NCAA Tournament Interactive Bracket HAMILTON –

The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Committee released its 68-team tournament bracket and pits No. 14 Colgate versus No. 3 Baylor in the West Region on Friday in Memphis, Tenn. Tip-time from FedExForum is set for 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV. 

Colgate is making its fifth consecutive and seventh overall NCAA tournament appearance. The Raiders are coming off their fourth straight Patriot League championship and fifth in six years after defeating Lehigh 74-55 in the title game last Wednesday at Cotterell Court. 

This is the third time Colgate has been a No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament (2020-21, 2021-22). The Raiders have also been a No. 15 seed twice (2018-19, 2022-23) and No. 16 seed twice (1994-95, 1995-96).

Five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Matt Langel in his 13th season has guided Colgate to a 25-9 overall record, one win shy of last year's program-record 26-win team. The Raiders secured their fifth consecutive regular season title with a 16-2 league record. 

Colgate boasts one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking 11th in scoring defense (63.2), 13th in three-point field goal defense (29.8), 24th in defensive rebounds per game (27.8), and 29th in field goal percentage defense (40.8). The Raiders also rank among the national leaders in field goal percentage, assists, assists per game, and fouls per game. 

Sophomore guard Braeden Smith, the Patriot League Player of the Year, ranks inside the top 25 nationally in assists (196) and assists per game (5.8). He averages 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. He was named PL Tournament MVP after averaging 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in three postseason victories. 

COACH LANGEL'S COMMENTS

"Tremendous athleticism on Baylor's team. They play fast and can get after it defensively. So much respect for Coach Drew and the program he's built there. This is a great opportunity for us as we prepare for Friday's game. These games are really hard when you're a No. 14 seed, you're playing against one of the best teams in the country. We'll do everything we can to be as prepared as we can for Friday. There will be a lot of energy and excitement this week. 

"We've already started the work to be the best version of ourselves by the end of the week. When we step between the lines on the court, we need to be focused, determined, and prepared. Our messaging and our process does not change. We are enjoying every second of this opportunity but we're also working as hard as we possibly can."

NCAA TOURNAMENT TICKET INFORMATION

Fans interested in attending the Colgate men's basketball team's NCAA tournament games are encouraged to submit this online ticket interest form. Submitting this form in advance will help expedite the process for reserving tickets. A Colgate athletics ticket office representative will reach out in the coming days, after selection, to complete the transaction or inform of waitlist status based on your site and date preferences and Colgate's destination.