Sports Briefs, Winter 2010-11

Men's hoops inks another top-5 national recruit

In November, Westchester [N.C.] Country Day School teammates Quincy Miller -- widely considered one of the top 10 high school players in the country -- and Quddus "Deuce" Bello signed National Letters of Intent to join Baylor's men's basketball program in 2011.

Miller, a 6-foot-9 forward, is rated the No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2011 by Scout.com, No. 4 overall in the ESPNU Top 100 and No. 5 by Rivals.com. As a junior in 2009-10, Miller averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two assists.

Bello, a 6-foot-4 guard, is also a consensus top-50 player nationally after averaging 19.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior last year.

With just those two commitments, the Bears' signing class is ranked No. 10 nationally by ESPN, No. 12 by Rivals.com and No. 14 by Scout.com.

Baylor soccer, volleyball seasons end on a high note

In head coach Marci Jobson's third year, the Baylor soccer program took another step forward, recording the most wins of any BU teams since 1999 (11) and the most conference victories since 2001 (4). Now nationally known for their stifling defense, the Bears tied the program record for most shutouts in a season with 11.

Baylor volleyball, too, built a reputation for stout defense in 2010. Head coach Jim Barnes' Lady Bears finished first in the Big 12 in digs and second in opponent hitting percentage. All-Big 12 First Team selection Elizabeth Graham (pictured), a senior middle blocker, finished second in the league (18th nationally) in total blocks and ninth in hitting percentage.