Unbeaten Baylor gets no Credit

WACO, Texas (AP) _ The Baylor Bears know people don't think much of their unblemished record. <br><br>They have heard the cracks about the Bears (11-0) being the nation's worst undefeated team

Friday, January 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WACO, Texas (AP) _ The Baylor Bears know people don't think much of their unblemished record.

They have heard the cracks about the Bears (11-0) being the nation's worst undefeated team and that their schedule would be worse only if they were playing high school teams.

``We don't care who we play, we just go out and play,'' said guard DeMarcus Minor, who is averaging 13.5 points a game. ``We use those comments to get us motivated and fired up.''

Minor said the players don't make the schedule.

Second-year coach Dave Bliss is responsible for that, and admits the schedule was made with a purpose. While some of the games were set before he became coach, Bliss wanted to ensure a good opportunity for early success.

``We inherited a program with a lot of scars and nightmares,'' Bliss said. ``We had to redevelop confidence and our aspect of trying to develop good habits along that line. While not exactly what we'll do in years hence, it fits.''

Playing against the likes of Texas Southern, Liberty, St. Edwards and Montana, unranked Baylor has its best record since the 1911-12 team went through its 13-game schedule without a loss. The Bears have won by an average margin of more than 23 points a game, with only two games decided by less than 10 points.

Baylor is one of only seven NCAA I-A teams still undefeated. The others are No. 1 Michigan State, No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 8 Virginia, No. 19 Georgetown and unranked Boston College.

There are no more easy games left on this season's schedule.

The Bears open Big 12 play Saturday against Colorado. They play four of their next five games on the road, including at No. 23 Iowa State and No. 24 Texas, after having been away from the Ferrell Center only twice so far.

``We have room to improve, but the team has been playing well,'' forward Terry Black said. ``We are prepared for what is going to happen in the conference. Our team chemistry is getting better every day.''

Minor and Black, the team's leading scorer (16.5 ppg) and rebounder (9.8 ppg), are the only seniors on the team. Both are junior college transfers who, like all but one of their teammates, weren't around when the Bears went 6-24 in 1998-99 and lost all 16 of their Big 12 games.

``Most of us weren't here when they were losing,'' Minor said. ``There is new energy, new life and new blood in the system.''

Many of the players didn't even play last season, when after being 9-2 at this point, the Bears went 4-12 in the Big 12.

Logan Kosmalski, a freshman forward, is a starter (7.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), and freshman guard Matt Sayman (6.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg) is a top reserve. Greg Davis, a junior starting forward (8.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), sat out 1999-2000 after transferring from New Mexico.

Chad Elsey, a junior guard who provides an outside threat, has played only seven games. The transfer from SMU is averaging 14.4 points with 23 3-pointers since joining the Bears last month.

Bliss, who has made NCAA tournament appearances at the three other schools he has coached the past 24 years (Oklahoma, SMU and New Mexico), knows he is still in the early stages at Baylor.

``What we have are parts in place,'' Bliss said.

Those parts still need refining.