Rush The Court

Here are some key takeaways from Baylor’s 80-70 Big 12 quarterfinal win over a West Virginia team that was still without Juwan Staten and Gary Browne.

1. Selection Sunday Impacts. Baylor should be poised for a happy Selection Sunday. The Bracket Matrix, which aggregates NCAA Tournament projections from across all corners of the web, had the Bears as a solid #3 seed going into the game. The win against a good West Virginia team, even without Staten, should keep them from falling off that line. That’ll especially be the case if fellow #3 seed (or better) hopefuls Iowa State and Oklahoma fall in games later today. This could also set the Bears up for a spot in the South regional in Houston.  Regardless of seed, this year will mark the first time in program history that Baylor will make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, which is somewhat surprising considering the success Scott Drew has enjoyed over the last decade in Waco.
2. Bears Bench Deepens. Ish Wainwright may have earned himself more playing time the rest of the way. Early foul trouble in the first half forced Drew to play the little-used forward heavy minutes and the junior did not disappoint. He ended up with seven points and six rebounds and did a good job battling the Mountaineers’ physical frontcourt. It was an undeniably good day for the local native who got the most playing time he has received in a single game since early February. Drew has not utilized an incredibly deep rotation this year — often giving only six players significant minutes — so it’s a great sign that Wainwright has proven he can contribute on a big stage.
3. Undermanned Mountaineers. West Virginia needs Staten and Browne back. That’s not exactly a groundbreaking thought but the effect of their absences played out in real time today against the Bears. The Mountaineers benefited from some hot shooting from deep for much of the game — including four threes and 18 points from Jaysean Paige — but they didn’t score a field goal over the last six minutes when Staten would have been most useful. Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles had two costly back-to-back turnovers with under four minutes left that Baylor used to build a multi-possession lead it would not relinquish. Having Staten and Browne in those pressure situations instead of two freshmen may have made a difference in this quarterfinal matchup. On the other hand, Carter and Miles had an opportunity to learn from the increased playing time and those mistakes, with an opportunity to apply it next weekend when the games matter even more.

Quotable.

• “That’s the great thing about the Big 12, doesn’t matter who you play, you’re in for a battle; playing each team twice, you know a lot about them.” Baylor head coach Scott Drew, on preparing for Baylor’s matchup. Whether it was Devin Williams (18 points on 7-of-9 shooting) burying shots in the middle of Baylor’s zone or the Bears handling the West Virginia pressure successfully, you saw two teams that knew each other well, and it made for a competitive game.
• “It wasn’t the right thing to do by them.” West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins, on why he chose not to play dressed-out Staten and Browne due to the risk of reinjury. This is a nice example of a coach putting aside the tunnel vision that can come with trying to win the next game and understanding the bigger picture. Staten has yet to play in the NCAA Tournament and Browne got just a brief taste in a first round loss to Gonzaga during his freshman season (although he did score 15 points). This is their last chance and it wasn’t worth risking it.

What’s Next.

• Baylor moves on to face Kansas in the semifinals where the Bears will get a shot at some major vengeance. Lester Medford failed to get up a shot at the end of a one-point loss in Waco and the Bears let an early 13-point slip away in Lawrence. Will the third time be the charm?
• West Virginia goes back to Morgantown and awaits whatever the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has in store for them. The Mountaineers should be heading for a #4 or #5 seed, and will be a dangerous, balanced team with a healthy Staten and Browne back in the lineup.