The No.19 Baylor Bears will open their 2012-13 season as they host the Lehigh Mountain Hawks Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Coming off a school-record 30 victories last season and 12 in the Big 12 Conference, the Bears fantastic season earned them a No.3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years before their run was cut short by the eventual-champion Kentucky Wildcats, 82-70.
The Bears go into this year without forwards Perry Jones III and Quincy Miller, who both left Baylor early for the NBA. Also gone is big man Quincy Acy, a heart-and-soul leader during his four seasons who was also drafted.
Meanwhile, Lehigh won 27 games last season and finished 11-3 in the Patriot League, just behind first-place Bucknell, but managed to win the conference tournament to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history.
Lehigh was dynamic at both ends of the floor last season, putting up 75.7 ppg and outscoring its opponents by more than 10 points per contest.
Lehigh will be led by senior C.J. McCollum, who is one of the most accomplished guards in the country, being an excellent scorer at 21.9 points per game. McCollum also brings balance to the team with his 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
Lehigh also added a pair of 6-8 freshmen to help with its frontcourt depth in Jesse Chuku and Justin Goldsborough.
Watch Lehigh vs. Baylor live stream, click here.
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