In what should be a lopsided matchup, the No. 3 Baylor Bears will take on the No. 14 New Mexico State Aggies in East Region action.
In a first round matchup, the Baylor Bears will take on the New Mexico State Aggies in Round of 64 action on Friday. The Bears come into the game with one of the better rosters in college football, boasting National Player of the Year candidate, Johnathan Motley. Point guard Manu Lecomte is a tremendous player when healthy, and hopefully he is 100 percent after injuring his ankle in January.
The Aggies actually come into Friday’s matchup with a better record than the Bears, though they did it against worse competition. The Aggies biggest win of the season came against Arizona State, making the matchup against the Bears their toughest opponent to date. This is a classic 3 vs. 14 matchup, and the Bears should be able to take care of business against a less-talented Aggies team.
Motley was a First Team All-Big 12 player, after averaging over 17.0 points per game, and nearly ten rebounds. Under head coach Scott Drew, the Bears have made two Elite Eight appearances since 2010, but have suffered early exits the past two years. The Bears have failed to make it out of the first round the past two tournaments, and they should come into this matchup very hungry to right the ship.
The Aggies best attribute is their perimeter defense where they rank in the top-20 in the country. Opponents shoot less that 30 percent from the line against the Aggies, and they are no stranger to the Big Dance. New Mexico State is making their sixth appearance in the last eight years, but they have not won a tournament game since 1993. Expect that trend to continue on Friday.
Here is how to watch all of the action online.
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 12:40 p.m. ET
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Venue: BOK Center
TV Info: TruTV
Live Stream: March Madness Live, Fubo TV
Next: UPDATED NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
This game has the looks of a blowout, as New Mexico State has not played a team of Baylor’s caliber all season. While the Aggies are no strangers to the Big Dance, this Baylor team could be headed to the Final Four. Expect a huge game out of Motley, with the Bears getting out the first round for the first time in three years.