How and what to watch for No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 9 Wisconsin in 2021 NCAA Tournament

No. 1 seed Baylor is through the first round after taking down No. 16 Hartford 79-55 on Monday. The top team in the South will advance to the second round and take on No. 9 Wisconsin in the second round. The Badgers took down No. 8 North Carolina in the round of 64.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Game date: Saturday, March 20
Game time: 2:40 p.m.
TV channel: CBS
Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse

Odds: Baylor -6.5, 137

No. 1 Baylor 23-2 (13-1 Big 12): At-large

KenPom rating: 4 Overall, 3 Offense, 34 Defense
NET ranking: 2 (8-2 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Jared Butler (17.1 ppg)

Baylor handled business against Hartford and got at to a 16-point lead at the break. The Hawks closed the gap some down the stretch but still lost the second half by eight points because of the favorite’s superior offense. The usually explosive Jared Butler had a cold night and scored 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but MaCio Teague showed out with a game-high 22 points on 25.9% shooting. Wisconsin will have a tough time against a Bears team that scores with this much ease.

No. 9 Wisconsin: 17-12 (10-10 Big Ten): At-large

KenPom rating: 14 Overall, 33 Offense, 15 Defense
NET ranking: 27 (6-10 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: D’Mitrik Trice (13.7 ppg)

Wisconsin put in on UNC early and amassed a 16-point lead in the first half. While D’Mitrik Trice is usually the Badgers’ leading scorer, they benefitted from an unexpected scoring burst from Brad Davison. Davison rattled home a game-high 29 points and was trailed by trice (21). The Tar Heels usually dominate on the boards, but they didn’t in this 85-62 defeat. Wisconsin has a great defense, but can they keep up the scoring prowess against one of the country's best offensive teams?