Hitting Their Stride

Women's Basketball
After making the NCAA Tournament in six of the last seven seasons, it's no surprise that the Baylor women's basketball team was once again ranked in every major preseason poll, with spots ranging from 13th to 17th depending on who did the ranking.
Unlike previous Lady Bear squads, however, head coach Kim Mulkey's 2007-08 team doesn't return an obvious offensive threat or a clear team leader. The team's only returning senior is point guard Angela Tisdale, who was second on a team a year ago with 10.8 points per game. 
However, Baylor does return four starters from last season: Tisdale, junior forward Rachel Allison, and junior guards Jhasmin Player and Jessica Morrow. The Lady Bears will likely look to Allison and Player for improved offense after the pair represented USA Basketball and Athletes in Action in international play this summer and were the squad's two leading scorers. Allison led the team in rebounding, as well.
Sophomore post Danielle Wilson also returns after setting a school record with 86 blocks last season. Another sophomore, Jessika Bradley, was also among the team's blocks leaders, totaling 26 rejections despite averaging just 11 minutes a game.
The Lady Bears face a tough road if they hope to extend their NCAA Tournament appearance streak, with 13 teams on the schedule who competed in postseason play last year.

Men's Basketball
Head coach Scott Drew's 2007-08 men's basketball team will be his most experienced squad in years, returning nine lettermen. That experience will be needed, as the Bears also face their toughest schedule in recent memory.
Junior guard Curtis Jerrells was named preseason All-Big 12 by the league's coaches after leading the Bears with 15.0 points and 3.8 assists per game last year. He'll be joined in the backcourt by senior Aaron Bruce, a three-time all-conference selection, and junior Henry Dugat, the team's leading 3-point shooter. Sophomore Tweety Carter, the top-scoring high school player in U.S. history, will again provide an offensive spark off the bench.
Up front, junior Kevin Rogers, senior Mark Shepherd and sophomore Josh Lomers will split time. Junior Mamadou Diene, the Big 12's active career leader in blocks, will miss the first six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle.
Newcomers LaceDarius Dunn and Delbert Simpson are also expected to contribute significantly. Dunn, a true freshman guard, is the highest rated Baylor signee in memory and has been praised for his scoring ability. Simpson, a transfer from Tyler Junior College, will provide much-needed depth at forward.
The team's development has already brought Baylor some attention, as the Bears received votes in this year's preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll--Baylor's first poll recognition since 2001. The Bears were picked to finish as high as sixth in the Big 12 in at least one preseason ranking (Athlon Sports).