coach: Craig Smith (North Dakota, 1996) Roster | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)

Media Materials Folder

Jerry Hill

Baylor Bear Insider

 

WACO, Texas – While the 25^th-ranked Baylor men (8-3) will compete against Utah (8-3) in the Utes’ first Big 12 matchup, the Bears will recognize a few familiar players during Tuesday’s 1 p.m. league opener at Foster Pavilion.

 

Caleb Lohner and Miro Little, who both participated in limited minutes off the bench for Baylor last year, have transferred to Utah and are now integral to the Utes’ 10-man lineup. Starting as point guard, the 6-3 Little is averaging 7.8 points and 5.2 assists, whereas the 6-7 Lohner has shown his versatility by playing in four games after also catching four touchdown passes as a tight end for the football team.

 

“First and foremost, (we) cherish Miro, cherish Caleb, as they’re brilliant teammates, wonderful individuals, and we are thankful for the time they spent here at Baylor,” BU head coach Scott Drew stated. “Now, we certainly don’t want them to succeed while on the court against us. However, Utah is an exceptionally well-coached, disciplined squad that always plays hard and adheres to the right principles.”

 

Utah’s diverse offense is spearheaded by 6-6 guard Gabe Madsen, who is recording 18.8 points per game with a shooting rate of 39.6% from beyond the arc. A 7-1 senior center, Lawson Lovering contributes with an average of 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds, while Mason Madsen and Ezra Ausar average 12.5 and 10.6 points, respectively.

 

“It’s one of those teams that schematically employs effective strategies that challenge defenses,” Drew noted. “Hence, you need to outplay them. Every Big 12 coach and program echoes the same sentiment. We don’t possess much familiarity, clearly, given it’s our first encounter with this coaching staff and this team. Nevertheless, we definitely have respect for Miro and Caleb.”

 

Of course, Little and Lohner are not very acquainted with this year’s Bears. With seven newcomers onboard, the only players that Little and Lohner played alongside just a year ago were senior guard Jayden Nunn (12.1 ppg), 6-10 junior forward Josh Ojianwuna (7.5 ppg, 6.4 rebounds), and 6-5 junior guard Langston Love (7.4 ppg).

 

They also remain the Bears’ sole players with prior Big 12 experience. Miami transfer Norchad Omier (16.2 ppg, 10.6 rebounds) is coming off an impressive double-double, scoring 19 points and hauling 24 rebounds in a 107-53 victory over Arlington Baptist and stands among five players averaging double-digit points.

 

“I believe our staff did an excellent job of recruiting individuals who would mesh effectively and foster good chemistry while representing the university appropriately,” Drew expressed. “As a staff, we are fortunate to work with outstanding individuals that make practice enjoyable on a daily basis. . . . Many of the players have remarked that this is the closest-knit team they have ever been on.”

 

With a record of 2-3 against ranked opponents, with victories over Arkansas and St. John’s, Baylor has undoubtedly subjected itself to one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the nation. Conversely, Utah has suffered defeats against the only two P4 teams it has encountered this season, falling to Mississippi State (78-73) and Iowa (95-88).

 

“Indeed, we believe the two scrimmages we participated in, coupled with competing against five high-major teams, alongside some solid guarantee games featuring teams capable of winning their conference, has prepared us well. They performed exceptionally without giving us any chance. While we certainly wish we were 4-1 or 5-0 instead of 2-3, we all gleaned valuable insights from this experience.”

 

As the football team prepares to face LSU at 2:30 p.m. at Kinder’s Texas Bowl in Houston, Baylor Athletics is providing complimentary tickets to the first 5,000 attendees for the men’s basketball conference opener.

 

“You definitely desire to start off the conference grind with a positive mindset,” Drew said.said. “And concurrently, I understand we want everyone to travel to Houston, support the Bears down there. However, if you’re unable to attend, it’s an excellent chance to gather some family and friends at the Foster, because the pricing is favorable. You can inform them you purchased the tickets. They can treat you for lunch or dinner, and you handle the rest.”

 

Tuesday’s match will be broadcasted by ESPN+, featuring Rich Hollenberg and Chris Spatola covering the game.

Narratives

• No. 25/21 Baylor wraps up its 4-game home segment with the Big 12 Conference opener against Utah at 1 p.m. on ESPN+

• Baylor is providing complimentary admission to the initial 5,000 attendees as a gesture of gratitude to the community for their support and to encourage them to witness Baylor Basketball at Foster Pavilion

• Tuesday signifies just the second occasion since 2013-14 that the Bears have commenced conference play at home

• Baylor has triumphed in four of its last five conference openers and maintains an 11-10 record in the Drew Era

• This will be the first encounter between the Bears and Utes since 1960 and their initial matchup as conference rivals

• BU holds a 171-111 record in Big 12 competition over 14 seasons since 2010, following a 59-149 record in the league’s initial 13 seasons

• Baylor is the sole team in the Big 12 with 11+ conference victories in a Power conference for five consecutive seasons

• The Bears are averaging 98.0 points per game in six home games this year, while conceding an average of only 57.8 points, resulting in an average margin of 40.2 points per game

• In their last match, the Bears overwhelmed Arlington Baptist 107-53, achieving a 54-point victory, which ranks as the 10th largest margin of victory in program history and the second-largest this season

• Seven Bears achieved double-digit scoring for the second time this season, a milestone not reached since 2013

• The Bears secured 66 rebounds, the fifth-highest total in program history and the most since grabbing 70 against Texas A&M on January 23, 2008

• Scott Drew achieved his 450th win at Baylor and the 470th of his overall career earlier this month against ACU

• Drew is among just seven active coaches with at least 450 victories at their present institution (Mark Few, Tom Izzo, Bill Self, Greg Kampe, Randy Bennett, Matt Painter)

• One of six active coaches who have attained a national title, Drew will encounter four of the other five coaches during the regular season. Drew has victories against John Calipari & Rick Pitino, with his only loss against Dan Hurley in December.

• Coming from basketball lineages, the Drews comprise the second most successful father-son pair in NCAA history, accumulating 1,380 wins collectively among Scott, Bryce, and Homer, only behind the Iba family (1,624) for the most by a family in NCAA history.

• In the past six seasons, the Bears have a record of 135-38, which is the second-best record among power-conference teams during that timeframe

• Baylor is one of five programs that have been ranked in the top-10 for each of the last six seasons

• The Bears have faced five ranked teams in their first nine games of the season, marking the first instance in program history that they have confronted five ranked teams before January

• The team is led by Miami transfer, Norchad Omier, who is the NCAA’s active leader in career rebounds (1,432), double-doubles (74), and rebound average (10.9), while ranking 10th in career points (2,001)

• The senior is just 68 rebounds away from becoming the 14th player in NCAA history to achieve 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds

• Freshman Rob Wright holds the second position on the team in scoring with an average of 12.9 points and 5.7 assists. Already amassing 63 assists, Wright is on track to break the freshman assists record previously held by John Lucas (120)

• Duke Transfer Jeremy Roach is third on the team in points per game (12.2) and second in assists per game (4.4), sharing Final Four experience with Omier