College Confidential

Griner earns fifth straight weekly honor

Baylor’s Brittney Griner was, once again, selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for the week of January 28 to February 3. With the selection, Griner has extended her record for career women’s basketball weekly honors to 26 and earned her seventh award of the season, including fifth straight.

In the Lady Bears’ road wins over Texas Tech and No. 19 Oklahoma State, Griner averaged 35 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5.5 assists. She shot .674 from the floor and .667 from the free throw line.

In addition, Griner became the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer, passing Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley, with 2,903 career points. She ranks No. 12 on the NCAA Division I career scoring list.

Against Texas Tech, Griner hit 17-of-25 shots from the floor en route to a season-high 40 points along with a season-high-tying 15 rebounds and seven blocks. She also had her fifth dunk of the season to raise her NCAA career record total to 12. She recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds, while dishing out a career-high seven assists against Oklahoma State.

Texas A&M QB Manziel installed as early favorite for 2013 Heisman; Baylor's Seastrunk also on list #TAMU, #JohnnyFootball, #Heisman

The college football season does not begin for another seven months but Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel already has been installed as the early favorite to capture the 2013 Heisman Trophy, based on odds released today by Bovada Sports Book (www.Bovada.lv).

The site installed Manziel, the 2012 Heisman and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, as a 4/1 favorite to repeat as the Heisman winner next season. Manziel already made Heisman history by winning the award as a freshman. A second Heisman would allow him to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974, 1975) as the only player to win multiple Heismans during a college career.

Joining Manziel among the early favorites to capture the 2013 Heisman Trophy are Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller (7/1), USC wide receiver Marqise Lee (9/1), Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (10/1), Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas (10/1), Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron (12/1), Miami running back Duke Johnson (12/1) and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (12/1).

The only other player from a college in Texas to receive Heisman odds was Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk (20/1). Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell, who has yet to make his first career start, received 30/1 odds.

Below is a look at the 22 players that received individual odds to win the 2013 Heisman:  

Odds to win the 2013-2014 Heisman Trophy        

Johnny Manziel (QB Texas A&M)                        4/1

Braxton Miller (QB Ohio State)                            7/1

Marquis Lee (WR USC)                                      9/1

Aaron Murray (QB Georgia)                                 10/1

De'Anthony Thomas (RB Oregon)                        10/1

A.J. McCarron (QB Alabama)                              12/1

Duke Johnson (RB Miami)                                  12/1

Jadeveon Clowney (DE South Carolina)                12/1

Tajh Boyd (QB Clemson)                                    15/1

Taylor Martinez (QB Nebraska)                           15/1

Ameer Abdullah (RB Nebraska)                           18/1

Marcus Mariota (QB Oregon)                              18/1

T.J. Yeldon (RB Alabama)                                   18/1

Brett Hundley (QB UCLA)                                   20/1

Lache Seastrunk (RB Baylor)                              20/1

Everett Golson (QB Notre Dame)                         22/1

Stephen Morris (QB Miami)                                 25/1

Blake Bell (QB Oklahoma)                                  30/1

Jeff Driskel (QB Florida)                                      30/1

Ka'Deem Carey (RB Arizona)                              33/1

Devin Gardner (QB Michigan)                              40/1

Stefon Diggs (WR Maryland)                               40/1

 

­_ Jimmy Burch

 

No. 1 Lady Bears defeat No. 19 Oklahoma State; Mulkey not satisfied

The No. 1 Lady Bears continued their domination of the Big 12 tonight as they trampled over No. 19 Oklahoma State in an 81-62 victory.

But as she searches for her third national title, it takes more than a lopsided victory to satisfy Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey.

“I can’t look at the final score and go, ‘Wow, we won another one by 20.’ You know, I’ve got to coach,” Mulkey said. “You’re not going to win many games having 20 turnovers. You’re not going to win many basketball games when you have them getting 22 offensive boards.”

Oklahoma State was led in rebounding by guard Brittney Martin with 12. Off their 38 total rebounds, the Cowgirls scored 27 second-chance points. The 22 offensive rebounds allowed by the Lady Bears were a season high.

In addition, Baylor also gave up 20 turnovers – its most in Big 12 and tied for its second-most all season.

Baylor senior post Brittney Griner led the Lady Bears with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. Junior guard Odyssey Sims had 15 points and nine assists.

After Oklahoma State forward Liz Donohoe’s scoop shot put the Cowgirls up 21-16, Mulkey put all five of her starters back on the floor with 10:03 left in the first half – an effective decision that led to an 18-2 run by the Lady Bears. Baylor was up by 11 at the half.

“Coach was on us about being down five,” Sims said. “We didn’t have any intensity and we didn’t have no energy. We tried our best to just pick it up.”

Without even taking the time to warm up before the start of the second half, Baylor scored the first seven points to push the lead to 44-26.

Oklahoma State scored 14 of its first 19 points in the second half off second chances, putting just enough pressure on Mulkey and her Lady Bears that the starters didn’t get much rest. Griner came out of the game once, but was back on the court less than a minute later when the Cowgirls had pulled within 13 points.

Baylor was able to come away with the large victory, but for Mulkey good is never good enough – especially during her search for a second straight national championship.

“If you’re going to be the No. 1 team in the country, then you need to play like it,” Mulkey said. “I just didn’t think that we played like it tonight.”

Baylor MBB's Austin Named Tisdale Award Contender

Baylor men’s basketball freshman center Isaiah Austin has been named one of 12 contenders on the 2013 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason Watch List. The United States Basketball Writers Association presents the Tisdale Award to the nation’s freshman of the year.

Austin, an Arlington, Texas, native, is averaging 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds over his first 18 collegiate games. Currently, he had eight double-doubles, tied for the Big 12 lead. He is also tied for third nationally among freshman in this category. Austin ranks second in the Big 12 in rebounding, sixth in scoring, seventh in blocks and 10th in field goal percentage.

In league play, Austin is averaging 15 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Kansas’ Ben McLemore and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart join Austin to give the conference three players among the 12 Tisdale Award contenders.

Previous winners of the Tisdale include NBA stars Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Chris Webber. The 2013 Tisdale Award will be presented at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.