Friday Daily Bears Report: Go Time

For obvious reasons, today's DBR will be brief. We pretty much all know what's going down today, but a preview of other notable games and a review of other Baylor sports is in order. Ready? I thought so.

March Madness

Yesterday was truly insane, with four of sixteen games going to overtime. The extra periods broke the tournament record for overtime games in one day. If the tourney continues like this, all of our brains will melt before the Final Four. Here's a bit of what's been going on:

Yesterday's Highlights:

North Dakota State (12) upsets Oklahoma (5). In a stunner for those of us who had faith in OU, North Dakota State proved that it isn't just a threat to the Big 12 in football. The Bison led OU for most of the game, and took an overtime to put the Sooners and Big 12 Coach of the Year Lon Kruger down for good.

Dayton (11) knocked off Ohio State (6). In arguably the most exciting game of the day, Dayton cut the number of perfect brackets to less than a fifth of its pre-tipoff total. The Flyers took out one of the Big 10's finest after barely riding the bubble into the tournament.

Adreian Paine had a career day with 41 points as Michigan State (4) walloped Delaware (13). This one was never in too much doubt for the Spartans, and Paine was named Player of the Day by the NCAA.

Wisconsin (2) annihilated American (15) after a slow start. American held a 19-13 lead early. Then the badgers woke up and cruised to a 40 point victory, 75-35.

Harvard (12) put away Cincinnati (5) in the game that offed my chances at a billion dollars. Harvard, a uniquely challenging team to coach given its Ivy League status, seems poised to go as far as the Sweet 16 if they can keep their momentum going. This is nerd rage at its finest.

Best of Today's Matchups

Nebraska (11) vs. Baylor (6). The Cornhuskers won't be an easy out, but if Baylor's strong defense on the inside continues to hold, the Bears should be able to take this one. A game thread will be up at some point before tipoff. Get turnt, Baylor Nation, and get us to Sunday so that students can storm San Antonio.

Tennessee (11) vs. UMass (6). Massachusetts looks to be one of the more vulnerable six seeds, and Tennessee carries over momentum from their play-in game against Iowa. There is serious upset potential here.

Kansas State (9) vs. Kentucky (8). In a battle of two wildcats, the tenacious defense of Kansas State will take on the freshman wonders of Kentucky. Coach Cal needs a run this year, and Kansas State looks like an excellent spoiler candidate after dropping in the second round of the Big 12 tournament to Iowa State.

Stephen F. Austin (12) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (5). VCU and SFA were both dominant in their admittedly weak conferences this year, and both are dangerous sleepers in the earlier rounds of the tournament. SFA will look to ride the momentum of its school record winning streak and knock off the favorite to bring the Lumberjacks to the Round of 32.

Oklahoma State (9) vs. Gonzaga (8) will be an intriguing matchup. Gonzaga is an annual contender from the east, and Oklahoma State has almost limitless talent but has underachieved for most of the season. Still, their last loss was a close one to Kansas, and they have been a tough out since Marcus Smart's return from his suspension earlier this season.

Other Baylor News

Women's Tennis Welcomes Pair of Big 12 Foes - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com
The 14th-ranked Baylor women's tennis team will host a pair of Big 12 opponents in West Virginia and Iowa State this weekend at the Hurd Tennis Center.

Baylor Women's Golf Tees Off in Baton Rouge - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com
The Baylor women's golf team is headed to Baton Rouge, La., for the 2014 Tiger Golf Classic, hosted by Louisiana State University.

No. 5 WBB Faces Western Kentucky in First Round - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com
The fifth-ranked Baylor Lady Bears will take on the Western Kentucky LadyToppers in first-round action and if victorious will meet the winner of the California/Fordham contest.

Atkinson Leads Track & Field At TCU Invitational - Baylor Bears Official Athletic Site - BaylorBears.com
Baylor track and field senior Erin Atkinson opened her outdoor season by winning the hammer throw title at the TCU Invitational on Thursday at Lowdon Track and Field Stadium.

Men's Tennis Returns Home for Three-Match Weekend - The fifth-ranked Baylor men's tennis team (11-4) will host No. 35 Tulsa on Friday at 7p.m., followed by a doubleheader featuring Laredo College and SMU on Saturday at the Hurd Tennis Center.

Baseball Ends Home Stand with Series vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State this Weekend - Baylor baseball ends a season-long, seven-game home stand this weekend as No. 20 Oklahoma State comes to Baylor Ballpark.

Remember that the Lady Bears play in the first round of the women's tournament tomorrow at 5:30 at the Ferrell Center. Everyone in Waco needs to be there to cheer on the team and make an unholy amount to throw of Western Kentucky's groove.

Also keep in mind that at this point, every time our seniors take the court it could be the last time we see them in green and gold. It's called madness for a reason, so take nothing for granted and enjoy the last few minutes that H3SLIP, 2Sleeves, and G-4orce can give us. They'll be glorious.