By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterI’m going to be honest: I was hoping Clemson’s defensive coordinator Brent Venables would walk through that door. Well, I picked the wrong DC from the title game, and I’m still not sure what to think. Dave Aranda is coming off coordinating seven straight top-30 defenses in two of the best conferences in the country. His defenses have produced 13 draftees since his time at Wisconsin, and there will be even more drafted in April. The defense at LSU this season was underrated. They played at an uber-high pace and scored enough that the defense…
Author: Matthew Soderberg
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith |Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor men’s basketball pulled out the 61-57 win after a late run by Oklahoma Monday night at the Ferrell Center. The victory came as the Bears celebrated the anniversary of the Immortal Ten, playing their first home game as the top-ranked team in the nation. Baylor led by nine points with 3:10 left on the clock, and fans started to head for the exits, but Oklahoma ran off nine of the next 11 points to close the lead to two. With 40 seconds left, the Bears…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter Mack Rhoades, Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics, took a page out of his former coach’s playbook and chose LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to be Baylor’s new head football coach. Rhoades and university president Dr. Linda Livingstone, introduced Aranda to the Baylor community in a press conference Monday morning at McLane Stadium’s Baylor Club. Aranda comes to Waco on the heels of building a national champion defense with the Tigers, but the opportunities to lead were cut short by his position. They were also hindered…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 2 Baylor men’s basketball came back from a slow start Saturday against Oklahoma State to pull out a 75-68 win. The Bears were down by as many as 10 points with less than 13 minutes to go.The Baylor offense struggled throughout the game as three starters, redshirt-junior guard MaCio Teague, junior forward Mark Vital and redshirt-sophomore guard Davion Mitchell, combined for 9 points on 2-16 shooting. The trio also supplied a grand total of 13 rebounds, four assists and five turnovers.OSU, meanwhile, had four players, including one off the bench, score 60 of their…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor track and field begins their indoor season in Iowa City, Iowa on Friday and Saturday at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational. The Hawkeye-hosted meet will feature seven returning All-Americans for the Bears. Baylor head coach Todd Harbour said before the team left that this is a great opportunity for the team to jump into this new campaign. “It’s a great meet that we’re going to and we don’t shy away from competitions in any of the meets we go to for indoor,” Harbour said. “We’re excited, and we’ve got a good group. We’ve got some…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterLouisiana State University defensive coordinator Dave Aranda has been hired to be Baylor University’s next head football coach. Aranda joins the Bears as the curator of the national champion Tigers defense. The former LSU coach spent the past four seasons in Baton Rouge, La, as associate head coach and DC, coaching one of the best units in the college ranks. Before LSU, Aranda spent three years as DC at Wisconsin. His teams have finished with an average No. 20 ranking in defense over the past seven years. “Today is an exciting day for Baylor,” Vice…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 2 Baylor men’s basketball took a slow start into a dominant second half against Iowa State for a 68-55 win. After just 30 points in the first half, the Bears lit up the scoreboard for a 13-0 run after the break. With just five points before the first-half buzzer, sophomore guard Jared Butler seemed in line for a disappointing game for all the NBA scouts in attendance, but his box score filled up as he ended with 19 points and five assists to drive Baylor’s success…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterI’ve been at Baylor all of five months, but I’m fairly certain of one thing: Matt Rhule is the most important coach in the history of the program. And he doesn’t owe us anything else. Rhule took over an ailing program. After years of success became tainted by one of the most infamous scandals in college sports, the former Temple head coach cleaned up the wreckage and brought Baylor to the forefront of the sport. His three years in Waco produced one of the most dramatic turnarounds ever seen in the college football world. From…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterWith a No. 2 ranking in hand and quality wins over Butler, Villanova, Arizona and on the road at Kansas and Texas Tech, Baylor men’s basketball is set up for a major run as the first half of the season comes to a close. The Bears finished non-conference play with a 10-1 record, with their only loss coming to a Washington team loaded with NBA prospects on a neutral court. Head coach Scott Drew said the play will only get tougher as teams become more familiar with each other. “Once you get into conference play…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor volleyball’s historic run came to an end, as the Bears dropped the National Semifinal match 1-3 to No. 4 Wisconsin Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Pa. Baylor ends the most successful season in program history with an overall record of 29-2. