photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) swoops under Baylor forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (0) for a bucket during the second half, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Devonte' Graham (4) swoops under Baylor forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (0) for a bucket during the second half, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Returning to Allen Fieldhouse for the 15th time in program history at 5:05 p.m. tonight (TV: ESPN), Baylor is still searching for its first win against Kansas in Lawrence. The current version of the Bears haven’t won a true road game this season.

The Bears (12-6, 2-4 in Big 12) have lost five games to ranked teams: Wichita State, TCU, Xavier, Texas Tech and West Virginia. Four of those losses were on the road.

“I don’t think our guys are in awe of any facility,” Baylor coach Scott Drew told the Waco Tribune. “The big thing is we had two games against them last year where we could have won both but we didn’t. So we just need to execute better down the stretch.”

In the middle of a stretch that includes five of seven games away from home, the Bears are fresh off a 16-point home win against Oklahoma State.

Baylor is ranked 39th by KenPom, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. Known for its zone defense, Kansas coach Bill Self said the Bears have played more man-to-man this season and that the Jayhawks will have to prepare for both styles.

“The biggest thing is you’ve got to be able to control their point guard and give them one or less shots each possession,” Self said, “and they’re really good at not letting you do that.”

Fun fact: Baylor is 9-0 when leading at halftime this season. The Bears haven’t led at half in any Big 12 games.

Series history: Kansas leads 29-4. The Jayhawks, winners of the last 10 meetings, have a 14-0 record against Baylor inside of Allen Fieldhouse. Each of the last four games have been decided by six points or less.

BREAKING DOWN BAYLOR

TOP PLAYER

No. 20 — G Manu Lecomte | 5-11, 175, sr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Baylor guard Manu Lecomte (20) comes away with a ball from Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) who is called for a foul during the first half, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas.

Ranking fifth in the Big 12 in scoring, Lecomte is averaging 16.9 points on 41 percent shooting from the 3-point arc and a 90 percent mark at the free-throw line. He was last year’s Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

The fifth-year senior has only attempted 15 of his 205 shot attempts at the rim, according to hoop-math.com. Lecomte, playing 33 minutes per game, owns a 1.67 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s scored in double figures in 13 of 17 games this year.

Lecomte (pronounced: MAHN-ew la-CONN-t), from Brussels, Belgium, started his collegiate career at Miami, transferring after his sophomore season.

• “I haven’t been shooting well the last few games,” Lecomte told the Waco Tribune after scoring 30 points vs. Oklahoma State. “But one thing is I never give up because I know things are going to change. I still believe in myself. I’m still a good shooter.”

SUPPORTING CAST

No. 00 — F Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. | 7-0, 225, sr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Josh Jackson (11) fights for a rebound with Baylor forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (0) during the second half, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse. At left is Baylor guard Jake Lindsey (3).

A sixth-year senior, Lual-Acuil (pronounced: LOO-ahl ah-CHU-ill) is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (9.5 per game), fifth in blocks (2.1) and 12th in scoring (15.4). He’s blocked 14 shots in five conference games this season.

Born in South Sudan, he moved to Uganda and Melbourne, Australia as a child. Lual-Acuil has a 7-foot-3 wingspan and a 9-4 standing reach. He’s shooting 52 percent from the floor. In two games against KU last year, he totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

No. 25 — F Tristan Clark | 6-9, 240, fr.

Shooting an efficient 61 percent from the floor, the fourth-best mark in the Big 12, Clark is averaging 8.4 points. He’s second on the team in blocked shots (21). His best game was against Iowa State last week, posting 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

Clark, from San Antonio, was Baylor’s first true freshman to start in his debut since Ish Wainright in 2013. He played his junior high school season at Findlay Prep in Nevada.

No. 22 — G King McClure | 6-3, 215, jr.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Josh Jackson (11) comes away with a ball from Baylor guard King McClure (22) during the second half, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, McClure is shooting 38.4 percent from the 3-point arc. According to hoop-math.com, he takes about 21 percent of his shots at the rim. He ranks second on the team with 17 steals.

McClure was told his basketball career was over because of a heart condition in 2015, the same condition that affected Loyola Marymount’s Hank Gathers. About a month later, he was cleared after additional tests at the Mayo Clinic.

ONE THING BAYLOR DOES WELL

Baylor is the top rebounding team in the Big 12, grabbing nearly 40 boards per game this season. The Bears own a plus-7.6 rebounding margin, which is helped by their ability to crash the offensive glass. In Big 12 play, they’ve won the battle on the boards in each game except in a 25-point loss to Texas Tech.

ONE AREA BAYLOR STRUGGLES

Whether it’s a product of their zone defense or lack of extreme length on the perimeter, the Bears don’t force many turnovers. Opposing teams only average 11 turnovers per game. Baylor is the only team in the Big 12 with a negative turnover margin this season.

MEET THE COACH

photo by: Nick Krug

Baylor head coach Scott Drew tries to get the attention of his players during the second half, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Allen Fieldhouse.

In his 15th season with Baylor, Scott Drew has struggled against Kansas (3-21 record) but turned Baylor into a top program within the Big 12. He’s guided the Bears to four Sweet 16 appearances since 2010.

Drew has posted a .608 winning percentage at Baylor, the best in the program among coaches with more than 40 games. He never played high school basketball at the varsity level, but learned as an assistant under his father, Homer Drew, at Valparaiso. His brother, Bryce, is the head coach at Vanderbilt.

VEGAS SAYS…

Kansas by 9. It’s probably a combination of several reasons, but the Jayhawks haven’t played extremely well at Allen Fieldhouse. Baylor gives up a decent amount of 3-point attempts, which should give the Jayhawks a big advantage if they shoot as well as they usually do at home. But the Jayhawks haven’t won a conference game by more than six points and likely will have trouble on the glass against Baylor’s size.

My prediction: Kansas 73, Baylor 66. Bobby’s record vs. the spread: 8-9.