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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS Oct. 13, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal">Baylor MBB Picked Fourth in Preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll<o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal">BU voted in the top-5 for the eighth time in the last nine years</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, </span>
<a href="mailto:WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">WM_Roberts@Baylor.edu</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">IRVING, Texas </span></strong><span style="color:black;background:white">The Big 12 coaches voted Baylor mens basketball fourth in the 2023-24
preseason poll, announced Friday by the conference. </span><span style="background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">With coaches not permitted to vote for their own teams, Baylor received 137 points, trailing only Kansas (168), Houston (153) and Texas (143). TCU (113) rounds out the top five, followed
by Kansas State (106) and Iowa State (95). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">Former Scott Drew assistant, Grant McCasland, and Texas Tech were picked to finish eighth (80), ahead of West Virginia (70) and Oklahoma State (54).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">Three of the four newcomers dot the bottom four of the conference, led by Cincinnati (55), while Oklahoma (54), BYU (29) and UCF (14) round out the league.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">This marks the 13<sup>th</sup> time in the last 16 seasons that BU has been picked to finish in the top half of the league. The Bears were picked in the lower half of the league in each
of the conference's first 12 seasons.</span><span style="color:#666666;background:white"> </span><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><dfn><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-style:normal">Drew</span></dfn><span style="color:black;background:white"> enters his 21st season at Baylor in 2023-24. He holds a 440-244 career
record over 21 years as a Division I coach, including a 420-233 mark at BU. Over the past 15 seasons, Drew has led Baylor to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Sweet 16 berths, three trips to the Elite Eight and the 2021 National Championship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">BU brings back five letterwinners from last season, including Big 12 honorable mention selection Jalen Bridges. Joining him will be BUs third-straight Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year
JaKobe Walter. Alongside Walter are several newcomers ready to make an impact, including 2023 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year RayJ Dennis. Freshmen Miro Little, Yves Missi and VCU transfer Jayden Nunn also figure to play a big role for the 2023-24
Baylor squad.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">Baylor opens the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with a marquee matchup against the Auburn Tigers at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The game is slated for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff
on ESPN.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;background:white">Fans interested in tickets for the upcoming Baylor mens basketball season can fill out the Baylor Ticket Interest Form</span><a href="https://app.baylorbears.com/BUMBBTix"><span style="background:white"> here</span></a><span style="color:black;background:white">. Those
interested in putting their name on the season-ticket waitlist can do so </span>
<a href="https://app.baylorbears.com/MBBWait"><span style="background:white">here.</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">2023-24 BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL</span></u></strong><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></u></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">1. Kansas 168 (12)<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">2. Houston 153 (2)</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">3. Texas 143<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">4. BAYLOR 137<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white;font-weight:normal">5. TCU 113<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">6. Kansas State 106</span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">7. Iowa State 95<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">8. Texas Tech 80<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">9. West Virginia 70<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">10. Oklahoma State 57<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">11. Cincinnati 55<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">12. Oklahoma 54<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">13. BYU 29<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">14. UCF 14<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><strong><u><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">BAYLOR IN BIG 12 PRESEASON POLLS (First-Place Votes)</span></u></strong><sup><span style="color:black;background:white"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">1997 12<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">1998 10<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">1999 t-11<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2000 12<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2001 11<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2002 9<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2003 8<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2004 12<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2005 12<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2006 12<sup>th <o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2007 7<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2008 9<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2009 t-3<sup>rd<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2010 10<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2011 4<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2012 3<sup>rd<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2013 2<sup>nd</sup> (1)<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2014 3<sup>rd<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2015 t-6<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2016 5<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2017 5<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2018 5<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2019 9<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2020 2<sup>nd</sup> (1)<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2021 1<sup>st</sup> (7)<sup><o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2022 3<sup>rd<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2023<sup>
</sup> 1<sup>st</sup> (5)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;background:white"><span style="color:black;background:white">2024 4<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<a href="http://www.BaylorBears.com"><i>BaylorBears.com</i></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Matt Roberts | Associate Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF) <br>
Department of Athletics | Baylor University<br>
C: 254-227-2280</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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