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley led the team as she has all season, earning 25 kills on 68 attempts, her fourth-most hits in a game this season. The Player of the Year nominee also led the Bears in digs with 16.All-American Badger Dana Rettke led Wisconsin to the championship game with…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 10 Baylor men’s basketball notched a 91-63 neutral court win over Tennessee-Martin Wednesday night in Houston. The Bears dominated in the paint with 54 points whereas the Skyhawks only managed 26.Still without junior forward Tristan Clarke, the Bears were led by sophomore guards Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell. Mitchell posted a career-high 19 points on 75% shooting with four assists, three rebounds and a career-high four steals. Butler scored 19 points on 50% shooting while adding six assists and three steals.Three other Bears ended with double figures, as junior wing Mark Vital scored…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 7 Baylor women’s basketball obliterated Arkansas State 111-43 Wednesday behind a record performance from senior guard Juicy Landrum. Landrum led the Lady Bears in scoring with 42 points after an NCAA, Big 12 and school record 14 made three-pointers The senior guard had five threes by halftime, and it was clear something special was cooking. The Baylor record had been nine, so she was on her way to at least getting close, but then shot 9-17 from behind the arc in the final two quarters to shatter all the records. Landrum said postgame…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor volleyball heads off to Pittsburgh this week for a rematch with No. 4 Wisconsin in the fifth round of the NCAA tournamen and a chance to play in the championship match. The Badgers are led by two First-Team All-Americans, setter Sydney Hilley who averages more than 12 assists per set, and 6-foot-8-inch middle blocker Dana Rettke who earns 3.8 kills per set and 1.5 blocks per set.Wisconsin is 7-5 against ranked squads coming into the match Thursday night, with two losses to Washington and a loss to Baylor already in the…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor volleyball is one of the final four teams standing after defeating No. 8 Washington in four sets (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18) Saturday in the Waco Regional final. The Bears victory over the Huskies at the Ferrell Center earned them a berth in the team’s first national semifinal in program history. Junior outside hitter Yossiana Pressley owned the spotlight in the win, posting 24 kills with just three errors for a .512 clip. Pressley’s effort earned her the Most Outstanding Player Award for the regional.…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 1 Baylor volleyball moves on to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history after a four-set win (25-12, 23-25, 25-15, 25-17) Friday at the Ferrell Center against No. 16 Purdue. Redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Marieke van der Mark continued her elite tournament run with a career-high 16 kills in the win. This was her third match in a row leading the team in kills after never leading a match before in her time at Baylor. Purdue head coach Dave Shondell said after the…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Drake Toll | Broadcast Reporter No. 11 Baylor men’s basketball pulled out a 53-52 home win against previously undefeated Butler Tuesday night. The Bears led by 10 at the half, but poor shooting after the break let the Bulldogs climb back into a one-possession game. After shooting 45% in the first half of play, Baylor shot just 24% after intermission against a stout Butler defense. The Bulldogs shot 48% in the second half as they cut down the Bears’ 16-point lead. The Bulldogs were down one when junior forward Mark Vital blocked…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterThe regular season is over, and all across the map, not a creature was stirring, not even a wildcat. Not a Bear, either. After the loss to Oklahoma, Baylor has been relegated to the Sugar Bowl to face No. 5 Georgia. Everyone speculated for a week about what would have to happen for Baylor to get in the College Football Playoff, or for what kind of chaos would have to ensue to make the weekend fun. Neither happened, as the weekend was just about as predictable as college football could be. No. 1 Ohio State…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer After selection Sunday, No. 7 Baylor football is set to take on No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Years’ Day. The Bears are seeking their first win against the Bulldogs, having lost the previous four. With both the SEC and Big 12 champions heading to the College Football Playoff, the second-place finishers take their automatic bids into the New Year’s Six bowl. It’s Baylor’s first trip to the Sugar Bowl since 1957, a win over Tennessee. The final game of the season is also Baylor’s third BCS/New Year’s Six bowl in…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 1 Baylor volleyball finished off the first weekend of NCAA tournament play undefeated Saturday with a sweep (25-23, 25-17, 25-22) over Southern California. The Bears were outhit in the first set but managed to stay in the game and kept the momentum rolling for a three-set win. Baylor hit above-average in the first frame at .379, but they were outdone handily by the Women of Troy at .469. The Bears saved the set with incredible serving, dishing out five aces. Baylor finished with eight serving aces on the night, led by senior defensive…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 18 Baylor men’s basketball defeated No. 12 Arizona, 63-58 Saturday morning at the Ferrell Center. The game was dominated by fouls and free throws, as the teams combined for 62 shots from the line.The Bears led by as many as 18 in the win, but a stagnant offense and aggressive defense opened the door for the Wildcats to close the lead to one. Arizona also benefitted from a five-point play — a made three and a foul by senior guard Devonte Bandoo under the basket that led to two made free throws with…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 18 Baylor men’s basketball hosts No. 12 Arizona on Saturday during one of the biggest weekends in