WACO, Texas -- Baylor coach Scott Drew certainly gets why the Bears were overlooked going into this season.On paper with us losing our senior point guard, a lottery pick, the schools all-time leading rebounder, with us having only one senior this year, you understand why people werent voting for us in the Top 25, Drew said.The Bears (8-0) are getting plenty of votes now after an impressive start with three wins over top 10 teams, propelling them from not a single vote less than a month ago to their highest AP ranking in six seasons.The fact that weve been able to win these games against quality teams has given us the recognition and attention that the players have earned, Drew said.Initially, it was easy to discount the Bears 66-49 win over then-No. 4 Oregon the first week of the season since the Ducks were playing without injured preseason All-America forward Dillon Brooks. But the next week, after getting into the poll at 20th, the Bears won the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Bahamas with come-from-behind wins over No. 24 Michigan State and No. 10 Louisville. After Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitinos Cardinals jumped out to a 25-5 lead in the title game, and still led by 18 at the half, Baylor rallied to win 66-63.And then last weekend as the No. 9 team, former Miami transfer guard Manu Lecomte scored 24 points and the Bears rallied in the second half to beat then-No. 7 Xavier 76-61 at home. It was the first time Baylor has ever won a matchup of top-10 teams.Rankings dont matter, said junior forward Johnathan Motley, their leading scorer and rebounder (16.3 points, 8.1 rebounds per game). Were just going to step between those lines and handle business.The Bears, with three wins over top 10 teams in the same season for the first time ever, are in an extended break during final exams before playing at home Wednesday against Southern. They will be overwhelming favorites for all four games remaining before their Big 12 opener Dec. 30 at Oklahoma. That includes a game at Fort Hood, the second year in a row playing for soldiers at one of the nations largest Army posts only about an hour from their campus.After their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last season, the Bears lost three seniors -- Taurean Prince, the 12th overall pick in the NBA draft; Rico Gathers, the career rebounding leader now trying to become an NFL tight end on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad; and two-year starting guard Lester Medford.Lecomte, who was born in Belgium, practiced with the Bears and ran with the scout team last season. He is now averaging 13.9 points a game, with 42 assists and only 17 turnovers.Normally during a sit-out year, a transfer year, players tend to look really good. Thats because they have no pressure, they get to run scout team, they get to get all the shots, coaches arent yelling at them, Drew said. So we always temper expectations and thoughts on those players until they show it in games, and Manus definitely proving what we saw in practice was reality.Jo Lual-Acuil, a 7-footer who also sat out last season after transferring from a junior college, is averaging 9.4 points and 7.8 rebounds for Baylor. Nuni Omot, a 6-9 junior college transfer, could make his Baylor debut during the Christmas break after being academically ineligible during the fall semester.Lecomte insisted that he didnt hear the We want Kansas! chants from the home fans during the closing minutes of the victory over Xavier. Baylor doesnt play the third-ranked Jayhawks until February.We know what you did doesnt define what youre going to do, Drew said. We know its a race to improve each and every day, and be at the best at the end of the season. Hopefully were staying humble and were staying hungry.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Puma Pas Cher Femme ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Basket Puma Pas Cher . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. http://www.pascherpuma.fr/ . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Puma Moins Cher .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. Puma Pas Cher Chine . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. NEW YORK -- Muqtaser was the decisive winner in the slop in the $80,000 allowance feature Friday at Belmont Park.The 4-year-old trained by Kiaran McLaughlin rallied five-wide turning for home and drew off to a 7 3/4-length victory in the race originally scheduled for the turf before the wet conditions forced a shift to the main track.It was Muqtasers first win in three U.S. starts. The gelding won 22 of 6 races in England to start his career.ddddddddddddKendrick Carmouche was aboard for the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.49.Muqtaser paid $7.50, $3.80 and $3.40 as the 5/2 favorite.Transparent was the distant runner up, returning $3.60 and $2.60. Skill Not Luck paid $8 to show. ' ' '