A Jersey Guy: Can Gonzaga Run Into NCAA History Books?
The goal is within sight.
Six wins over the next two and a half weeks, with minimal travel issues and Gonzaga will be crowned the 2021 NCAA men's basketball champion.
The Zags have the credentials. They have been the No. 1 team in the country all year, taken on and beaten all comers, including the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in their region.
They are 26-0 with 23 of those wins by double digit margins.
Still, going unbeaten is a rare accomplishment.
Only seven teams have managed it.
They are:
1976 Indiana
1973 UCLA
1972 UCLA
1967 UCLA
1964 UCLA
1957 North Carolina
1956 San Franciso
The feeling here is that the ONLY way for Gonzaga NOT to win is if they self destruct with poor shooting or a turnover laden game.
Of the 68-team field, only Baylor, Illinois and perhaps Michigan appear to have the overall skills to stay with the Zags.
If Gonzaga does make it to the national championship game it will be the Zags' second appearance in four seasons.
But this is March Madness.
So we will see, beginning with four games scheduled in Thursday Night's play-in round.
Good luck with your brackets.
What should be noted is that this is COVID-19 laced season, so until the opening tip-off, there are no guarantees of the strength or weaknesses of the teams.
A few, Virginia and Oklahoma State are already playing the first round shorthanded.
Here's a look at some of the quirks and tidbits of the tournament.
All of the games—67–will be played at venues in Indiana, with most of them in the Indianapolis area.
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UCLA, which will participate in a Thursday night play-in game against Michigan State will be making its 50th NCAA tournament game appearance....Oklahoma may be the most dangerous No. 8 seed with wins over Kansas, Texas and Alabama, which could be a speed bump for Gonzaga
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Creighton's problems could develop if the Bluejays get in foul trouble. They are No. 311 in the country in bench minutes. They also live and die (as witnessed in a blow-out loss to Georgetown in the Big East tournament championship game) with three point shooting...UC-Santa Barbara at 18-3 has the third best record in college basketball, trailing only Gonzaga and Morehead State.
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Virginia, which had to pull out of the ACC tournament because of COVID issues, was the last team to arrive in Indiana. The Cavs are scheduled to get to Indy on Friday in preparation for their Saturday game against Ohio, which finished with a 9-1 record in the last 10 games. Watch out for the upset of Virginia.
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Kansas, which has had COVID issues and is also still being investigated by the NCAA, may also be another high seed leaving early. Maybe not in the first round against Eastern Washington, but in the second round against either USC, Drake or Wichita...Iowa is one of the few teams who gave Gonzaga some problems, losing a 99-88 shootout in December. If National Player of Year candidate Luke Garza can stay out of trouble and the Hawkeyes tighten their defense....
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Can Michigan survive very long without 6-foot-7 senior Isiah Livers (stress injury in his right foot) is the question most troubling Wolverine fans. ..Watch out for FSU in a possible Sweet 16 match-up....LSU, which plays St. Bonaventure in a first-round game, could also be an early casualty....FSU plays defense and has as much depth as anyone in the field, which is usually a formula for success in March and April.
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Want a hot young coach who will be at a Power 5 school sooner rather than later? That would be Wes Miller of UNC-Greensboro. Miller, a former North Carolina player who may wind up as the next Carolina coach fits that mold. Only problem UNC-Greensboro drew FSU in the first round...Hard to believe. Texas has never won an NCAA tournament game under Shaka Smart.
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Watch out team could be UConn, which now has a healthy lead guard in James Bouknight. The Huskies are 11-2 with Bouknight in the starting line up, which could mean a moderate run in the NCAA tournament.
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North Carolina is big and talented and...hungry, which makes them dangerous. If the Tar Heels get past No. 9 Wisconsin in the first round, top seeded Baylor will have a challenge on its hands in the second round....Villanova will also have its hands full against No. 12 Winthrop. The Wildcats are banged up in the backcourt, which is dangerous and Winthrop wants to prove something. It is also a No.5 vs. No. 12 match up.
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Virginia Tech may be one of the better rested teams in the field. Because of COVID issues, the Hokies have played only 5 games since Feb. 3....Who's the leading scorer in the country? That would be Oral Robert guard Max Abmas, which is one of the reasons why No. 2 seed Ohio State had better have its game face on early in its first round meeting with the Golden Eagles.
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The player to watch in the NCAA tournament is Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu, which makes the Big Ten tournament champion a serious threat to make it to the Final Four as well as Gonzaga...ACC tournament champion Georgia Tech might be the hungriest team in the field. The Yellow Jackets haven't been in the NCAA tournament since 2010 and were a stunning ACC tournament winner, but they will not have ACC Player of Year Moses Wright for at least the first game (Loyola of Chicago), which could be deadly for the Yellow Jackets....Oklahoma State will go as far as Big 12 Player of Year Cade Cunningham carries them, which could be quite awhile...Want a sleeper of sleepers? San Diego State is again very quietly scary good., but they are dealing with a tournament breaker in No. 11 Syracuse, which is always dangerous in March.
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West Virginia teams under Bob Huggins always play defense. This team can score as well and has been toughened by a rugged Big 12 battle. And remember this. Gonzaga faced the Mountaineers in December and squeaked by with an 87-82 victory. Watch out....Does any team in this field get less respect as a high seed than No. 2 Houston?.