Baylor Bears vs. Nicholls State: 3 Keys to Win No. 10 Before Big 12 Play Begins
The No. 12 Baylor men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood to host Nicholls State on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the Ferrell Center as coach Scott Drew and the Bears aim to garner win No. 10 on the season.
Wednesday night’s game between Baylor and Nicholls is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. Central Time and will be televised on ESPN-Plus.
Baylor (9-2) has won four straight contests, with the team’s latest win coming on Dec. 20 in a 10-point victory over Northwestern State.
Nicholls (6-6), meanwhile, enters the Ferrell Center with a 3-2 record since Dec. 7 — with the Colonels winning their last matchup against TBC on Dec. 19 in a 90-46 victory.
The Bears are currently 21-point favorites over the visiting Nicholls Colonels.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at a few keys to Baylor picking up win No. 10 prior to Big 12 play beginning on New Year’s Eve at Iowa State.
Don’t overlook non-conference opponents.
Every game this year has been close for a Baylor basketball team that has remained in the rankings since the season tipped off in November.
And coach Drew expects Wednesday’s game to be more of the same.
“Nicholls State’s going to be the exact same now,” Drew said when talking about the elite competition the Bears have faced so far this season. “I mean, if you want a good basketball game, come to it. If you’re thinking it’s a 40-point game, you’re going to be disappointed.
“Because I’m just telling you, I’m not lying. Good teams, good coaches. You’re not going to just thump people unless you really shoot well and I think we all know, you get good shots some nights they go in, sometimes they don’t.”
Defensive rebounding.
Coach Drew spent about half of his latest postgame press conference discussing how the Bears need to improve upon defensive rebounding.
That will be vital not only on Wednesday, but also as conference play looms around the corner.
If the Bears can successfully crash the boards against Nicholls, Baylor’s speedy guards and fast-break opportunities should lead to a big win at the Ferrell Center.
Finish strong.
The main reason the Bears knocked off Northwestern State in their last showdown before Christmas was due to finishing strong down the stretch.
The same needs to occur on Wednesday when Baylor faces a Nicholls team that took Texas Tech down to the wire in a seven-point setback on Dec. 7 in Lubbock.
As long as the Bears maintain a steady lead and finish strong, win No. 10 should be within grasp prior to Big 12 play tipping off on Saturday, Dec. 31.
One game at a time.
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Denton Ramsey has been a journalist for over 20 years with a decade of experience as a sports writer and editor for a plethora of newspapers throughout Texas and Alabama. Growing up in Houston and attending Baylor University, Ramsey is a die-hard sports fan with a true passion for writing. He may be reached via email at denton.itb@gmail.com