Baylor vs. Hartford: 2021 NCAA Tournament game preview, prediction, odds

Two teams from other ends of the country are looking to cement their legacy in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Date: Friday, March 19, 2021. 3:30 p.m. ET. TruTV

Arena: Lucas Oil Stadium (South). Indianapolis, Indiana.

Odds: Baylor (-26)

The Baylor Bears get a crack at the NCAA Tournament after COVID-19 affected what was, their most successful season up to that point last year. The Bears return to the dance, loaded after bringing back seven impact players from last year’s team and adding two more in the off-season in Adam Flagler and Johnathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua.

The trio of Butler, Mitchell, and Teague has been all of the talk of college basketball and has been called by various outlets. “The best backcourt in college basketball”.

The trio averages 14 or more a game. With the lowest out of the trio being Mitchell, he has the highest three-point percentage on the team, at 46.2%.

Baylor got hit with a COVID pause back in February and struggled to keep their footing at times. The Bears secured the Big 12 Regular Season Championship for the first time in school history in Morgantown. The Bears were hoping to sweep the conference but fell to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Semi-Finals.

The offense has stayed the course, as they still rank 3rd in the country in points per game. However, the defense has taken a step back and has had a regression, since returning from the pause. In their six games since the pause, Baylor has given up above their average in each game, headlined by 89 and 83 points.

Considering the competition and playing five games against NCAA Tournament teams, the Bears should be battle-tested for the task at hand against Hartford.

For Hartford, this is their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and just the first time, the program has finished with single-digit losses in a season. John Gallagher is in his 11th season with the Hawks and his best team yet.

The Hawks are lead by a duo of transfers in former Marist guard Austin Williams and Marquette/La Salle’s Traci Carter. For Carter, he has done as much college sports as he could possibly do, being in a program since 2015-2016.

Carter brings a unique amount of experience, with playing in 128 games in his career. As well as, his ability to swipe some passes, with his 2.6 steals per game. Austin Williams has good size and Carter can put the ball in the hoop, hitting 37.3% of his three-point shots.

Even with solid guard play, the athleticism takes a hit, once we get to the forwards. Hunter Marks has been around the program but is not consistent from the field. The Hawks as a team are well below average from beyond the arc and turn the ball over almost 13 times a game.

The Bears rank as one of the best teams in the country in distributing the ball and forcing turnovers as they rank in the top 12 nationally in both. It is expected that Baylor exercises their strengths to its advantage on Friday.

Never say never to a No, 1 vs. No. 16 upset, as UMBC defeated Virginia, back in 2018. The key for Baylor is not to give Hartford the three-point line. In NCAA Tournament games, some teams just shoot remarkably well, compared to their average. If Baylor gives Hartford enough open looks, the Hawks could take advantage.

For Hartford, stopping so many talented weapons is always a challenge. Setting up designed plays that get Baylor into mismatches will have to be a key. Whether it’s beyond the arc or inside, Hartford has to find a way to keep up with Baylor on the offensive end.

Baylor will score points at will, but keeping up will have to be the main concern for the Hawks. Hartford went on a run in the American East, by winning their final five and three of them by double figures. However, that winning streak comes to an end, at the expense of the Baylor Bears. Baylor moves on and faces the winner of Wisconsin/North Carolina.

Prediction: Baylor 80, Hartford 57