The 3rd seed Baylor Bears have defeated the 14th seed Colgate Raiders in dominating fashion in the March Madness tournament. The final score was 92-67, with Baylor moving on to the second round of the NCAA tournament. This first-round win will certainly give the Bears momentum for the next game, where they will play either New Mexico or Clemson.
Hot Start
Baylor got off to a 10-2 lead to start the game off. The team’s star players Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi got off to a hot start, with Walter finding good shots from the outside and Missi getting good buckets in the paint. Missi was on minutes restriction this game due to a back injury, only playing 16 minutes. They are both projected to get drafted in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. Walter could potentially be a lottery pick and might even move into the top 10 with some good performances.
Keegan Records tried to keep Colgate in the game with three straight finishes. However, he was the only one producing offensively for the team to start the game. Potential 2024 2nd round pick Jayden Nunn also found some good buckets in the first half, extending the Baylor lead. At the end of the first half, Baylor already had an 18-point lead, as they were up 52-34.
Continued Domination
The second half started with some good shots from each team, as Colgate was finding open lanes and Baylor continued to get good looks from the perimeter. Keegan Records continued to try to keep Colgate in the game with good second-chance baskets. Despite that, the team was still down by a large amount. As soon as Colgate was starting to find good buckets, Baylor started making consistent threes on the other side of the court.
Jayden Nunn, Ja’Kobe Walter, and especially Jalen Bridges all started to heat up from the perimeter. Bridges finished the game with 5 threes hit out of his 8 attempts. The game continued with Baylor finding good shots from the outside and inside all the way to the final buzzer. The final score was 92-67, and it was never really a competition as Baylor got off to
Post Game: Stocks Will Rise
Jalen Bridges, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jayden Nunn all had great games and were efficient on both ends. Walter, who is projected to go 13th overall, will likely find himself going in the top 10 if he continues to perform like this throughout the NCAA tournament. Bridges is a potential 2nd-round pick in this year’s draft, as he is projected to go 56th overall to the Nuggets. However, continuous good performances in this year’s NCAA tournament could bring the young player in early to mid-second-round conversations. He put up 23 points in this game with 5 threes made, which is a game that will definitely help his stock. Nunn is a player who could be drafted this year but is not on many boards. If he gets drafted, it would be in the late second round, and there is a chance that could be the case with more good games.
This was a dominating win for Baylor, and they’re definitely a team that could make it all the way.
About The Author
Shayan has always been an avid fan of sports. He is currently studying sports communication, as he is hoping to take his sports knowledge to the next level.
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