Baylor Lady Bears
Big 12 (31-1, 18-0)
Baylor has been through adversity this season on and off the court. The Bears ran the table in conference play for the third time under head coach Kim Mulkey as they capped off the regular season with an 80-54 win over West Virginia. Injuries are a definite concern as Kristy Wallace did leave the game against the Mountaineers with a knee injury and will not be available for the NCAA Tournament. If Baylor can get to the Final Four, this could go down as Kim Mulkey’s best coaching jobs during her time in Waco.
Big Wins: 12/3 Stanford (81-57), 1/14 at Oklahoma (74-52), 2/19 at Texas (93-87)
Bad Losses: 11/18 at UCLA (68-82)
Coach: Kim Mulkey
Why They Can Surprise:
Kalani Brown is nearly impossible to stop at times down in the low blocks on a nightly basis. Brown is averaging 20.2 points per game, 10.1 rebounds and is shooting 66.3 percent from the floor this season. Lauren Cox has had an excellent sophomore season. She shoots the ball well and takes some pressure off Brown rebounding the basketball. Natalie Chou should continue to get back to full strength after dealing with a wrist injury during the second half of the season. Chou can stretch defenses with her ability to knock down open three-point shots, which keeps opposing defenses off balance. The team chemistry and overall mental toughness is another reason why the Bears can make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Why They Can Disappoint:
With Kristy Wallace unable to play in the NCAA Tournament, it is going to make life difficult for Baylor once they get to the Sweet 16 and beyond. Wallace has been an outstanding all season as she is shooting right around 50 percent from the floor and has kept the offense rolling at a very efficient level. Foul trouble could be an issue for the Bears if they run into a whistle happy officiating crew in the NCAA Tournament. Baylor could also fall short earlier than expected if they were to suffer any more significant injuries to a Brown or Cox.
Probable Starters:
Juicy Landrum, Sophomore, Guard, 7.3 ppg, 2.1 apg
Natalie Chou, Sophomore, Guard, 7.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.6 rpg
Dekeiya Cohen, Senior, Forward, 12.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg
Lauren Cox, Sophomore, Forward, 14.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.7 bpg
Kalani Brown, Junior, Center, 20.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Key Role Players:
Didi Richards, Freshman, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 1.6 apg, 4.4 rpg
Alexis Morris, Freshman, Guard, 8.9 ppg, 3,2 apg
Moon Ursin, Freshman, Guard, 3.0 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 86.8 (2nd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 55.8 (22, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 51.0 (2, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 31.9 (1, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.9 (257, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.7 (19, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.5 (88, 4)
Rebound Margin: 18.7 (1, 1)
Assists Per Game: 20.9 (4, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (51, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2017 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas Southern
2017 NCAA Round of 32 win over California
2017 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Louisville
2017 NCAA Regional Final loss to Mississippi State
2016 NCAA Round of 64 win over Idaho
2016 NCAA Round of 32 win over Auburn
2016 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Florida State
2016 NCAA Regional Final loss to Oregon State
2015 NCAA Round of 64 win over Northwestern State
2015 NCAA Round of 32 win over Arkansas
2015 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Iowa
2015 NCAA Regional Final loss to Notre Dame
2014 NCAA Round of 64 win over Western Kentucky
2014 NCAA Round of 32 win over California
2014 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Kentucky
2014 NCAA Regional Final 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 Final 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 3/1
