While it's easy for college basketball fans and analysts to be preoccupied with Gonzaga's run at a perfect season, there's another No. 1 seed playing in the Sweet Sixteen that's worthy of the same attention.
With two more wins this March, Baylor would reach its first Final Four since 1950, and CBS Sports college hoops columnist Gary Parrish believes that the Bears claiming a national title would be just as remarkable for the game.
"I think they can play for the national title," Parrish told Bill Reiter on the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "Obviously, nothing's guaranteed. They were terrific before they went on [COVID] protocol. They started 17-0. But they came back and then lost two of their next six and didn't shoot the ball nearly as well, didn't guard nearly as well. In these first two games in the NCAA Tournament, they've shot it more like themselves, they've guarded more like themselves, and they look closer to the team we watched start 17-0. A team that some people at the time were arguing should be ranked No. 1, even ahead of Gonzaga...
"I think we're all attached to this Gonzaga story because it's a small school in Spokane, Washington that has become a college basketball power. Like, that's insane. And they have a chance to be the first undefeated national champion since 1976. It's a remarkable achievement if it is achieved. But Baylor would be no less of a great story, given that [Bears head coach] Scott Drew inherited the biggest tragedy you can inherit when you take over a basketball program. A player literally murdered another player [back in 2003] and then the head coach tried to frame the murdered player and the drug dealer to cover up NCAA violations. I mean, it's the ugliest stuff. It doesn't even sound real, but it's a real thing...
"And you take over that... It's not like you take over, you know, Rick Pitino took over Kentucky in the middle of a scandal once upon a time. But it was still Kentucky. It had history. There was no doubt it would get back to what it was. Baylor had no history to speak of. And now that the Bears last year would've been a No. 1 seed in the tournament, this year obviously a No. 1 seed in the tournament, and now just four games away from a national title... Again, just an incredible, incredible story."
Baylor, located in the South region of this year's March Madness bracket, defeated No. 16 seed Hartford in the first round last Friday and No. 9 seed Wisconsin in the second round two days later. This upcoming Saturday, the Bears are scheduled to face No. 5 seed Villanova at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The entire March Madness conversation between Parrish and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player below.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.