PatriotMBB Notebook | NCAA Interactive Bracket
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – No. 14 Colgate (25-9, 16-2 PL) will face No. 3 Baylor (23-10, 11-7 Big 12) in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.
 
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: The Raiders and Bears will meet for the first time when the programs take the court on Friday at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. Live coverage will begin a 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV, with Spero Dedes on play-by-play duties, Jim Spanarkel providing analysis and Jon Rothstein reporting from the sideline.
 
Westwood One will carry a live national radio broadcast with John Sadak and Tom Crean on the call from Memphis.
 
COLGATE HISTORY IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Colgate makes its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years and seventh in program history. The Raiders lost to No. 2 Texas last season. They were previously eliminated by No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 3 Arkansas and No. 2 Tennessee in 2022, 2021 and 2019, respectively. The Raiders are making their fourth consecutive tournament bid. They went to back-to-back tournaments in 1995 and 1996. Since then, Bucknell has gone to consecutive tournaments twice, making the field in 2017 and 2018 in addition to the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Navy (1997, 1998), Lafayette (1999, 2000), Holy Cross (2001, 2002, 2003) and American (2008, 2009) have all made consecutive appearances. Future NBA Draft selection Adonal Foyle (1997/1st Rd./8th Pick/Golden State Warriors) led the Raiders’ first two trips to the Big Dance. Foyle and the Raiders fell to No. 1 Kansas (82-68) in 1995 and No. 1 Connecticut (68-59) in 1996.


 
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND (WEST REGION)
NO 14 COLGATE RAIDERS (25-9, 16-2 PL) VS. NO. 3 BAYLOR BEARS (23-10, 11-7 Big 12)
FedEx Forum/Memphis, Tenn.                                         12:40 p.m. ET (truTV)
BROADCAST (truTV): PxP – Spero Dedes; Analyst – Jim Spanarkel; Sideline – Jon Rothstein
RADIO BROADCAST (Westwood One): PxP – John Sadak; Analyst – Tom Crean
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
ABOUT COLGATE: The Raiders make their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six seasons and seventh time in program history. So. G Braeden Smith (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.8 apg), the Patriot League Player of the Year, led the Raiders in scoring and is 25th in NCAA DI in assists per game.
*Smith earned Patriot League Championship MVP honors after averaging 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in three postseason victories.
*Fellow First-Team All-Patriot League selection and League Defensive-Team honoree Keegan Records (10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) became the ninth League player to total more than 1,400 points and 800 rebounds.
*Fifth-year forward Ryan Moffatt (10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is eighth in Patriot League history with a 41.5 3-point field goal percentage.
*Records and Moffatt have helped the Raiders to four straight NCAA Tournament berths.
*Colgate’s seven Patriot League crowns is a League-high, while head coach Matt Langel’s five League titles surpassed former Holy Cross Head Coach Ralph Willard (4) for the most in League history.
COLGATE NOTES
 
ABOUT BAYLOR: The third-seeded Bears are the only team in NCAA DI to be a No. 3 seed or higher in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments.
*Baylor had five All-Big 12 selections, tied for second most in the conference, including Big 12 Freshman of the Year Ja’Kobe Walter (14.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg).
*The Bears boast a balanced offense with six different players averaging more than 10.0 points per game, led by Walter. Sr. G RayJ Dennis (13.3 ppg), Sr. F Jalen Bridges (11.9 ppg), Fr. C Yves Missi (11.1 ppg), So. G Langston Love (11.0 ppg) and Jr. G Jayden Nunn (10.6 ppg) for a team that possesses the 32nd-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 80.5 points per game.
*Baylor is second in the Big 12 and 22nd in NCAA DI in team field-goal percentage (48.3).
*Baylor is making its ninth time in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments. They are 22-16 in 14 overall NCAA Championship appearances and 19-10 under head coach Scott Drew.
BAYLOR NOTES
 
COLGATE’S THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE:

Q. You guys have been here and you have some experience. What would it mean to win a game now, to get past the "been here, done that" stage and to get a win at this stage?

RYAN MOFFATT: I think that would mean everything. It's what we're working towards. We've been working towards that since the summer. We have a couple of goals every single year. We've accomplished our first two. And this is our third goal.

We haven't been able to do that the last couple of years, but we've been here. We have experience. And what better time than now to try and go out and get a win. I think we're prepared and we need to go out and play well tomorrow. But I think we're ready to do that and give it our best shot.

KEEGAN RECORDS: I agree. I think it would mean a lot obviously to all the players and coaching staff, but to the school and the university and Hamilton, I think it would mean a lot to just everybody.

It's something that we all -- it's a team goal we've had and we just try to take it one step at a time starting with the regular season championship and Patriot League championship. And now it's time, like you said, go out and win a game. We haven't been able to do that in the past, but we're obviously working towards it. And it would mean a lot.

FULL PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT VICTORIES
*Holy Cross defeated fellow No. 16 seed Southern, 59-55, during the First Four in Dayton to open the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
*No. 15 Lehigh upset No. 2 Duke in the 2012 NCAA Tournament Round of 64 behind 30 points, six assists and six rebounds from C.J. McCollum.
*Charles Lee and Bettencourt combined for 42 points to lead the No. 9 Bison over No. 8 Arkansas, 59-55, during the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
*Bucknell won the League’s first NCAA Tournament contest, as Kevin Bettencourt’s 19 points led the No. 14 Bison over No. 3 Kansas, 64-63, in the first round in 2005.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAMS BY SEED: This marks the ninth time the Patriot League’s automatic bid received the No. 14 seed. The Raiders were on the 14 line in 2022 when they played No. 3 Wisconsin in the first round and 2021 when they took on No. 3 Arkansas. Bucknell earned a No. 14 seed in 2005 when they defeated third-seeded Kansas, 64-63, in the first round. The Bison also earned the 14-seed in 2011 and 2018. American was a 14-seed in 2009, Holy Cross and Fordham were 14-seeds in 2003 and 1992, respectively.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE VS. BIG 12 IN THE NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: The Colgate vs. Baylor matchup marks the fifth time, and the second straight season, a Patriot League team will meet an opponent from the Big 12 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Raiders fell to Texas, 81-61, in the first round of last season’s Tournament. Bucknell upset Kansas, 64-63, in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Holy Cross fell to the Jayhawks in the 2002 Tournament. The Bison also met West Virginia in 2017 and lost 86-80 in the first round.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.