NCAA Tournament

What a way to win the first men's national championship in program history.

Not only did the Baylor Bears win the 2021 NCAA tournament title with a commanding 86-70 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but they also prevented the Bulldogs from making history of their own.

Had Gonzaga won, it would have become the first men's college basketball team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers to go undefeated while winning the national championship.

Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell and Adam Flagler led the way for the Bears as they played the role of spoiler, while a solid showing from Jalen Suggs was not enough for the Bulldogs.

Celebration time for the Baylor Bears 🐻 https://t.co/FVGMPyeDIs

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

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Notable Player Stats

• Jared Butler, G, BAY: 22 PTS, 7 AST, 3 REB, 4-of-9 3PT
• MaCio Teague, G, BAY: 19 PTS
• Davion Mitchell, G, BAY: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
• Adam Flagler, G, BAY: 13 PTS, 3-of-4 3PT
• Jalen Suggs, G, GON: 22 PTS, 3 AST, 2 STL
• Drew Timme, F, GON: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK

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Baylor Dominant from Start to Finish

This was the game the challengers have been waiting for all season.

After all, Baylor started the season No. 2 behind Gonzaga in the Associated Press Top 25 and was compared to the mighty Bulldogs throughout its own impressive campaign. It also lost a chance to make a head-to-head statement when the December matchup between the two squads was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Bears looked ready as ever out of the gates Monday.

Baylor’s pregame speech: pic.twitter.com/KHmYSnTw9o

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) April 6, 2021

This is an outrageously impressive defense/energy performance from Baylor. Gonzaga can’t do anything off the bounce, Timme can’t get a clean look inside, Baylor is deflecting everything, and then they’re dominating the offensive glass at the other end. Zags need Suggs back in.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 6, 2021

For a small guy, Davion Mitchell covers so much ground in tight spaces. Just gets his hands on so many 50-50 balls. Makes everyone else's life a whole lot easier on that end of the floor as a result

— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) April 6, 2021

Davion Mitchell is the best two-way player in college basketball … and I’m not sure it’s even close.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 6, 2021

BAYLOR UP 19 😨 https://t.co/kfRGTh1rRh

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Baylor came out hot 😳 https://t.co/L3ioqukEWQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Mitchell in attack mode 😤 https://t.co/vTCprw4IBR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

FLAGLER. SPLASH. 💧 https://t.co/UvxE8DgaKS

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Baylor jumped out to a commanding 19-point lead in the first half with Butler, Teague and Flagler draining threes, Mark Vital dominating the offensive glass and the Butler-Mitchell combination facilitating for others while remaining in attack mode.

Yet it was the defense against Gonzaga's top-ranked offense on KenPom.com that stood out the most. The Bears cut off driving lanes, pressured ball-handlers, forced turnovers, dove for loose balls and brought an intensity on that end of the floor that the Bulldogs struggled to match.

Things could have taken a turn for the worse when Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua each picked up their fourth foul early in the second half as Gonzaga slowly chipped the lead to single digits.

Instead, the Bears had an answer for every counterpunch. 

They continued to pound the boards for 16 offensive rebounds and created plenty of mismatches with ball screens to free up Butler, Teague and Mitchell. They also sprinkled in a handful of key defense-to-offense sequences, including when a Vital block turned into a Flagler three to push the advantage back to 16.

The pattern continued throughout the rest of the game as the Big 12 representative completed a masterpiece of a performance to clinch the championship.

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Gonzaga's Defense Goes Missing on Big Stage

All that was left for Gonzaga to finish its storybook season was the exclamation point.

The Bulldogs started the campaign atop the Associated Press Top 25. They didn't lose a single time while beating the likes of Kansas, West Virginia, Iowa and Virginia. And then they had one of the most memorable moments in Big Dance history at the Final Four when Suggs sent UCLA home in overtime with a buzzer-beater from just inside half court.

Turns out, that exclamation mark wasn't going to come easy.

Gonzaga is a special team. But, the Zags are playing against a special team. Not sure how you recover from this start. This would have to match the largest comeback in title game history (Loyola 1963).

— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) April 6, 2021

Zags rn pic.twitter.com/ByWJX5ukcA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

gonzaga's last game was one of the most emotionally & physically draining final four battles ever played. baylor's last game was 8 minutes long. so this makes sense!

— Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina) April 6, 2021

Zags coming back 👀 https://t.co/uI6sS3l7NY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Suggs was HYPED on this and-1 🔥 https://t.co/KYSVRpZQQV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Suggs back-to-back threes

Zags trying to stay alive https://t.co/wBpUQ8Epm3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 6, 2021

Suggs went to the bench with two fouls in the first four minutes, and Gonzaga quickly found itself facing its biggest deficit of the season. It had no answers for Baylor's ball screens and cuts on offense and overwhelming athleticism on defense, and it seemed as if the game was over well before intermission.

To head coach Mark Few's credit, he recognized the mismatch in the athleticism department and switched to zone prior to halftime. That, along with a 13-2 advantage in free-throw attempts, helped them trim a 19-point deficit to just 10 by halftime and remain within striking distance.

