NEW YORK – Before getting to New York, Baylor captured three NIT games on their home floor. Following the 76-70 semifinal win over BYU, Coach Scott Drew was asked about playing at a neutral site. “Back in 2009 we faced Penn State in the (NIT) finals,” drew said. “They brought about 18 busloads of fans so it didn’t appear too neutral to us,” he added with a laugh.
Now, Baylor has the following, momentum and eyes on pursuing the prize. They will battle Iowa, 71-60 winners over Maryland in the other semifinal, for the championship.
Three things we observed from the Baylor-BYU matchup:
- BYU is improved since their December meeting. In late December the Cougars dropped a 79-64 decision at Baylor. Drew even commented how he felt BYU improved steadily and was a tough out here in New York. Sophomore guard Tyler Haws commanded a good deal of defensive attention and still scored a game-high 25 points. Haws does a nice job moving without the ball, doesn’t force the issue and works well within the offense. Another sophomore, Matt Carlino, had a hot hand late, hitting four threes in the final five minutes to trim a 10-point deficit to a one-possession game.
- Pierre Jackson came up big. Just as he has all season, the Baylor point guard had the ball in his hands and made the big plays, especially in the stretch. Jackson scored 24 points, handed out 10 assists and shot 9 of 10 from the line. He sparked a late surge that gave Baylor their lead, then made the plays allowing them not to lose it in the final minutes.
- There are other options. Whether it is an isolation or ball screen a good part of the offense begins with Jackson. Baylor does have other finishers. Junior forward Cory Jefferson had another fine outing with 21 points and five rebounds. Freshman center Isaiah Austin also added a strong 14-point, 10-rebound effort.
Praise for Providence. One Baylor assistant doing advance scouting during the Iowa-Maryland game had a favorable assessment of Providence, whom Baylor defeated in the quarterfinal to punch their ticket to New York. “Coach (Ed) Cooley did a great job,” the assistant praised. “I understand they were undermanned this year, but they gave us a lot of trouble. He (Cooley) is building something special there.”
A national champion for Baylor. As of late there has been much talk of Baylor. Most recently, it was over the demise and upset of the defending national championship women’s team. The national championship may return to Waco in the form of an NIT title. On Tuesday, Baylor did have a national champion grace the MSG hardwood.
Allison Hatfield, a Baylor junior and baton twirler of international status, and a US champion, performed for the crowd during time outs during the Baylor-BYU contest. She was quite impressed with her first trip to MSG: “I have performed at Cowboys Stadium, Reliant Stadium and the Alamodome,” she said, “and there is nothing like being at the ‘world’s most famous arena’. The history and tradition here are fantastic.”
The entire Baylor program is hoping to add to that tradition with a win on Thursday.
