MBB Earns NCAA Tournament No. 1 Seed for Second-Straight Year
3/13/2022 7:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BU will open their tournament run in Fort Worth
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Defending national champion Baylor (26-6) was awarded the No. 1 seed for the East Region when the NCAA Tournament selections were announced Sunday and will begin its path with a short ride up I-35 to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
The Bears, earning a top seed for the second-straight year, will open the tournament against 16th-seeded Norfolk State (24-6) at 1 p.m. Thursday. Eighth-seeded North Carolina (24-9) plays ninth-seeded Marquette (19-12) and first-year head coach Shaka Smart at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, with the two winners meeting on Saturday with a berth in the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia on the line.
"I'm really excited about Fort Worth," said Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 72-67 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals last Thursday in Kansas City.
"The guys worked really hard to make that happen, getting a No. 1 seed two years in a row. And with the COVID year (2020), we were set to be a No. 1 seed. That would have been three times in a row, and that's really rare air. There only three teams that have done that since 2010. Great accomplishment for what the guys have worked hard to achieve. The perks of that are playing in Fort Worth, so really excited about that."
Despite battling injuries all year, including season-ending knee injuries to freshman guard Langston Love and junior forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, the Bears won a share of their second-straight Big 12 regular-season title.
Baylor has posted a 9-4 record against the 2022 NCAA Tournament field, with wins over Kansas, Villanova, Texas, Michigan State, TCU and Iowa State.
"We couldn't control our own destiny, and you always like to do that rather than having to rely on other teams," Drew said of earning the top seed. "At the same time, I think you take a step back and say, to be a No. 1 seed this would be three years in a row, that's pretty impressive.
"That means guys have done a great job putting the program first. And now, it's the best time of the year, and it's time to put your best foot forward."
The Bears are led by Arizona transfer James Akinjo, a senior point guard and first-team All-Big 12 pick who is averaging 13.4 points and a Big 12-best 5.7 assists. Sophomore guard LJ Cryer is averaging a team-high 13.5 points, but has missed 11 of the last 12 games with a foot injury.
"Even with a lot of injuries, we're still one of the best teams in the country," said Akinjo, who's playing in his first NCAA Tournament after spending the previous three years at Georgetown and Arizona. "To have this No. 1 seed is a testament to how hard our guys have worked, and how well our coaches have kind of executed game plans throughout the year."
Drew said the early exit from the Big 12 Tournament could be a blessing for the Bears, who have also had Akinjo, Adam Flagler (13.4 ppg) and freshman Jeremy Sochan (8.8 ppg, 6.2 rebounds) miss games with injuries.
"Anytime you lose, it's a chance to hit the reset button," Drew said. "It refocuses everyone. Nobody likes the feeling of losing. From that, the players are going to practice harder, the coaches are going to be more dialed-in. I think we'll be ready to put our best foot forward come tournament time."
Norfolk State has won nine of its last 10 games, earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 72-57 win over Coppin State in Saturday's MEAC Tournament final after winning the league's regular-season title with a 12-2 record. Guard Joe Bryant Jr. leads the Spartans with a 16.8-point scoring average.
Ten years ago, the Spartans pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history when they were the No. 15 seed and knocked off second-seeded Missouri, 86-84, in the first round. Baylor is 2-0 all-time against Norfolk, winning 86-58 on Nov. 13, 2009 in Waco and 92-51 five years later.
"Norfolk State is a team that's had tournament success before," Drew said. "In 2019 in the NIT, they beat Alabama. So, this is a team that's had postseason success. They've had a history of winning and doing well, especially the last nine years."
The East Region is considered the hardest of the four regions, with a field that includes second-seeded Kentucky (26-7), No. 3 Purdue (27-7), No. 4 UCLA (25-7) and fifth-seeded Saint Mary's (25-7).
"No matter what regional you look at, no matter what game you look at, that's a tough game," Drew said. "There's a reason, there's a lot of parity in college basketball. They call it March Madness for a reason. Sometimes, you look at the numbers, and 1-16, 2-15, 3-14, they look like a big difference, when us coaches know there's really not that big of a difference. So, survive and advance. You better be ready to go, or otherwise you're going home."
WACO, Texas - Baylor men's basketball has been awarded an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed for the second time in program history. The Bears were the top seed in the East Region in the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket announced Sunday on CBS.
Baylor (26-6, 14-4 Big 12) will open the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Thursday against No. 16 seed Norfolk State (24-6, 12-2 MEAC) at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth at a to-be-determined time. The winner of that game will then play a second-round matchup on Saturday against the winner of Thursday's first-round game between No. 8 North Carolina and No. 9 Marquette.
Tip-off times and TV networks and are to be determined. The East Regional semifinal and final will be held in Philadelphia, with the Final Four to be held in New Orleans, La.
BAYLOR NCAA NOTES:
• Baylor has earned No. 1 seeds in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. The Bears were also projected to be a No. 1 seed before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled – BU would've become the 11th team all-time to earn three-straight No. 1 seeds in that scenario.
