WACO, Texas — When No. 1 seed Baylor tips Saturday against No. 8 seed North Carolina, it'll be looking in the mirror.
Whether inside the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth or on CBS, fans watching the game will see two teams that make their living in transition and struggle when they aren't shooting well.
Carolina is known for its transition game, with a popular press break style known throughout the basketball coaching world. While Baylor has played its best when it's been able to force turnovers and immediately run the other way to score.
Thursday, both the Bears and Tar Heels totaled 17 fast-break points in their respective first-round games.
Both teams also were great rebounding teams Thursday, too. Baylor logged 19-second chance points against Norfolk State while the Heels logged 23 against Marquette.
"We're both good... because in basketball things are pretty simple," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "And that is, take good shots [and] offensive rebound. So when you miss them you get them back, and don't turn it over."
And while North Carolina has been up-and-down during its first season under Hubert Davis, it set an NCAA Tournament record for margin of victory in an eight vs. nine game, beating Marquette by 32 points.
It's a record that caught the Bears' attention.
"We played well," Drew said Friday. "Then my afternoon got ruined watching North Carolina and just how well they played."
But, as the BU players pointed out Friday, they're going into this game with the same approach as the first 33 games this season: focused on themselves.
"At the end of the day, our confidence really prepares us for anybody in the country," Baylor guard Adam Flagler said. "So, we're just going to pride ourselves on focusing on our defensive principles and going out there and executing."
It will be the first meeting, all-time, between the Bears and Tar Heels as the East Region bracket continues its chaotic journey. It's also the first game of the day in the tournament as Fort Worth is a stand-alone venue to open the third full day of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Tip between Baylor and North Carolina is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Saturday.