SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Bears have advanced to the round of 32. But with that comes a match up against No. 1 seed Gonzaga.
No. 9 Baylor will look to knock off Gonzaga Saturday night in order to advance to the Sweet 16.
"I tell ya, in this situation, I'm glad it was a quick turn around because the more film you watch of Gonzaga, the more worried you get. There's a reason they're a number one seed," Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew said.
Gonzaga, a roster full of offensive weapons, is led by Rui Hachimura, a top NBA prospect and the future of Japanese basketball. But, even so, the Bulldogs admit Baylor is a force to be reckoned with.
"They're not very tall, but they make up for it with their aggression and physicality," Corey Kispert, a sophomore forward for Gonzaga, said.
Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few says he believes Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew is extremely underrated -- and called the Bears one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country.
"Scary team with their toughness, their physicality and the way they shoot the ball," Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few said.
Despite the fact, Baylor essentially put on a shooting clinic in their game against Syracuse Thursday night, the Bears know it's going to take everything they've got to knock off Gonzaga and advance to the Sweet 16.
"At the end of the day, we won one game. We have to win another one on Saturday," King McClure, Baylor senior guard, said.
"They're impressive in person. They're impressive on film. They got a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things which makes them very dangerous. I think they have like three or four guys averaging more than 10 points in their starting line up, so that's always tough to face a team like that. Obviously, well coached, and it's gonna be a battle," Makai Mason, a redshirt senior guard for the Bears, said.
Tip off for the Bears round two game is set for 6:10 Central Time Saturday night.
