Seniors earn 100 wins, bid farewell to Bears

No. 41 senior forward Anthony Jones lays it in during the Elite Eight matchup against Kentucky on Sunday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
No. 41 senior forward Anthony Jones lays it in during the Elite Eight matchup against Kentucky on Sunday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

By Tyler Alley
Sports Editor

As he walked off the court with about one minute to play Sunday, senior Quincy Acy looked to be fighting back the tears.

He would never take the court as a Baylor Bear again.

“We fought hard,” Acy said. “I’m happy to be a Baylor Bears. It hasn’t really — you know, there’s emotion after the game, but I don’t think it’s really set in. Take a little time to sit with myself, and I think it will set in.”

Acy, Anthony Jones and Fred Ellis make up the 2012 senior class for men’s basketball, a class that earned more wins than any previous senior class with 100.

The class also helped Baylor to two Elite Eight appearances in three years.

“When someone asked Quincy Acy about our last win, I didn’t realize it was their 100th win for the senior class,” head coach Scott Drew. “For them to care about that and to know about that without being told, I think that just shows what kind of teammates they are and just how happy they are for another and what they care about the school.

Again two out of three years we made it to the Elite Eight. One day, hopefully, we’re cutting down the net, sooner rather than later.”

Acy finished his career with back-to-back 20-plus game performances and was named to the South Regional All-Tournament team.

Acy

He ranks third in school history with a career 60.2 field goal percentage. 49 percent of Acy’s field goals have been dunks.

He also served as the leader for the Bears this season, both on and off the court.

“That guys is irreplaceable,” sophomore Brady Heslip said. “He’s the heart and soul of this team. He’s a leader. He’s been at Baylor for four years. He’s been amazing, you know, just can’t say enough about that guy.”

Drew talked about how much Acy has grown from his freshman days.

Drew said Acy could not score unless he was dunking his freshman year.

Acy also looks older than people think he does.

Jones

“I know he’s got the beard and everything, but he’s a year younger,” Drew said. “He could have stayed in high school another year. And just to see him mature — that’s why you get into coaching, to see guys come in — he was a little kid, and now he left a man.”

Jones started this season in the starting lineup but was taken out midway throughout the season. Jones continued to come in when Drew asked him to, and now he exits the program.

“This is it, I’ll never put on this uniform again,” Jones said. “I’ve had a lot of memories here.”

Jones said the highlights of his career was the team’s performance in the postseason.

Ellis

“The two Elite Eight runs are special to me,” Jones said, “and the group of guys that I did with are special to me as well.”

Though Ellis is not known for his playing time, he contributed to the Baylor University in other ways.

He traveled to Kenya in May 2010 with the Baylor Sports Ministry Team as part of a mission trip.