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Midnight Madness 2011: Baylor Kicks Off Promising Season

Two future NBA lottery picks look to bring Bears back to the NCAA Tournament.

In a sign of how quickly the Baylor men's basketball program has risen under Scott Drew, the Bears will participate in ESPNU's Midnight Madness special this season, a nationally televised event that features 11 teams from around the country

Beginning 7 p.m. Friday at the Ferrell Center, the half pep-rally half practice will showcase a promising young Baylor team to a national audience. The event, which traditionally had been a low-key way to drum up fan enthusiasm on campus, has become a spectacle that introduces top recruits to your program.

There are no better recruiters in the sport than Drew, and the success of his approach will be on full display Friday. The Bears are led by sophomore forward Perry Jones III, a 6'11 235 forward projected to be a top 3 pick in this year's draft who was named the preseason Big 12 player of the year last week.

Joining him this year is another highly touted freshman class, highlighted by high school teammates Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello. Miller, a 6'9 210 forward projected as a lottery pick, is an incredibly skilled small forward while Bello, a 6'4 180 wing, is known for his jaw-dropping athleticism. 

ESPNU analyst Fran Frischilla will be on hand to provide commentary.

Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.