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The Baylor Bears have returned to the NCAA Tournament national semifinals, but we’ll excuse you if you don’t remember their last appearance. Scott Drew finally gets the job done with a team full of talented backcourt play and deadly outside shooting.
They’ll take on the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars in the Final Four on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
How Baylor made the 2021 Final Four
Baylor has beaten No. 16 Hartford 79-55, No. 9 Wisconsin 76-63, No. 5 Villanova 62-51, and No. 3 Arkansas 81-72 to reach the last four teams in Division I. They also lead the nation in three-point shooting percentage at 41.1% from long-range.
When did Baylor last appear in the Final Four?
It was 1950 the last time the Bears made it to this stage, and that was so long ago the NIT was actually the better tournament and was considered the real national championship.
Head coach Bill Henderson and his Bears were just 14-13 that season, but at the time the NCAA Tournament field was based on geography instead of seeding. 6’3 center Don Heathington led all scorers with 13.2 points per game. They beat BYU and the No. 1 seed Bradley Braves before bowing out to North Carolina State in Madison Square Garden in the Final Four.
How many times has Baylor appeared in the Final Four?
This will be the third appearance for the Bears, after reaching the 1948 and 1950 Final Four, both of which were held at Madison Square Garden.