• Baylor is 20-14 in 13 previous NCAA Championships trips, including a 17-8 record in the Scott Drew era.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the last eight tournaments.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA postseason for a school-record 10th-consecutive time (8 NCAA, 2 NIT).
• Baylor is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the modern tournament era. BU's first three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1946, 1948 and 1950 were in an eight-team bracket.
• Baylor is 40-22 in postseason tournaments (conference, national) over the last 14 seasons.
• Baylor has played in three Final Fours (1948, 1950, 2021). The first two Final Four appearances were when it was an eight-team bracket.
• Baylor has played in two National Championship games (1948 lost to Kentucky, 2021 defeated Gonzaga).
• BU is 9-4 against the 2022 NCAA Tournament field – No. 1 seed Kansas (1-1), No. 2 seed Villanova (1-0), No. 3 seed Texas Tech (0-2), No. 6 seed Texas (2-0), No. 6 seed Alabama (0-1), No. 7 seed Michigan State (1-0), No. 9 seed TCU (2-0) and No. 11 seed Iowa State (2-0).
• Baylor and Norfolk State will be meeting for the 3rd time, and Baylor is 2-0 in the series. The Bears won 86-58 in Waco on Nov. 13, 2009 and 92-51 in Waco on Dec. 30, 2014.
• If the Bears advance to the second round, they will either play North Carolina for the first time or Marquette for the third time.
• Baylor is 1-1 all-time vs. Marquette – a 74-64 loss in Milwaukee on Dec. 19, 1998 and a 72-68 overtime win in Waco on Dec. 11, 1999.
BAYLOR MBB 2021-22 SEASON HONORS
James Akinjo
All-America Third Team (Sporting News)
All-Big 12 First Team
AP All-Big 12 First Team
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Bob Cousy Award Finalist
Midseason All-America First Team (Sporting News)
Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Player of the Week (March 7)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 14)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 10)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
Kendall Brown
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Julius Erving Award Top 10 Watch List
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (March 7)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Scott Drew
Big 12 Coach of the Year (third-straight)
Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List
Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist
Adam Flagler
All-Big 12 Second Team
AP All-Big 12 Second Team
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 10)
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Jerry West Award Top 10 Watch List
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Lute Olson Award Watch List
Matthew Mayer
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Mitchell Paul
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Big 12 Defensive Player of The Year
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Baylor Bear Insider
Defending national champion Baylor (26-6) was awarded the No. 1 seed for the East Region when the NCAA Tournament selections were announced Sunday and will begin its path with a short ride up I-35 to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
The Bears, earning a top seed for the second-straight year, will open the tournament against 16th-seeded Norfolk State (24-6) at 1 p.m. Thursday. Eighth-seeded North Carolina (24-9) plays ninth-seeded Marquette (19-12) and first-year head coach Shaka Smart at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, with the two winners meeting on Saturday with a berth in the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia on the line.
"I'm really excited about Fort Worth," said Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 72-67 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals last Thursday in Kansas City.
"The guys worked really hard to make that happen, getting a No. 1 seed two years in a row. And with the COVID year (2020), we were set to be a No. 1 seed. That would have been three times in a row, and that's really rare air. There only three teams that have done that since 2010. Great accomplishment for what the guys have worked hard to achieve. The perks of that are playing in Fort Worth, so really excited about that."
Despite battling injuries all year, including season-ending knee injuries to freshman guard Langston Love and junior forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, the Bears won a share of their second-straight Big 12 regular-season title.
Baylor has posted a 9-4 record against the 2022 NCAA Tournament field, with wins over Kansas, Villanova, Texas, Michigan State, TCU and Iowa State.
"We couldn't control our own destiny, and you always like to do that rather than having to rely on other teams," Drew said of earning the top seed. "At the same time, I think you take a step back and say, to be a No. 1 seed this would be three years in a row, that's pretty impressive.
"That means guys have done a great job putting the program first. And now, it's the best time of the year, and it's time to put your best foot forward."
The Bears are led by Arizona transfer James Akinjo, a senior point guard and first-team All-Big 12 pick who is averaging 13.4 points and a Big 12-best 5.7 assists. Sophomore guard LJ Cryer is averaging a team-high 13.5 points, but has missed 11 of the last 12 games with a foot injury.
"Even with a lot of injuries, we're still one of the best teams in the country," said Akinjo, who's playing in his first NCAA Tournament after spending the previous three years at Georgetown and Arizona. "To have this No. 1 seed is a testament to how hard our guys have worked, and how well our coaches have kind of executed game plans throughout the year."
Drew said the early exit from the Big 12 Tournament could be a blessing for the Bears, who have also had Akinjo, Adam Flagler (13.4 ppg) and freshman Jeremy Sochan (8.8 ppg, 6.2 rebounds) miss games with injuries.