Baylor sports history. The game will feature a huge matchup between lottery prospect Nico Mannion and the Bears’ plethora of guards. The Wildcat point guard is averaging 15.3 points and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 61.1% eFG. He is consistently ranked among the best in the upcoming draft and will be a true test for Baylor’s backcourt. Between the starting three-headed monster of guards and a pretty good defensive front court in senior Freddie Gillespie and…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterFor the first time in Baylor volleyball history, the Bears find themselves as the No. 1 overall national seed as they prepare to kick off their postseason run against Sacred Heart tonight. The 20-11 Pioneers will be Baylor’s first opponent in Big 12 Coach of the Year Ryan McGuyre’s fourth playoff stretch. Sacred Heart earned its berth in this year’s tournament after winning the Northeast Conference, and will face its toughest match of the year. The visiting team features a 0.221 hitting percentage this season and is led by redshirt-senior Liisel Nelis and senior hitter…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer, Video by Nate Smith | Broadcast Reporter No. 18 Baylor men’s basketball started off a loaded December at the Ferrell Center with a 78-46 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. After over a week off, the Bears got back into the final stretch of non-conference play with their best defensive performance so far. Senior guard Devonte Bandoo said it was necessary to get back in the swing of things before the big matchup against Arizona Saturday. “Just getting the rust off,” Bandoo said. “You know, I’m sure all of us had a big Thanksgiving dinner. You…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterBaylor volleyball’s senior class sat together Sunday night with their team, coaches and the entire volleyball crew to watch the NCAA Selection Show as a family. When the Bears popped up first, the entire house roared — not for the seed, but as a celebration of all the hard work it took to get there. This is the winningest senior class in Baylor volleyball history. It’s not even particularly close. Fifth-year senior Shelly Stafford has played for head coach Ryan McGuyre from the beginning of his tenure. Tara Wulf, Braya Hunt, Nicole Thomas and Hannah…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Editor Last week, Oregon. This week, Alabama. Things are all falling into place for the Bears to make it to the playoff. Who would’ve thought such a thing was even possible two months ago — let alone two years. Playoff Hopes Baylor came into the week at No. 9 in the playoff rankings — its first time in the top-10 since Week 12 four years ago. The Bears then proceeded to trounce Les Miles-led Kansas 61-6 for their second-best offensive performance of the year and their best defensive. That was step one this week. Then,…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterAfter a 25-1 season and a shared Big 12 Championship, No. 1 Baylor volleyball earned the No. 1 overall seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. This is the first time in program history the Bears have earned a top-four seed in the playoffs.The team gathered Sunday for their tradition of watching the selection show together. Players, coaches and anyone else attached to the program convened at head coach Ryan McGuyre’s home to celebrate the season and worship like the family they consider themselves. After the show, McGuyre said the tradition is something he looks forward…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball dropped their first game of the season Saturday to No. 5 South Carolina. The 74-59 loss marks the end of the Lady Bears’ 36-game win streak.Despite a plus-10 margin in turnovers, Baylor was unable to hold the Gamecocks down on defense, giving up a season-high 52.8% from the field. The 74 opposing points scored were also the most the Lady Bears have given up this season.South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston and Tyasha Harris led the game in scoring, supplying 20 points each along with 13 rebounds for Boston and seven…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball earned their 36th win in a row, a streak that goes back to December of last season, in the second game of the Paradise Jam Friday. The 77-62 victory over No. 17 Indiana is their 59th win away from Waco over a ranked opponent since 2010-2011. The Lady Bears trailed for the first seven minutes of play, with the Hoosiers gaining up to a five-point lead early in the matchup. That would be the largest and only lead of the night for Indiana, as Baylor put on the brakes…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports Writer No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball continued their season-opening win streak Thursday as they mowed over Washington State, 89-66 in the opening game of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The Lady Bears’ style overpowered the Cougars, as Baylor racked up 22 assists compared to their opponents’ eight.The Green and Gold started with another big first quarter, holding Washington State to just seven points in the first frame. The 10-0 run to begin the game let fans know all they needed for the next 35 minutes of play. Sophomore forward NaLyssa Smith and graduate-transfer guard…
By Matthew Soderberg | Sports WriterNo. 1 Baylor volleyball lost their 11th set of the season Tuesday against West Virginia but bounced back for a 3-1 (30-32, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17) win. The Bears scratched out the victory despite a .205 hitting percentage, their third-lowest in a victory this season.Baylor began the match with a 5-0 run to pounce on the Mountaineers early but that lead dwindled to 13-11 before another 5-0 run sparked a commanding 18-11 hold in the first set. The team’s play began to dwindle from that point, allowing an 11-2 run for West Virginia before Baylor quelled…
