After sixth-ranked Texas fell to No. 24 Baylor late Saturday afternoon, the temptation is to focus on the Longhorns' fading hopes for a high NCAA seed. But you might not want to overlook the Bears' chances of rising up the bracket.
The Bears were an 8 seed in my Monday bracket, and they'll probably rise a little in my next projection. (How far, I can't say for sure, especially since they fell at home to Kansas State on Tuesday.)
However, Baylor's remaining schedule is extremely favorable, which suggests they should rise in the coming weeks. They face three teams from the Big 12 North, including weaklings Iowa State and Nebraska, play Texas Tech and Texas A&M and travel to both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, teams they beat easily at home. To close the regular season, the Bears host Texas in Waco.
That's five home games and five away contests that are all fairly winnable.
With a backcourt featuring veterans LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter and a rapidly improving interior presence in Ekpe Udoh, Baylor has the ingredients to be a team you don't want to be paired against in March. Just ask the Longhorns.