WACO, Texas — A year ago, it was a Saturday matinee which brought ESPN's College GameDay to town. But this time around, on ESPN's Big Monday, it was just as impactful.
Tuesday, No. 2 Baylor beat No. 9 Kansas 77-69 inside the Ferrell Center in Waco to earn the program's second home win over the Jayhawks in four years, leading the game start-to-finish.
Jared Butler scored 17 points in the first half on 6-of-8 shooting including making four of his five 3-point attempts. He finished with a game-high 30 two days after scoring just seven points on 2-of-11 shooting at Texas Tech.
Up 41-28 at halftime, Baylor saw its lead diminish to as little as seven before Scott Drew called a timeout and the Bears were able to adjust.
Then, with 3:46 left, it happened again as the Jayhawks used a 7-0 run to force Drew in to another huddle.
Mark Vital pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the win, including 6 in the first 20 minutes.
Next, Baylor (13-0 overall, 6-0 Big 12) visits the probable No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham, and Oklahoma State. That tip is set for 1 p.m. Saturday in Stillwater.
The Jayhawks (10-4, 4-3) visit Oklahoma at Noon on Saturday.