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Baylor wins first menās basketball national title, ends Gonzagaās bid for perfect season with 86-70 victory
Read full article: Baylor wins first menās basketball national title, ends Gonzagaās bid for perfect season with 86-70 victoryBaylor wins first men's basketball national title, ends Gonzaga's bid for perfect season with 86-70 victory.
Close range: Baylor grinds to Elite 8 in 62-51 win ova 'Nova
Read full article: Close range: Baylor grinds to Elite 8 in 62-51 win ova 'NovaDavion Mitchell, a 46% shooter from 3 this season, went 0 for 3 from long range on a 14-point day. Jared Butler scored nine points on 1-for-9 shooting from 3, and MaCio Teague had five points without a 3. The guards did a great job of not settling and probing more.āBecause of that, Baylor shot 53% in the second half, even though it made only one 3. Constantly harassing Villanova shooters who'd carved out space in the first half, Baylor held Villanova to 37.5% shooting in the second and 0 for 9 from 3. Forward Brandon Slater left the game about midway through the second half after landing awkwardly during a fight for a rebound.
Gonzaga, Baylor dominate AP All-America teams
Read full article: Gonzaga, Baylor dominate AP All-America teams(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)Gonzaga and Baylor spent almost the entire season holding down the top two spots in the Top 25. Makes sense they'd hold down a bunch of spots on The Associated Press All-America teams. The Bulldogs' Corey Kispert and the Bears' Jared Butler led the way with first-team nods Tuesday from the national panel of 63 media members that vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll. Just like the first- and second-team All-Americans, their teams also will be playing in the NCAA Tournament this week. ___AP Basketball Writer John Marshall and AP Sports Writers Michael Marot and Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.
Pick Six: Veterans to watch as NCAA Tournament begins
Read full article: Pick Six: Veterans to watch as NCAA Tournament begins(AP Photo/Chase Stevens)INDIANAPOLIS ā There has never been a better time to have senior leadership in the NCAA Tournament than this season. AdVirginia intends to play after withdrawing from the ACC Tournament because of COVID-19 protocols, which means fans will get to say Sam Hauser running the show. Dru Smith is their leading scorer and Jeremiah Tilmon finally reached his potential this season, and both aim to help Missouri snap a four-game NCAA Tournament skid. Herb Jones is an All-American candidate and Jaden Shackelford is Alabama's leading scorer, but John Petty Jr. makes the SEC Tournament champs go. Then there's Tennessee forward John Fulkerson, who sustained facial fractures in an SEC Tournament win over Florida and underwent surgery Sunday.
Baylor headlines South Region bracket with first No. 1 seed
Read full article: Baylor headlines South Region bracket with first No. 1 seedSecond-ranked Baylor (22-2) headlines the South Region and opens against 16th-seeded Hartford, the America East Conference champion. 2 seed in the South after losing in overtime to Illinois in Sundayās Big Ten Tournament final. The Raiders (14-1) won the Patriot League title and entered Selection Sunday averaging 86.3 points, led by Jordan Burns' 17-point average. When his eighth-seeded Tar Heels (18-10) face ninth-seeded Wisconsin, Williams will look to improve to 30-0 in first-round NCAA Tournament games. CONFERENCE WATCHThe Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern Conference combined to take six of the top seven seeds in the South bracket.
No. 12 Oklahoma St beats No. 2 Baylor 83-74 in Big 12 semis
Read full article: No. 12 Oklahoma St beats No. 2 Baylor 83-74 in Big 12 semisā Confidence has never been a problem for Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham. 12 Cowboys trying to rally from a second-half hole against second-ranked Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament, Cunningham calmly responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to give his team the lead. AdāYou have to give Oklahoma State a lot of credit," Drew said. The Bears did get off to a quick start, but Oklahoma State answered and gradually pulled ahead. Oklahoma State split the season series with the Longhorns, losing a 77-74 nail-biter in December before winning a 75-67 double-overtime thriller early last month.
