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WACO, Texas – A ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ native who graduated from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Waco resident Jason Phillips chose a discreet way to show off his excitement over the Wildcats’ move to the Big 12 and subsequent appearances in his adopted hometown.

On Monday, below his neutral-colored outfit were a pair of white basketball shoes featuring an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ block A logo on the heel.

And in a vocal sense, Phillips' enthusiasm was even more obvious.

“I’m excited – going to see them in football, basketball, softball and I’ve already been to volleyball,� said Phillips, the chief development officer for Hoops for Hope organization, which organizes basketball clinics to underserved youth around the world. “My whole family makes fun of me.�

That’s because his family has other college ties: Not only do they live in Baylor’s hometown, but Phillips’ wife attended TCU and his son attends Texas A&M.

But Phillips says he’s excited for the Wildcats, too, noting the enthusiastic crowds they are facing all over their new conference, including a mostly full arena Monday despite a 9 p.m. local tipoff.

“This Big 12 is awesome,� Phillips said. “I remember Lute Olson used to say he didn’t care what they were saying as long as they were loud. You get that everywhere here.�

Noise funnel

Since the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ last appeared at Baylor during the 2019-20 season, the Bears moved from the more spread-out 10,000-seat Ferrell Center to the 7,500-seat Foster Pavilion in the middle of last season.

It wasn’t an upgrade in size but it was in noise.

Foster Pavilion features student sections surrounding three-quarters of the court, while general spectators sit in rows that ascend steeply, better ensuring voices project down on the court. It is somewhat a smaller and even more vertically designed venue than Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena, which was attempting to replicate the noise the Ducks enjoyed at the venerable McArthur Court.

Coincidentally, namesake benefactor Paul L Foster is a longtime friend and Western Refining associate of Jeff Stevens, a major UA donor whose name is part of the school’s Lowell-Stevens Football Facility.

Big bosses show

Monday’s game attracted the attention of both NCAA Senior VP of men's basketball Dan Gavitt and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.

For Gavitt, the timing of attending a night game in Waco was perfect: He said he attended a Big 12 meeting earlier Monday in Dallas and was on his way to San Antonio for a planning meeting on Tuesday.

In his role, Gavitt oversees the day-to-day operations of the NCAA Tournament, NIT and Division II and Division III championships, as well as working with tournament media partners CBS and Turner.

Durign the regular season, Gavitt said he tries to attend games when his schedule allows.

“I value it because it is always good to stay in touch with what’s going on campuses and how they’re running their games,� Gavitt said. “I like to see as many teams live as possible so I can be a resource for the (tournament) committee. I don’t have a vote but they do rely on my counsel sometimes.�

Red-blooded

After making the 90-minute drive from his new home outside Dallas, former UA athletic communications chief Matt Ensor made his first visit to an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ basketball game as the Big 12’s senior director of communications.

While his job mostly entails Big 12 football these days, Ensor said he has also shown up to help at numerous basketball games in whatever way he cah.

“It’s just to be here on behalf of the conference,� Ensor said. “I’ll meet with TV folsk, both comms staffs. Sometimes you meet the coaches, sometimes you don’t."

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Baylor student fans didn’t start lining up for Monday’s game until about three hours before tipoff and, even 90 minutes before the game, there were still only a few dozen.

But it wasn’t necessarily because of the 9 p.m. start or any disrespect to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. It turns out many Baylor students were busy preparing for the school’s All University Sing tradition, according to Baylor students Luke Schwen and Connor Galloway, who were among the first in line despite showing up only a little over two hours before tipoff.

All University Sing is a Baylor tradition since 1953 in which student organization perform 7-minute Broadway-style productions. It is scheduled to begin on Thursday and go through March 1.

“If this game was on Saturday, the line would be a lot longer,� Schwen said.

Still the students mostly wound up filling their three sections, one along the sidelines behind the team benches, and the other two behind the baskets. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s was a draw, at least to Schwen, with the Wildcats having joined the Big 12 this season.

“I like it because I’m a really big basketball fan,â€� Schwen said. “We were sad we lost Texas and Oklahoma (to the SEC) but ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is really good in basketball.â€�

Pregame prayer

As BYU did before hosting the Wildcats on Feb. 4, Baylor held a pregame prayer with both teams on opposite baselines.

Among other things, the prayer asked for players to compete to the best of their abilities without injuries.

The big number 

6 -- Double-doubles this season for UA center Tobe Awaka, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds Monday.

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"Things haven't come easy for this team but I think that could also be a little bit of life in the Big 12, and we're learning on the fly." -- UA coach Tommy Lloyd.