Baylor Bears vs. Northern Colorado Preview: 3 Keys to Remaining Undefeated
It's the battle of the Bears in a college basketball matchup on Monday night on ESPN-Plus.
Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew and the No. 5 Bears return to action on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Central Time on ESPN-Plus, playing host to the Northern Colorado Bears at the Ferrell Center in the team’s third game of the young season.
Baylor (2-0) is coming off back-to-back blowout wins on its home court, defeating Mississippi Valley State 117-53 and Norfolk State 87-70.
Northern Colorado (1-1), meanwhile, began the season with an 83-36 loss at No. 3 Houston prior to garnering its first win of the year in an 80-77 victory over Texas A&M-Commerce.
Drew and Baylor are currently 28-point favorites over Northern Colorado.
With that in mind, let’s look at a few keys to Baylor remaining undefeated.
Let him run wild.
It was Adam Flager (21 points, eight assists) in game one. It was Keyonte George (23 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals) in game two.
Jalen Bridges was also very impressive in Baylor's win over Norfolk State, racking up 20 points along with five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes of action.
Who will it be in game three? Regardless of who steps up, Baylor has a deep and talented team that should be able to coast to a win over Northern Colorado.
Control the boards.
Baylor had 53 total rebounds (22 offensive) in its season-opener and added another 34 boards (15 offensive) in its win over Norfolk State.
Flo Thamba pulled down 10 boards in game one, while Josh Ojianwuna controlled the boards for Baylor in game two with seven rebounds.
Look for Baylor to control the boards once again, as the green and gold Bears aim to defeat the road Bears on Monday night.
Steal the deal.
Baylor picked up 12 steals in its win over Mississippi Valley and garnered another 12 against Norfolk State.
Will it be 12 again on Monday night, or will Baylor raise the bar and garner more in a Bears vs. Bears showdown at the Ferrell Center?
Only time will tell, as coach Drew and company prep for Monday night's final tune-up against Northern Colorado before a marquee matchup with No. 16 Virginia looms on Friday, Nov. 18.
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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