Big 12 champ No. 3 Baylor beats No. 17 Oklahoma State 81-70
Read full article: Big 12 champ No. 3 Baylor beats No. 17 Oklahoma State 81-70Two days after the Bears clinched their first Big 12 title with an overtime win at No. 17 Oklahoma State on Thursday night, ending the Cowboys' five-game winning streak. āYou want to be content with winning the Big 12, but at the same time you donāt want to lose a game,ā Butler said. AdFreshman standout and Big 12 leading scorer Cade Cunningham had 20 of his 24 points after halftime for Oklahoma State (17-7, 10-7), whose winning streak was the longest active in the Big 12. I didnāt see anything unusual other than stepping on a guyās foot,ā Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said.
No. 3 Baylor clinches B12 title in OT, 94-89 over No. 6 WVU
Read full article: No. 3 Baylor clinches B12 title in OT, 94-89 over No. 6 WVU6 West Virginia 94-89 Tuesday to clinch the Bears' first Big 12 regular season championship. Baylor (19-1, 11-1 Big 12) bounced back in a big way from its only loss of the season at No. Mitchellās layup with 59 seconds left in overtime put Baylor ahead to stay. He then took a charge against McBride with 27 seconds left, and Mitchell hit two free throws with 18 seconds left for the final margin. West Virginia: The Mountaineers saw a three-game winning streak snapped but are still looking at a solid NCAA Tournament seeding.
No. 2 Baylor returns with 77-72 win to stay undefeated
Read full article: No. 2 Baylor returns with 77-72 win to stay undefeatedBaylor then had six consecutive games postponed because of COVID-19 issues in the program, and hadn't even had another full practice until Sunday. With 6-foot-8 forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua out of the Baylor lineup, Mark Vital had 15 rebounds and three blocks. āCongrats to Baylor for figuring our a way to win, thatās why theyāre No. But to come away get a win and be able to perform like we did, very very pleased with that. Coming into the game second in the Big 12 averaging 17 points, Butler had three turnovers and took only one shot before halftime.
Baylor back from pause, resumes bid for undefeated season
Read full article: Baylor back from pause, resumes bid for undefeated season(AP Photo/Eric Gay)Baylor is back in its bid for an undefeated season. 2 Bears return from a lengthy COVID-19 pause this week with three games in five days. Baylor returns to the court for the first time in three weeks Tuesday against Iowa State. āIād like to believe that weāre going to pick up where we left off,ā Baylor junior guard Jared Butler said. AdUNDEFEATED ZAGSGonzaga's bid for an undefeated season could close this week, barring any additions to the schedule.
Unbeaten No. 2 Baylor back to play after 3-week COVID break
Read full article: Unbeaten No. 2 Baylor back to play after 3-week COVID break2 Baylor are ready to get back to playing games after a three-week break because of COVID-19 issues in the program. 2 Baylor are ready to get back to playing games after a three-week break because of COVID-19 issues in the program. The Bears (17-0, 9-0 Big 12) are set to resume their season Tuesday night at home against Iowa State. With Baylor only halfway through its 18-game Big 12 schedule, every other team has played at least 11 conference games. The Bears also have not made up their scheduled Big 12 home opener against Texas that wasn't played Dec. 13.
No. 2 Baylor stays unbeaten, tops No. 6 Texas 83-69
Read full article: No. 2 Baylor stays unbeaten, tops No. 6 Texas 83-69Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) celebrates a score against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas ā Texas played Baylor tougher than most teams have this season. 2 Baylor used a big run to pull away for an 83-69 victory over sixth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night. Texas (11-4, 5-3) was within six points late before Baylor pulled away behind open 3-pointers from Adam Flagler and Mitchell. Instead of rallying the Longhorns, Jared Butler made his free throws and another quick basket put Baylor up by 10.
