What Baylor Might Have Been

The 2003-04 college basketball season was supposed to help Baylor put the tragic events of last summer behind it. Instead, the games have reminded the Bears and their supporters of how much was lost. In the wake of forward Patrick Dennehy's murder (for which teammate Carlton Dotson has been charged) and the resignation of coach Dave Bliss over payment improprieties, the team's three best players transferred—point guard John Lucas III to Oklahoma State, center Lawrence Roberts to Mississippi State and guard Kenny Taylor to Texas. With each playing a key role on a team ranked in the Top 10, it's not hard to imagine that trio of juniors forming the nucleus of a Baylor squad that would be jockeying for an NCAA tournament bid. "Everyone in the Big 12 knew that Baylor was moving into the top half of the league," Texas coach Rick Barnes says. "I'm not surprised at all at how well those guys are playing."

The transfers of Lucas and Taylor had a particularly acute impact on the Big 12 race because if they were still at Baylor, they wouldn't have helped boost Oklahoma State (No. 6 nationally) and Texas (No. 10) to first and second place, respectively. Starters for the Bears, both players have shown significant improvement this season—Lucas, the Cowboys' quarterback, is second in the conference in assists (4.8 average at week's end), and Taylor (averaging 7.8 points in 18.5 minutes per game) is an important reserve for the Longhorns. " Roberts was always a monster in our league, but I'm not sure Texas and Oklahoma State realized what they were getting," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson says. "That third year is when guys usually take off."

Instead of vying for a Big 12 title, Baylor, using just seven scholarship players, has a 2-10 conference record (7—18 overall). Terrance Thomas, a 6'6" senior forward, and 6'8" junior forward Harvey Thomas have struggled against defenses that would have been focused on Roberts and Lucas. Freshman Carl Marshall, a 5'10" guard, has shot the ball well, but he should be providing a spark off the bench, not starting. Such a shorthanded, inexperienced crew might overachieve under a veteran coach, but the Bears are directed by 32-year-old Scott Drew, who heads the nation's youngest staff. The season has not daunted Drew. "Even though we're not getting a lot of wins, I think we're reestablishing what the Baylor basketball program is about," he says.

The saddest absence, of course, is Dennehy's. In his memory Baylor's players are wearing a black stripe on their jerseys, another reminder of what might have been.