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The No. 3 Baylor Bears will take on the No. 14 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first round of the South bracket at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Friday, March 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TNT. The winner will play either Creighton and N.C. State in the second round.
2023 March Madness: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 UCSB
Date: Friday, March 17
Start time: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: TNT
Live stream: March Madness Live
Baylor (22-10, 11-7 Big XII) has been in the NCAA Men’s tournament 14 times and won the 2021 National Championship with an 86-70 win over Gonzaga. The Bears have also been to the Elite Eight twice (2010, 2012). Baylor is entering the dance on a bit of a slump. The Bears lost three of five to close out the regular season and lost in the first round of the Big XII tournament to Iowa State.
UCSB (27-7, 15-5 Big West) will be making its sixth trip to the dance and the Gauchos have never gotten out of the first weekend. They are a hot team entering the tournament, having won seven straight and four of those by double digits. UCSB puts the ball in the basket, scoring 80 or more points in four games during the win streak.