3.1.2012 Mini-DBR: Weekend Prospectus for Baylor MBB, WBB, Baseball, and Softball

I posted in last night's Daily Bears Report about the significance of this weekend's games for MBB and WBB. Suffice to say that both still have quite a bit to play for with one game each (coincidentally against ISU) left on the slate. WBB wants their first perfect regular season ever; MBB wants the third seed in the Big XII Tournament next week.

Tim posted a preview for the MBB Saturday that you should absolutely read when you get the time and I think Miles may be posting a preview for the baseball team's tournament that starts tomorrow. Don't quote me about that second part.

One other thing I wanted to highlight once again was the excellent article from ESPN.com today by Baylor alum Jason King about Perry Jones III. The fanshot feature on SBNation isn't really built for large-scale substantive commenting by the poster, so I didn't get to say much about it when I first posted it. I'll say now that reading it left me feeling very convicted about how we as fans, and I'm not excepting myself from this in any way, treat players about whom we really know so little. It's one thing for me to say, for example, that PJ3 needs to be more assertive in the paint or that he should demand the ball more often when our team needs a bucket, and it's another to say that he is weak, soft, or doesn't care about the results of games. I've done far too much of the latter with absolutely no justification, and it is wrong. That's not just about PJ3, either.

If you read this, Mr. King, I want to thank you for writing that article and giving all of us the kind of look into PJ3's life we've never had before. He has been through and experienced so much ... it's just incredible to think about for a 20-year-old. If you read this, Perry, I'm sorry that you haven't gotten from me the support you deserved thus far as a fellow Baylor Bear.

UPDATE: I'll let the significance of this speak for itself:

@Tony__Tweets I'm staying. Ricardo def a great pick up...he a special player

— Q Miller (@qmillertime) March 2, 2012

For more information about this weekend's schedule, head below the jump.

WBB: According to BaylorBears.com (which has yet to post a preview of the game):

WACO, Texas - Baylor's Big 12 Conference game, Saturday, March 3, vs. Iowa State, will be televised live on FOX Sports Net at 11 a.m. CT. Below is a complete listing of other affiliates - both in Texas and out-of-Texas - carrying the game.

MBB: Here be the official preview from BB.com.

vs.

9/10 Baylor (25-5, 12-5) at RV/RV Iowa State (21-9, 11-6) March 3, 2012 | 6 p.m. CST Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum (14,356) TV: FOX Sports Southwest / FS Plus

Watch | Listen | Gametracker | Game Notes | Gameday Central

In other WBB news, Coach Mulkey was named today to the US Basketball Writers Association watch list for women's BB coach of the year. Congratulations, Coach!

Also, AP basketball writer Stephen Hawkins (different one, don't worry about it) says Griner is not the only player worth watching for the #1-ranked Lady Bears.

Baseball: Hosts the QTI Baylor Classic starting tomorrow and going through Sunday. I think the official site has a typo on the last game where it lists it as starting at 2:05 PM on Saturday. That should be Sunday. I'll correct it below:

2012 QTI Baylor Classic March 2-4, 2012 | Waco, Texas | Baylor Ballpark (5,000) TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | GAME NOTES
vs. UC Irvine Fri. | 6:05 p.m. BU - LHP Josh Turley UCI - LHP M. Whitehouse		vs. Lamar Sat. | 2:05 p.m. BU - TBA LU - LHP J. Dziedzic		vs. UC Irvine Sat. | 6:05 p.m. BU - TBA UCI - RHP A. Thurman		vs. Lamar Sun. | 3:05 p.m. BU - LHP Brad Kuntz LU - TBA

Softball: The #10 Lady Bears head to the east coast this weekend for the Citrus Classic against Oregon, North Carolina, and UCLA, all of whom are ranked.

This tournament should be a big test for the Lady Bears, who continue to play without star pitcher Whitney Canion. Junior Courtney Repka will have to step up in her absence and anchor the team's staff.