<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Impact;
panose-1:2 11 8 6 3 9 2 5 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
h1
{mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:justify;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;}
h2
{mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:center;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText
{mso-style-link:"Body Text Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:justify;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-style:italic;}
span.BodyTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Body Text Char";
mso-style-link:"Body Text";
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Dec. 13, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">Baylor MBB Ranked No. 1 for Third-Straight Season<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Bears have earned a No. 1 ranking in four of last six seasons</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">David Kaye, 254-709-5147,
<a href="mailto:David_Kaye@baylor.edu">David_Kaye@baylor.edu</a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WACO, Texas –
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor men’s basketball is ranked No. 1 in the Dec. 13, 2021, AP Top 25 poll released Monday, extending the Bears’ streak to three-consecutive seasons earning a No. 1 national ranking.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor’s No. 1 ranking came unanimously, with all 61 first-place votes. It’s the first time the Bears have been unanimously ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25, which doesn’t publish a postseason poll.
The Bears also received 30 of 32 first-place votes in this week’s coaches’ poll.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Bears have now been ranked No. 1 at some point in four of six seasons since achieving the program’s first No. 1 ranking on Jan. 9, 2017. This marks a school-record 43<sup>rd</sup>-consecutive
week the Bears have been ranked, which is the nation’s third-longest active streak behind only Gonzaga and Villanova.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor has been top-10 ranked for a school-record 35-consecutive weeks, and BU was top-5 for 29-straight weeks before being ranked No. 8 in the 2021-22 preseason poll.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Bears achieved the No. 1 ranking by starting the season 9-0 with marquee wins against No. 6 Villanova, now-No. 12 Michigan State, Arizona State, Stanford and VCU. BU won the 2021 Battle 4
Atlantis, joining Villanova as the tournament’s only two-time champions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Head coach Scott Drew’s team won its eighth-consecutive game against top-10 ranked opponents by limiting No. 6 Villanova to its fewest points since 1979 in a 57-36 win on Sunday. The Bears improved
to 18-3 against ranked teams over the last three seasons, with wins over ranked Villanova teams in each of the last three years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor holds the nation’s longest active winning streak at 15-straight, with all 15 wins by at least 8 points. The Bears are a combined 63-6 over the last three years, which is the nation’s best
record among Power-5 teams. BU has also set school records with 33-consecutive non-conference wins dating back to Nov. 2019 and 19-consecutive home wins dating back to February 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">This is the ninth time Baylor has received a No. 1 national ranking. The Bears were No. 1 for the first time on Jan. 9, 2017, then spent five consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 from Jan. 20 through
Feb. 17 in 2019-20. BU was No. 1 in the 2020-21 preseason coaches’ poll and No. 1 in the final coaches’ poll on April 6, 2021.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">There have been 11 programs to earn No. 1 national rankings since 2016-17, and Baylor joins Gonzaga, Duke and Kansas as the only teams ranked No. 1 in four of the last six seasons. Kentucky,
Villanova and Michigan State have been ranked No. 1 in two of the last six years, while Louisville, Tennessee, Virginia and Purdue are the only other teams ranked in the top spot since 2016-17.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor returns to action Saturday when it travels to Eugene, Ore., to play its third game of the season against a Pac-12 opponent. The Bears take on Oregon at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2, with Dave Flemming
and Sean Farnham calling the action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">AP TOP 25 – DEC. 13, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">1. Baylor (61) – 1525<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">2. Duke – 1429<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">3. Purdue – 1319<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">4. UCLA – 1312<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">5. Gonzaga – 1291<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">6. Alabama – 1202<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">7. Kansas – 1181<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">8. Arizona – 1172<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">9. Villanova – 924<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">10. USC – 810<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">11. Iowa State – 798<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">12. Michigan State – 707<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">13. Auburn – 693<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">14. Houston – 683<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">15. Ohio State – 656<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">16. Seton Hall – 635<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">17. Texas – 583<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">18. Tennessee – 390<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">19. LSU – 376<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">20. UConn – 360<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">21. Kentucky – 345<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">22. Xavier – 301<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">23. Colorado State – 251<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">24. Arkansas – 241<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">25. Texas Tech – 164
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><s><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></s></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 156, North Carolina 85, Providence 57, Oklahoma 46, San Francisco 36, Illinois 31, West Virginia 24, Loyola Chicago 20, Michigan 8, St. Bonaventure 6, BYU 4,
Minnesota 3, Creighton 1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">COACHES’ POLL – DEC. 13, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">1. Baylor (30) – 797<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">2. Duke (1) – 747<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">3. UCLA – 679<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">T4. Purdue – 663<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">T4. Gonzaga – 663<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">6. Arizona – 658<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">7. Kansas – 613<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">8. Alabama (1) – 612<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">9. USC – 443<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">10. Villanova – 415<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">11. Iowa State – 398<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">12. Michigan State – 376<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">13. Houston – 369<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">14. Auburn – 345<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">15. Ohio State – 338<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">16. Seton Hall – 337<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">17. Texas – 255<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">18. Tennessee – 250<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">19. Arkansas – 203<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">20. LSU – 184<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">21. Kentucky – 182<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">22. UConn – 181<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">23. Colorado State – 153<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">24. Texas Tech – 123<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">25. Xavier – 117<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><s><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></s></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 110, Providence 41, San Francisco 36, North Carolina 31, Florida 17, Oklahoma 13, St. Bonaventure 11, Loyola Chicago 10, BYU 9, Minnesota 7, Illinois 6, West
Virginia 5, Saint Mary's 2, Weber State 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt">BAYLOR MBB No. 1 NATIONAL RANKINGS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Jan. 9, 2017 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Jan. 20, 2020 (AP)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Jan. 27, 2020 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Feb. 3, 2020 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Feb. 10, 2020 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Feb. 17, 2020 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Nov. 12, 2020 (Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">April 6, 2021 (Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Dec. 13, 2021 (AP & Coaches)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">www.BaylorBears.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">-- </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#385623">David Kaye</span></b><span style="color:#385623"> </span><span style="color:black">| Assistant AD for Communications</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">C: 254-709-5147</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7F02A.C9D60CA0" alt="signature_1049805336"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>