Baylor Players Respond to Brad Brownell’s Big 12 Comments Ahead of March Madness Match Up
Sunday’s Baylor vs. Clemson game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament game could have a little extra juice to it, due to what Clemson coach Brad Brownell said last month about the Big 12 Conference.
Back in February, Brownell said in a radio interview, “A couple of things that folks don’t understand, you can manipulate the NET. And there’s a strength of schedule dynamic where the Big 12 has managed it with their scheduling. Their non-conference scheduling, they’re playing 300-level teams and winning by 40 and 50 points to increase their offensive and defensive efficiency numbers, which is a big part of the NET tool. So that’s why you see teams trying to win at the end of games by 30 or 40 points instead of putting in your walk-ons.”
So one day before the Clemson Tigers get set to take on one of the top teams in the Big 12, some of the Baylor players were asked about those comments from the Clemson head coach.
Here’s what they said.
As was noted, the Baylor Bears happen to hold the title of having faced the toughest schedule strength of any team in all of college basketball this season. In addition to Baylor, six other teams from the Big 12 Conference were listed in the Top 20 with the toughest strength of schedules, including No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Kansas, No. 11 Houston, No. 12 Kansas State, No. 13 West Virginia, No. 16 Iowa State, and No. 17 Texas (SOS Rankings).
The seven Big 12 teams featured in the Top 20 are the most of any conference in college basketball, with the next closest being the Big Ten, which has six. The ACC, however, had zero teams in the Top 20, with the first team representing the league, North Carolina, checking in at the No. 32.
Meantime, Heartland College Sports owner had a less politically correct take than the Baylor players did in their interviews.
Brownell’s opportunity to face one of the top teams from the Big 12 Conference will take place on Sunday, March 24th, at 5:10 p.m. CT on TNT.
