Simulated March Madness: Baylor Bears Crowned Champions

(CBS Local/CBS DFW)- If you’ve been following along with us over the past week, you know that Axios Sports has been running a simulation of the NCAA Tournament based on the final bracketology that we had from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi prior to the cancellation of the tournament.

Yesterday, the tournament field had been whittled down to just two teams, top seed Baylor and four seed Maryland, playing for it all in a virtual Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Well, in the end, it is the Baylor Bears who have come out on top, earning the program’s first national championship.

🏆🏆🏆 BAYLOR WINS THE NATTY!!!

Final score: Baylor 79, Maryland 74

⭐️ All-Tournament team:

– Jared Butler, So., Baylor (Most Outstanding Player)
– Anthony Cowan Jr., Sr., Maryland
– Myles Powell, Sr., Seton Hall
– Vernon Carey Jr., Fr., Duke
– Jalen Smith, So., Maryland https://t.co/839KoC4rxk pic.twitter.com/K46S70YMFk

— Kendall Baker (@TheKendallBaker) March 24, 2020

The five point victory for the Bears was led by guard Jared Butler’s hot shooting from deep, as he went four of five from three point range in piling up 19 points, earning a spot on the all tournament team in the process. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Freddie Gillespie added 16 points and nine rebounds in the win.

For Maryland, the duo of Anthony Cowan Jr. (20 points 4 assists) and Jalen Smith (17 points 13 rebounds) wasn’t enough to earn the program’s second national championship.

Instead, it is the Bears cutting down the virtual nets and coach Scott Drew cementing his legacy as one of the all-time great program turnaround artists and likely clinching himself a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.