"Anytime you lose, it's a chance to hit the reset button," Drew said. "It refocuses everyone. Nobody likes the feeling of losing. From that, the players are going to practice harder, the coaches are going to be more dialed-in. I think we'll be ready to put our best foot forward come tournament time."
Norfolk State has won nine of its last 10 games, earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 72-57 win over Coppin State in Saturday's MEAC Tournament final after winning the league's regular-season title with a 12-2 record. Guard Joe Bryant Jr. leads the Spartans with a 16.8-point scoring average.
Ten years ago, the Spartans pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history when they were the No. 15 seed and knocked off second-seeded Missouri, 86-84, in the first round. Baylor is 2-0 all-time against Norfolk, winning 86-58 on Nov. 13, 2009 in Waco and 92-51 five years later.
"Norfolk State is a team that's had tournament success before," Drew said. "In 2019 in the NIT, they beat Alabama. So, this is a team that's had postseason success. They've had a history of winning and doing well, especially the last nine years."
The East Region is considered the hardest of the four regions, with a field that includes second-seeded Kentucky (26-7), No. 3 Purdue (27-7), No. 4 UCLA (25-7) and fifth-seeded Saint Mary's (25-7).
"No matter what regional you look at, no matter what game you look at, that's a tough game," Drew said. "There's a reason, there's a lot of parity in college basketball. They call it March Madness for a reason. Sometimes, you look at the numbers, and 1-16, 2-15, 3-14, they look like a big difference, when us coaches know there's really not that big of a difference. So, survive and advance. You better be ready to go, or otherwise you're going home."
WACO, Texas - Baylor men's basketball has been awarded an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed for the second time in program history. The Bears were the top seed in the East Region in the 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket announced Sunday on CBS.
Baylor (26-6, 14-4 Big 12) will open the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Thursday against No. 16 seed Norfolk State (24-6, 12-2 MEAC) at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth at a to-be-determined time. The winner of that game will then play a second-round matchup on Saturday against the winner of Thursday's first-round game between No. 8 North Carolina and No. 9 Marquette.
Tip-off times and TV networks and are to be determined. The East Regional semifinal and final will be held in Philadelphia, with the Final Four to be held in New Orleans, La.
BAYLOR NCAA NOTES:
• Baylor has earned No. 1 seeds in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. The Bears were also projected to be a No. 1 seed before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled – BU would've become the 11th team all-time to earn three-straight No. 1 seeds in that scenario.
• Baylor is 20-14 in 13 previous NCAA Championships trips, including a 17-8 record in the Scott Drew era.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the last eight tournaments.
• Baylor is appearing in the NCAA postseason for a school-record 10th-consecutive time (8 NCAA, 2 NIT).
• Baylor is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in the modern tournament era. BU's first three NCAA Tournament appearances in 1946, 1948 and 1950 were in an eight-team bracket.
• Baylor is 40-22 in postseason tournaments (conference, national) over the last 14 seasons.
• Baylor has played in three Final Fours (1948, 1950, 2021). The first two Final Four appearances were when it was an eight-team bracket.
• Baylor has played in two National Championship games (1948 lost to Kentucky, 2021 defeated Gonzaga).
• BU is 9-4 against the 2022 NCAA Tournament field – No. 1 seed Kansas (1-1), No. 2 seed Villanova (1-0), No. 3 seed Texas Tech (0-2), No. 6 seed Texas (2-0), No. 6 seed Alabama (0-1), No. 7 seed Michigan State (1-0), No. 9 seed TCU (2-0) and No. 11 seed Iowa State (2-0).
• Baylor and Norfolk State will be meeting for the 3rd time, and Baylor is 2-0 in the series. The Bears won 86-58 in Waco on Nov. 13, 2009 and 92-51 in Waco on Dec. 30, 2014.
• If the Bears advance to the second round, they will either play North Carolina for the first time or Marquette for the third time.
• Baylor is 1-1 all-time vs. Marquette – a 74-64 loss in Milwaukee on Dec. 19, 1998 and a 72-68 overtime win in Waco on Dec. 11, 1999.
BAYLOR MBB 2021-22 SEASON HONORS
James Akinjo
All-America Third Team (Sporting News)
All-Big 12 First Team
AP All-Big 12 First Team
Big 12 All-Newcomer Team
Bob Cousy Award Finalist
Midseason All-America First Team (Sporting News)
Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis MVP
Big 12 Player of the Week (March 7)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 14)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Jan. 10)
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 3)
Kendall Brown
Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Julius Erving Award Top 10 Watch List
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (March 7)
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 20)
2021 Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team
Scott Drew
Big 12 Coach of the Year (third-straight)
Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List
Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist
Adam Flagler
All-Big 12 Second Team
AP All-Big 12 Second Team
Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 10)
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Jerry West Award Top 10 Watch List
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Lute Olson Award Watch List
Matthew Mayer
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
Mitchell Paul
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua
Big 12 Defensive Player of The Year
Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Players Mentioned
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