Baylor-La Salle Reaction

Without star guard LaceDarius Dunn, the Baylor Bears were bound to have a few bumps in the road, but they managed to escape against La Salle thanks to Quincy Acy. Acy scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Bears’ 74-64 win.

Some quick thoughts

• Perry Jones was fine with his 12 point, 11 rebound effort, but he was overshadowed by Acy all night. Jones is going to be the star on a lot of nights though, him and Acy are going to give the Big 12 nightmares all year long.
• I’m not sure there is a tougher team to score inside on in the conference. Jones, Acy, and Anthony Jones combined for eight blocked shots, and flashed some impressive help defense as well. That will come in handy quite a bit against the driving guards across the conference.
• Baylor’s depth has to be a little concerning though. The five starters all played more than 30 minutes, and only three players came off the bench. Those three took a combined six shots, scored five points, and committed eight turnovers. Once Dunn is back, that won’t be as much of a problem, but any sort of foul trouble could become problematic if some bench players don’t emerge.

The emergence of Quincy Acy should be the big story from this game though. He controlled the floor on both ends, dominated the boards, and showed a variety of offensive moves. If he can continue to contribute with a mid-range jumper, it will become even easier for him to score in the paint. Acy and Perry Jones will start to look even better once Dunn comes back and starts spreading the floor.

Next for Baylor: Home vs. Jackson State. Thursday, 7pm