Sign up now! Do you use Google Reader? Subscribe to the Double-A Zone and make sure to receive all of our new content as soon as it drops.

Wake up Waco. Anyone tracking on what’s happening in Waco? The Baylor men’s basketball team has made a triumphant return to the top 25, just a few years after the program went below rock bottom. Last night, the Bears beat No. 18 Texas A&M in College Station in five overtimes, 116-110. Curtis Jerrells scored a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth OT. Donald Sloan and Josh Carter logged 57 minutes apiece for the Aggies. Fifth-year Baylor head coach Scott Drew, son of Homer and brother of Bryce, has led the Bears back to the land of rankings for the first time since 1969. Drew won 21 games in his first three seasons, but things are clicking now for the former Valparaiso head coach, as Baylor is off to a 16-2 start. On the women’s side, Baylor’s Kim Mulkey picked up her 200th win in last night’s win over Missouri. It was a good night to be a Baylor fan.

Shoeless Ron. When IUPUI hosts Oakland tonight, men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter will be pacing the sidelines without any shoes. No word on whether the operations folks will do an extra cleaning of the arena floor prior to tip-off, but it’s doubtful Hunter will care – he’s doing it to raise awareness for children in need. Hunter, who is working with Samaritan’s Feet, is hoping to send 40,000 pairs of shoes to Africa to honor the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. Word in downtown Indianapolis is that many students will also go sans shoes to the game.

Santa must like soccer. The Major League Soccer draft was held on Friday, and although it doesn’t receive much fanfare, it’s obviously a big day for those blue-chip student-athletes moving on to the professional ranks. Four players were selected from both Santa Clara and Santa Barbara. Chance Meyers, a back from UCLA, was selected first overall by Kansas City.

Jammin’ January. The Mercy College basketball teams hosted a free youth clinic for area children on Saturday as part of its “Jammin’ January” festivities. Nearly 50 boys and girls showed up prior to a doubleheader against C.W. Post.