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Baylor Bears (2001: 19-12)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Program overview

With a degree in marketing and an MBA from Cornell, Dave Bliss knows something about product names. Sometimes, the name is as important as the product. A Snickers bar would taste the same, but would you buy one if it were called a Nickers bar?

That said, it's worthwhile to understand that the Bliss, in this 26th year of head coaching, has a name that is a headline writer's dream. However, it is more important that his product -- coaching basketball -- has been successful. No need to headline stories "A State Of Bliss'' when the team is winning eight games a season.

For the coach, stops at Oklahoma, SMU and New Mexico, the results have been, well, Bliss-ful.

With the Sooners, Mustangs and Lobos, Bliss won conference championships. He made hoops important in Norman, setting the stage for a successful run by

Billy Tubbs. He took a woebegone SMU program and built it into a Southwest Conference factor. At New Mexico, he took a program that was already in good shape and made it better.

When Bliss left Albuquerque for Waco in the spring of 1999, it wasn't a move to just simplify the spelling of his home address. Bliss though he had one more career move remaining. After coaching at SMU -- and recruiting well in Texas while at New Mexico -- Bliss felt he was familiar with Baylor's program and the surrounding area. And never mind that the program he was commandeering was at the bottom of the Big XII Conference.

In two seasons, Bliss has served notice that the Bears no longer belong in the basement. After a 14-15 inaugural season, Year Two saw Baylor roar to a 12-0 record (OK, so it was a Charmin-soft schedule) and finish a respectable 19-12 that included a trip to the NIT -- the Bears' first postseason experience in 11 years.

Bliss knows the next step is probably the toughest. Baylor is on the cusp of evolving into a solid Big 12 team, a team that could be in the running for an NCAA bid each season. But for Bliss to win another conference championship at his fourth coaching stop? Well, in a league that includes Kansas, Iowa State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas, the line forms to the rear. The Bears are headed for a bit of a transition season. Two of the main factors in last season's success were the play of seniors Terry Black and DeMarcus Minor. Black, a swooping forward, averaged 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in gaining first-team all-conference acclaim. Minor, a steady guard, averaged 15.2 points and 4.6 rebounds and was a second-team all-league selection.

"We've got to take the next step by committee," said Bliss, who needs just two victories to reach the .500 level and should record that milestone when Baylor plays host to Texas-Arlington on Nov. 21.

Backcourt

Greenleaf started 30 games at shooting guard last season and is an active player. He was fifth in the Big 12 in steals. The opportunity for playing time is there, but Greenleaf needs to be a more reliable performer.

"Wendell played sporadically last year," Bliss said. "He needs to work on his consistency, not only in his decision-making, but in his shooting and his defense. But he has the strength and competitive zeal that we're looking for with our program."

The top candidate to take over for Minor at point guard is 6-3 sophomore Matt Sayman (4.9 ppg, .410 FG, .377 3PT, .837 FT). Last season, he played in all 31 games as a freshman. However, he logged most of his 17 minutes per game at shooting guard. Sayman will have to make the transition back to point guard, a position he hasn't played since early in his career at The Colony (Texas) High School.

Sayman had a 1.77 assists-to-turnover ratio last season. Also, he worked hard in the off-season to increase his quickness by dropping 15 pounds. He expects to play at about 180 this season.

Another candidate at the point is 5-10 freshman John Lucas III, who averaged 30.3 points and 11 assists per game at Houston's Bellaire High School. If he plays anything like his father -- current Cleveland Cavaliers coach and former NBA guard John Lucas -- the Bears should be set at the point-guard position.

Six-foot junior Andre White (1.3 mpg, 1.0 ppg), a walk-on, is also available for backup point-guard duties.

While Greenleaf is the incumbent at shooting guard, he had best watch his back. Kevin Henry, a 6-2 senior, and 6-3 freshman Kenny Taylor both are capable of grabbing plenty of playing time.

Frontcourt

Senior forward/center Greg Davis (32.4 mpg, 9.2 ppg, .531 FG, .310 3PT, .618 FT, 6.1 rpg, 38 blocks, 36 steals) could be a force in the middle.

Davis, 6-9,who played his first season in Waco last season after sitting out a year after his transfer from New Mexico, had to log a number of minutes at center. This season, he should be able to return to his more natural power-forward position.

"Greg played some of his best basketball down the stretch last season," Bliss said. "There is no doubt that he will play more comfortable at his 'four' spot. As a defensive player and a rebounder we think Greg is very important to the way we play."

Bliss has high hopes for his frontcourt. He envisions Davis at power forward with 6-10 sophomore R.T. Guinn at center and 6-8 freshman Lawrence Roberts at small foward. Guinn (4.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 13 games started in 1999-2000) sat out last season after transferring from (where else?) New Mexico.

Roberts, who was rated as the fifth-best high school prospect in the state by TexasHoops, is capable of playing either forward spot. He's got the power game and rebounding to play power forward and the outside shot and finesse game to handle small forward. In addition to Elsey, minutes at the small-forward spot could go to 6-6 junior-college transfer Rod Nealy, who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds at McLennan (Texas) Community College.

As a freshman in 1999-2000, he played in 22 games at Arkansas-Little Rock before transferring. He is a rebounder who is somewhat reminiscent of Black's playing style.

With Davis able to play some center, Bliss has a versatile front line. Also, Bliss has another option in the middle with 6-10 junior Steven Othero (12.5 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .681 FG, .531 FT). He missed nine games because of injuries, but when he became a starter late in the season, he averaged 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Bottom line

With this roster, Bliss is closing in on the style of team he wants -- quick, athletic players who can make things happen on offense and who have the versatility to befuddle defenses.

"This year we are probably working with better overall basketball talent than in the past couple of years because we've recruited better and better each year," Bliss said.

Baylor's 2001 recruiting class was rated 25th nationally by Rivals100Hoops.com and No. 32 in the nation by HoopScoop. Also, The Sporting News rated Baylor's class as the third best in the Big 12.

Despite the improvements, Baylor will be hard-pressed for a first-division Big 12 finish. Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas all figure to be Top 25 caliber teams. And one never wants to count out Iowa State.

The Bears, though, have proven they are capable of competitive play. The year before Bliss arrived, that wasn't the case (a winless league season). Sayman will have to prove he's a full-time point guard and Roberts will need to prove he's an impact player.

The non-conference schedule, which Bliss says is tougher, doesn't provide much RPI juice. To reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988, Baylor will need a nearly perfect non-conference run plus a break-even or better Big 12 record.