No. 3 Baylor gets ready for second round matchup against No.6 Clemson

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (KWTX) – The Baylor Bears held practice today in preparation for their match up with the Clemson Tigers in round two of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears look to overcome their second-round woes against Clemson. The Bears have been knocked out in the round of 32 the past two seasons, and in three of the past four seasons.

The exception was in 2021, when they won the national championship.

Both teams had statement wins in the first round. Baylor beat Colgate 92-67, and Clemson took down New Mexico 77-56.

In the win over Colgate, Baylor shot the ball well, specifically from beyond the arc. The Bears knocked down 16 threes on 30 attempts.

Clemson shined in other ways against New Mexico. The Tigers leaned on their physicality in the paint to beat the Lobos. The Clemson interior duo of Ian Schieffelin and PJ Hall combined for 30 points.

Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew said his team will need all hands-on deck to defend against the talented Clemson front-court. The Bears will be looking for a big game from center Yves Missi. Missi played only 16 minutes against Colgate, due to a back injury.

“Definitely want a healthy interior because you’re going to need them all,” Drew said. “Clemson is as deep in the frontline as you’re going to find in college basketball. Most college teams, they’re lucky if they have one guy who can play in the post. They’ve got three, four, five guys that can run in there.”

Missi is expected to play on Sunday.

The Bears found their rhythm offensively against Colgate, after struggling in the Big 12 Tournament. When the team is shooting well, they feel they can beat anyone.

“Everyone had an input on that game,” Baylor guard Jayden Nunn said. “When everyone is playing like that, I feel we are very hard to beat. And I feel we are capable of playing that way every game.”

Look for the Tigers to play very physically against the Bears. When asked about facing a team like Baylor that likes to take lots of shots and can heat up quickly, Clemson guard Chase Hunter says limiting the three ball will be a key area of focus defensively.

“I think it’s just coming out again with the same competitive spirit, competitive fight,” Hunter said. “Making sure that as guards we’re getting in with ball screens and making sure we have hot hands and just limiting their threes. Just making things hard for them, and we will be successful.”

Baylor and Clemson will face off on Sunday, March 24, at 5:10 p.m. from the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

The winner books themselves a trip to Los Angeles, and the Sweet Sixteen.

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