Baylor Lady Bears
Big 12 (33-1, 17-1)
One of the most critical elements a team needs to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament is experienced talented guard play. Well, Baylor is loaded with talent and experience in the backcourt and that has allowed them to traverse through many potential landmines within the Big 12 on the road, including a decisive 80-67 win at Texas back on January 17. Head Coach Kim Mulkey has built a program that can endure just about any amount of personnel losses and be in position to compete for a national title on an annual basis.
Big Wins: 11/19 South Florida (66-63), 11/22 DePaul (86-72), 1/17 at Texas (80-67)
Bad Losses: 12/30 at Oklahoma State (45-52)
Coach: Kim Mulkey
Why They Can Surprise:
Baylor has a nice mix of depth that can absorb some significant foul trouble if they run into a very physical team during the NCAA Tournament, especially inside. Nina Davis makes things tick from an offensive perspective down low and is one of the top forwards in all of women’s college basketball. The group of post players, Beatrice Nompremier, Khadijah Cave, Kalani Brown, and Kristina Higgins, should provide enough at the defensive end of the court and be able use 20 fouls as well if needed. In the backcourt, Niya Johnson is not the explosive scorer that Odyssey Sims was for the Bears but Johnson is a senior who can take control of a game at both ends of the court. That ability to take control of a game, along with Johnson’s leadership ability, will be vital assets for Baylor as they advance deeper into the NCAA Tournament
Why They Can Disappoint:
Baylor lost 52-45 to Oklahoma State in Stillwater back on December 30 when the Bears played without Niya Johnson who was out with a bone bruise in her foot; so health is going to be important for Baylor, especially in the backcourt, throughout the postseason.
The Bears also went ice cold in the second quarter when they scored just two points against the Cowgirls. Thus, if a team can limit possessions and cause problems for Baylor offensively in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament then the Bears would become more vulnerable to a possible early upset. Overall, if Baylor stays healthy, a trip to at least the Elite Eight should be the expectation.
Probable Starters:
Niya Johnson, Senior, Guard, 7.1 ppg, 8.7 apg, 5.3 rpg
Alexis Prince, Redshirt Junior, Guard, 6.1 ppg, 1.5 apg
Alexis Jones, Redshirt Junior, Guard, 14.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4.0 rpg
Nina Davis, Junior, Forward, 15.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Beatrice Mompremier, Freshman, Forward, 7.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Kristy Wallace, Sophomore, Guard, 8.3 ppg, 2.5 apg
Kalani Brown, Freshman, Center, 9.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Khadijah Cave, Junior, Center, 6.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Kristina Higgins, Senior, Center, 3.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.4 (16th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 52.7 (11, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.4 (6, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 32.8 (3, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.3 (324, 10)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.5 (19, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.0 (293, 7)
Rebound Margin: 15.3 (2, 1)
Assists Per Game: 21.1 (3, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.3 (113, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over Northwestern State
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Arkansas
2015 NCAA Third Round win over Iowa
2015 NCAA Quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame
2014 NCAA First Round win over Western Kentucky
2014 NCAA Second Round win over California
2014 NCAA Third Round win over Kentucky
2014 NCAA Quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View A&M
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Florida State
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Santa Barbara
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over Florida
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Georgia Tech
2012 NCAA Regional Final win over Tennessee
2012 NCAA National Semifinal win over Stanford
2012 NCAA National Championship win over Notre Dame
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Prairie View A&M
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over West Virginia
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Green Bay
2011 NCAA Regional Final loss to Texas A&M
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Fresno State
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Georgetown
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win Tennessee
2010 NCAA Regional Final win Duke
2010 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas-San Antonio
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over South Dakota State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
*all team stats through 3/3