No. 2 Baylor still undefeated after 84-72 win over Auburn
Read full article: No. 2 Baylor still undefeated after 84-72 win over Auburn(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)WACO, Texas ā This Baylor win was for Davion Mitchell, and the junior guard did his part against his former team. Mitchell swished a 3-pointer after losing a shoe and finished with 13 points and seven assists, helping the Bears stay undefeated with an 84-72 win over Auburn in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday. āAnd thatās OK, because Butler, and Teague and Davion Mitchell and Flagler are all really good,ā Pearl said. "That conversation down the court, that was pretty cool.āAHEAD TO STAYButler made two free throws with 4:50 left in the first half for a 23-22 Baylor lead. Baylor: Baylor is 7-1 in Big 12/SEC Challenge games, the best record by any team in either league in the annual showdown.
Butlerās 22 lead No. 2 Baylor past Oklahoma State 81-66
Read full article: Butlerās 22 lead No. 2 Baylor past Oklahoma State 81-66(AP Photo/Justin Rex)STILLWATER, Okla. ā Baylorās depth and experience eventually overwhelmed an Oklahoma State team that was missing star freshman Cade Cunningham due to COVID-19 protocols. Jared Butler scored 22 points, and the second-ranked Bears rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Oklahoma State 81-66 on Saturday. Key reserve Rondel Walker also sat out with an arm injury, leaving Oklahoma State with eight players available. STAT LINESOklahoma State outrebounded Baylor 23-12 in the first half, but Baylor won the matchup 22-14 in the second half. Oklahoma State visits Iowa State on Monday.
Butler scores 30, unbeaten No. 2 Baylor tops No. 9 Kansas
Read full article: Butler scores 30, unbeaten No. 2 Baylor tops No. 9 KansasBaylor guard Jared Butler (12) shoots a three-point basket past Kansas guard Marcus Garrett (0) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in Waco, Texas. Butler had a season-high 30 points and eight assists as the Bears remained undefeated with a 77-69 victory Monday night over No. 9 Kansas, which has lost consecutive Big 12 games for the first time in nearly eight years. āTo win the Big 12, weāre going to need all 15 guys, we need everybody, we need the staff. āThey were real focused, like weāve been for every game,ā Baylor coach Scott Drew said.
No. 2 Baylor up to 12-0 after 68-60 win at No. 15 Texas Tech
Read full article: No. 2 Baylor up to 12-0 after 68-60 win at No. 15 Texas TechBaylor head coach Scott Drew watches from the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. 15 Texas Tech 68-60 on Saturday in their closest game this season. Mac McClung had 24 points for Texas Tech, while Kevin McCullar had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Texas Tech led 45-44 after Marcus Santos-Silva made a free throw with 7:14 left. Texas Tech missed a chance for its highest ranking this season (that was 13th last month).
Garza, Butler headline AP preseason All-America team
Read full article: Garza, Butler headline AP preseason All-America teamSeniors Luke Garza of Iowa and Baylor's Jared Butler headline The Associated Press 2020-21 preseason All-America team. 5 in the AP preseason Top 25, in large part due to Garzaās decision to return. 2 in the AP preseason poll, highest in school history. Gonzaga was the AP preseason No. He is Arizona Stateās second preseason AP All-American, with Ike Diogu in 2003-04.
No. 1 Zags: Gonzaga begins season atop Top 25 for first time
Read full article: No. 1 Zags: Gonzaga begins season atop Top 25 for first timeFILE - Gonzaga players celebrate after defeating Saint Mary's in an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the West Coast Conference men's tournament in Las Vegas, in this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, file photo. Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season No. 1 for the first time after coach Mark Few's bunch earned 28 first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll released Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
No. 1 Zags: Gonzaga begins season atop Top 25 for first time
Read full article: No. 1 Zags: Gonzaga begins season atop Top 25 for first timeIowa was picked fifth behind national player of the year front-runner Luka Garza, its highest preseason ranking in school history. The Bears, who also have their highest preseason ranking, spent five weeks at No. THE REST OF THE POLLCreighton lost Ty-Shon Alexander to the NBA and Davion Mintz to Kentucky but still landed the highest preseason ranking in school history at No. 17, its highest preseason ranking since the final Phi Slama Jama team of Hakeem Olajuwon began the 1983-84 season at No. 6 in the final poll last season but losing Mountain West player of the year Malachi Flynn and two other elite producers.