Baylor Bears vs. Syracuse Orange Prediction: NCAA Tournament First Round Preview
A pair of teams looking to put disappointing regular-season finishes behind them face off in Salt Lake City
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Neither Baylor nor Syracuse are strangers to NCAA Tournament success during this decade. For that reason, their matchup on Thursday in Salt Lake City promises to be one of the must-see first-round games.
The Orange made Final Four runs in 2013 and '16. They also reached the Elite Eight in 2012 and the Sweet 16 in '10 and '18. The Bears made a Sweet 16 run a year ago and in 2014. Before that, Baylor reached the Elite Eight in 2010 and '12.
A First Four matchup of 11-seeds in the Midwest Region between Arizona State and Syracuse gives us a major-conference battle a day before the real fun starts.
When the first College Football Playoff Rankings came out in 2015, 
The North Carolina Tar Heels were expected to be playing in the Final Four. After all, the Tar Heels were named the No.2 overall seed when the NCAA Tournament field was unveiled on March 13. While many expected North Carolina to be playing in Houston on April 2, no one thought the Syracuse Orange would also represent the ACC in the Final Four.
The first week of the NCAA Tournament has come and gone, and we have cut down the field to the Sweet 16. Northern Iowa, Stephen F. Austin and Middle Tennessee tried their best to play the role of Cinderella, but the clock has struck midnight on the mid-majors, as the Sweet 16 has turned into a battle of the college basketball big boys — including a record six ACC teams.