The title game of the last-ever four-team College Football Playoff has been decided. Congratulations to Michigan and Washington for moving forward. I'm looking forward to next Monday's championship game between two future Big Ten members, as wild as that sounds.
In the meantime, how about some basketball?
Due to the impact that Christmas and New Year have on every season, the development of the sport has been slow for the most part. But 11 teams in the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1, updated Tuesday morning, will be back in action Tuesday night, including Baylor, which is ranked No. 18 in the Top 25 and 1. The Bears host Cornell at Foster Pavilion, the new $212.6 million on-campus basketball arena that was completed just in the last few days and where a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place about two hours before kickoff.
“It’s amazing how fast they moved,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “[I’m] so grateful and thankful for something [the workers have] made over the holidays because I know they spent a lot of time there.
Foster Pavilion is a state-of-the-art and advantageously smaller facility than the Ferrell Center that Baylor previously called home. There are only 7,000 seats and allows fans to be much closer to the action, which Drew said was intentional in part because of the impact it can have on winning.
“Sports Illustrated did a study on this a while back [showed] The closer the fans are [are to the court]“The louder they are, the more impact they have on the game — not just on the home team and the visiting team, but also on the officials because we're all human,” Drew said. “The audience is more important in sport” when they are closer to you. Check out Gonzaga’s “The Kennel.” [the] Cameron crazy [at Duke]my brothers [place at} GCU, Havoc [at VCU]. Even in the state [of Texas]You look at TCU, Houston, SMU, [the buildings are] smaller. It made a difference – and [Foster Pavilion] It will definitely be a more difficult place to play.”
Baylor enters this game against Cornell with a 10-2 record, including wins over Auburn and Florida and losses to Duke and Michigan State. The Bears' first Big 12 game at Foster Pavilion is Jan. 9 against BYU.
Top 25 and 1 rankings
Biggest movers
Rk | teams | Change | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | — | 12-1 | |
Zach Edey finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in Friday's 80-53 win over Eastern Kentucky. The Boilermakers' next game is Tuesday at Maryland. | |||
2 | — | 12-1 | |
Hunter Dickinson finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 86-67 win over Wichita State. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday against TCU. | |||
3 | — | 13-0 | |
LJ Cryer finished with 16 points and four assists in Saturday's 81-42 win over Penn. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against West Virginia. | |||
4 | — | 9-3 | |
Zakai Zeigler finished with 13 points and five assists in Thursday's 65-46 win over Tarleton State. The Vols' next game is Jan. 2 against Norfolk State. | |||
5 | — | 10-2 | |
Coleman Hawkins finished with 18 points and three rebounds in Friday's 104-71 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. The Illini's next game is Tuesday against Northwestern. | |||
6 | — | 11-2 | |
Samson Johnson finished with 16 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 69-65 win over St. John's. The Huskies' next game is Jan. 2 against DePaul. | |||
7 | — | 11-2 | |
David Jones finished with 19 points and three steals in Saturday's 81-70 win over Austin Peay. The Tigers' next game is Thursday in Tulsa. | |||
8th | — | 11-3 | |
Tyler Kolek finished with 15 points and eight assists in Saturday's 72-67 win over Creighton. The Golden Eagles' next game is Saturday at Seton Hall. | |||
9 | — | 10-3 | |
Kylan Boswell was two of 11 players from the field in Sunday's 100-82 loss at Stanford. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against Colorado. | |||
10 | — | 10-2 | |
Antonio Reeves finished with 27 points and six rebounds in Friday's 96-70 win over Illinois State. The Wildcats' next game is Jan. 6 at Florida. | |||
11 | — | 9-3 | |
RJ Davis finished with 20 points and 10 assists in Friday's 105-60 win over Charleston Southern. The Tar Heels' next game is Tuesday at Pitt. | |||
12 | — | 12-1 | |
Jalon Moore had 21 points and six rebounds in a 72-56 win over Monmouth on Sunday. The Sooners' next game is Saturday against Iowa State. | |||
13 | — | 12-1 | |
Isaiah Stevens finished with 13 points and seven assists in Friday's 106-61 win over Adams State. The Rams' next game is Tuesday against New Mexico. | |||
14 | — | 12-1 | |
Noah Waterman finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 94-68 win over Wyoming. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Cincinnati. | |||
15 | — | 13-0 | |
Allen Flanigan finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in Sunday's 95-79 win over Bryant. The Rebels' next game is Saturday at Tennessee. | |||
16 | — | 11-1 | |
Joseph Girard finished with 24 points and four rebounds in Friday's 93-58 win over Radford. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday in Miami. | |||
17 | — | 9-3 | |
Jared McCain finished with 24 points and four rebounds in Saturday's 106-69 win over Queens. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday against Syracuse. | |||
18 | — | 10-2 | |
Ja'Kobe Walter finished with 26 points and five assists in Friday's 107-48 win over Mississippi Valley State. The Bears' next game is Jan. 2 against Cornell. | |||
19 | — | 9-3 | |
AJ Storr finished with 29 points and two rebounds in Friday's 80-53 win over Chicago State. The Badgers' next game is Jan. 2 against Iowa. | |||
20 | — | 13-0 | |
TJ Bickerstaff finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 82-65 win over Texas State. The Dukes' next game is Thursday at Louisiana. | |||
21 | — | 11-2 | |
Devin Carter finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's 85-75 win over Butler. The Friars' next game is Jan. 3 against Seton Hall. | |||
22 | — | 10-2 | |
Johni Broome finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 101-66 win over Chattanooga. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Penn. | |||
23 | — | 10-3 | |
Alijah Martin was 3 of 14 from the field in Saturday's 72-68 loss to Florida Gulf Coast. The Owls' next game is Tuesday against East Carolina. | |||
24 | — | 9-4 | |
Henry Coleman finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 79-54 win over Prairie View A&M. The Aggies' next game is Saturday against LSU. | |||
25 | — | 11-2 | |
Reese Waters finished with 22 points and five rebounds in Friday's 84-74 win at Gonzaga. The Aztecs' next game is Wednesday against Fresno State. | |||
26 | — | 11-2 | |
Branden Carlson finished with 34 points and seven assists in Sunday's 95-90 win over Washington. The Utes' next game is Thursday at Arizona State. | |||