Gathers smashing Baylor rebound records

Just how remarkable are the rebounding numbers being put up by Baylor big man Rico Gathers?

Consider these numbers:

• Last season, the 6-foot-8, 275-pound forward set the Baylor single-season and single-game records for rebounds — breaking marks that had stood since 1974 and 1955, respectively.
• In December — just seven games into his senior season — Gathers broke the Baylor career record for rebounds held for almost two decades by 13-year NBA veteran Brian Skinner. (Before Skinner, the record had stood since 1957.)
• And now in January, he has become just the eighth player in Big 12 history (and the first Bear) to reach 1,000 career rebounds.

Gathers currently leads the Big 12 and ranks eighth nationally in rebounds per game. If he continues at his current pace, Gathers would finish second in Big 12 history in career rebounds — adding yet another impressive line on his resume. And if the Bears are able to make a deep postseason run, he would have an outside shot at both breaking the league record and cracking the top 25 in modern NCAA history.

Enjoy this while you can, folks; Gathers has just nine home games remaining in a Baylor uniform before he graduates and heads to the pros. NBAdraft.net currently projects him going in the second round to the Utah Jazz, where a Baylor graduate and the father of one of Gathers’ teammates — Dennis Lindsey, BSED ’92 — is general manager.

Sic ’em, Rico!