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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>8/8 BAYLOR BEARS (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)</b><br>
<b>Location:</b> Waco, Texas <br>
<b>Conference/Affiliation:</b> Big 12<br>
<b>Head Coach: </b>Scott Drew (Butler, 1993)<br>
<a href="https://baylorbears.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/2024-25">Roster</a> | <a href="https://baylorbears.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats">Stats</a> | <a href="file:///documents/2024/11/3/BU_MBB_Game_Notes_Gonzaga_24-25.pdf">Game Notes (PDF)</a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">8/8 BAYLOR</span></b><span style="color:black"> (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. No.
<b>6/7 GONZAGA </b>(0-0, 0-0 WCC)<br>
<b>Nov. 4, 2024 • 10:30 p.m. CT</b><br>
<b>Spokane, Wash. • Veterans Memorial Arena </b>(12,000) <br>
<br>
<b>LIVE STATS: </b><a href="https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=bay" target="_blank">Stat Broadcast</a><br>
<b>WATCH:</b> ESPN2<br>
<b><i>Talent:</i></b> Roxy Bernstein <i>(pxp), Jay Williams (analyst)</i><br>
<b>LISTEN: </b>Baylor Sports Media Network via<b> </b>ESPN 1660 AM / 92.3 FM in Central Texas and worldwide at <a href="http://www.centexsportsfan.com">centexsportsfan.com</a><br>
<b><i>Talent:</i></b> <i>John Morris </i>(PBP), <i>Pat Nunley</i> (Analyst)<br>
<b>SIRIUS XM:</b> SiriusXM 199 or on the <a href="https://sxm.app.link/84">SXM App</a><br>
<br>
<b>Baylor Social Media: </b><a href="https://twitter.com/BaylorMBB" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="20" height="20" style="width:.2083in;height:.2083in" id="Picture_x0020_19" src="cid:image003.png@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="auto twitter icon"></span></a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="15" height="15" style="width:.1562in;height:.1562in" id="Picture_x0020_18" src="cid:image002.gif@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw%3D%3D"></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span><span style="color:black"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/baylormbb" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="20" height="20" style="width:.2083in;height:.2083in" id="Picture_x0020_17" src="cid:image004.png@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="instagram png"></span></a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="15" height="15" style="width:.1562in;height:.1562in" id="Picture_x0020_16" src="cid:image002.gif@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw%3D%3D"></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span><span style="color:black"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BaylorMBB" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="20" height="20" style="width:.2083in;height:.2083in" id="Picture_x0020_15" src="cid:image005.png@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="Facebook PNG"></span></a></span><span style="color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="15" height="15" style="width:.1562in;height:.1562in" id="Picture_x0020_14" src="cid:image002.gif@01DB2DEE.C255C970" alt="wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw%3D%3D"></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>No. 6/7 GONZAGA BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0 WCC)</b><br>
<b>Location:</b> Spokane, Wash.<br>
<b>Conference/Affiliation:</b> WCC<br>
<b>Head Coach: </b>Mark Few (Oregon, 1987)<br>
<a href="https://gozags.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster">Roster</a> | <a href="https://gozags.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2023-24">Stats</a> | <a href="https://baylorbears.com/documents/2024/11/3/MBB01.pdf">Game Notes (PDF)</a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://baylor.app.box.com/s/pixj7k5dq7uo84maocw4vv2vhlhzh1c8"><b><i>Media Materials Folder<br>
</i></b></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Story lines</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• No. 8 Baylor heads to Spokane to take on No. 6 Gonzaga in the season opener at Veterans Memorial Arena in a 10:30 p.m. CT tip on ESPN2.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• This top-10 battle features two of the four programs that have been ranked in the top-10 every year for the last six years. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• This dynamic duo also joins Kansas and Duke as two of the four teams to be ranked No. 1 in four of the last eight seasons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Last season, the Bears joined the Zags, Houston and Kansas as one of four teams to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of the last five tournaments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Gonzaga is just the second ranked opponent Baylor has faced in a season opener, and the first since opening the season at No. 15 BYU in the 1979-80 season.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Falling to BYU that night, BU is seeking it’s first ever win over a ranked opponent in a season opener</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• The 10:30 p.m. CT tip is Baylor’s latest scheduled tip since an 11 p.m. CT tilt against Memphis on Nov. 27, 2014 as a part of the Las Vegas Invitational.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Baylor is 19-2 in season openers under <b>Scott Drew</b>, with its last loss in a lid-lifter coming in 2018.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• This is the fifth time in the Drew Era the Bears are opening the season away from home, boasting a 3-1 mark in the previous four games, including last year’s opener, an 88-82 win over Auburn.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• The Bears are the only team in the country to be a No. 3 seed or higher in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• The Bears are the only team in the country with a top-19 pick in each of the last four NBA Draft, and one of just two programs with a top-20 pick in fourth-straight drafts (Duke).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Baylor welcomes nine new faces to the 2024-25 squad, aiming to replace four of their five starters off of last year’s team, including a pair of first-round draft picks in Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Potential top-5 NBA Draft pick <b>VJ Edgecombe</b>, and his star-studded classmates
<b>Jason Asemota</b> and <b>Rob Wright</b>, should pick up the slack for some of those departures.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Additionally the Bears brought in experienced transfers <b>
Jalen Celestine</b> (California), <b>Norchad Omier</b> (Arkansas State and Miami) and
<b>Jeremy Roach</b> (Duke) to help replace 71.4% of the scoring, 68.3% of the rebounding and 78.8% of the assists.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">•<b> Roach</b> and <b>Omier</b> bring Final Four experience, as Roach helped his Duke team to the 2022 Final Four, while Omier led Miami to it’s first-ever Final Four in 2023.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• <b>Edgecombe</b> is Baylor’s fourth-straight Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The Bears and Kansas Jayhawks are the only teams in league history to have the preseason conference freshman of the year in four consecutive seasons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• If <b>Edgecombe </b>claims the postseason Freshman of the Year Honor, BU would become the first team in conference history to have the preseason and postseason Freshman of the Year in three-straight seasons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• <b>Roach</b> was named the Big 12 Conference’s co-Newcomer of the Year in addition to being voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 second team with
<b>Omier</b>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">• Picked Fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, the Bears are the only team in the Big 12 with 11+ conference wins in a Power-5 conference in five-straight seasons.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Matt Roberts | Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF) <br>
Department of Athletics | Baylor University<br>
C: 254-227-2280</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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