Suggs also did what he could to help the Zags stay close by continuing to attack even when Drew Timme went to the bench with his fourth foul.

Still, the Bulldogs had no chance on the defensive end. Baylor shot them out of their zone and simply had too many mismatches to exploit when the WCC team went back to man-to-man. Gonzaga needed sustained runs to have a chance, and it couldn't string together enough stops—or defensive rebounds—to complete any type of comeback.

The 2020-21 men's college basketball season has been much different than most before it. Over the past year, the coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted the sports world, and college hoops was no different.

The schedule was constantly shifting because of cancellations and postponements, while many games were played without fans in attendance (or at a limited capacity). However, a season was played, and March Madness will be successfully completed on Monday night.

That's when Gonzaga and Baylor will face off in the final game of this year's NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which served as the host city for the entire tourney this year to reduce travel. The Bulldogs and Bears were the top two seeds in the tournament, and they've each outlasted all the competition they've faced to reach this point.

Here's a look at the full betting information for this year's national title game, along with predictions for how it will unfold.

       

National Championship Game Odds

Spread: Gonzaga (-4.5)

Over/Under: 159 total points

Moneyline: Gonzaga -210 (bet $210 to win $100); Baylor +163 (bet $100 to win $163)

A complete list of odds and prop bets are available at DraftKings Sportsbook

        

Betting Preview, Predictions

Baylor is a strong team. It's lost only two games this season, earning a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament and rebounding from a loss in the semifinals of the Big 12 tourney to reach the national championship game for only the second time in program history (and the first since 1948).

But this is going to be a greater challenge than the Bears have faced all season. Because Gonzaga has the potential to go down as one of the greatest teams of all time.

The Bulldogs are looking to become the first team to win the national title and finish a season undefeated since Indiana in the 1975-76 campaign. Gonzaga has won each of its first 31 games, and its margin of victory has been 10 or more points in 29 of those contests.

While the Bulldogs are coming off their closest game of the season (a 93-90 overtime victory over No. 11-seeded UCLA in the Final Four on Saturday night), they've proved all year that they're the top team in the country. And while Baylor is going to keep things competitive early, Gonzaga is going to be too talented to topple.

One smart prop bet to consider making is that Gonzaga will be leading at halftime. The line for the Bulldogs to be ahead is at 2.5 points, and they'll likely be up by more than that at the end of the first half.

Baylor won't be too far behind, and it will have a chance to make a run at the lead in the second half. But Gonzaga has led at halftime in each of its first five games of the tournament, and that's unlikely to change now, as the Bulldogs have proved they can get out to early leads, even against strong competition.

Another prop bet to consider is picking the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Two Gonzaga players have the best odds of winning the award—freshman guard Jalen Suggs (+100) and sophomore forward Drew Timme (+100). And if the Bulldogs win the national title, one of those two is likely to capture the award.

Timme is Gonzaga's leading scorer (19.2 points per game) and rebounder (7.1 per game), and he's been impressive throughout the tournament. However, everybody is going to remember Suggs' deep game-winning three-pointer that he banked in as time expired to beat UCLA. So if Suggs has a solid showing in the national title game, he could be the favorite to win Most Outstanding Player.

The prediction here is that Gonzaga will win, while Suggs receives the top individual honor, capping a strong finish to his first (and likely only) season with the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga will make history, and it will cover the spread against Baylor while doing so. Expect the Bulldogs to make some key shots down the stretch to put away the Bears, as they'll finish an incredible season with yet another strong victory.

Prediction: Gonzaga 77, Baylor 72

        

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The college basketball season will conclude Monday with a battle between the two best teams on the men's side.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears have been atop the rankings all season, and since their December meeting was cancelled, everyone around the sport has hoped for another shot at the matchup.

Gonzaga and Baylor have looked in control for the majority of their games in Indianapolis. The only slip-up was Gonzaga's trip to overtime against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

What makes Gonzaga so good is it can absorb the best game from its opponents and still come out on top. Baylor possessed the same quality throughout Big 12 play, as it navigated a schedule full of Top 25 teams without many blemishes.

Monday's matchup is expected to be tight because neither team has a significant advantage in any area of the court. An argument can be made that Gonzaga has a bit more scoring depth than Baylor, but that is one of the few areas where an edge is held.

                       

Final Score Prediction

Gonzaga 75, Baylor 70

Gonzaga and Baylor could easily reach the 80-point mark against any other opponents. However, the defensive form of both teams and history suggest we are more likely to see a game finish in the 70s on Monday night.

Since 2000, the winning team in the men's national championship game eclipsed the 80-point mark on eight occasions. Four of those occurrences happened between 2000 and 2004. In that same span, the victor had at least 70 points on 14 occasions, including each of the past four title clashes.

Those numbers suggest we could see an offensive battle that ends up short of Gonzaga's typical offensive pace.

Gonzaga averaged 89.2 points per game in its first five NCAA tournament games, but Baylor's defense is the toughest it will face all season. The Bears made every possession from the Houston Cougars feel difficult Saturday, as their guards gave up little space and closed down on most shots that looked open for a split second.

The Bears have held three foes under 60 points in Indianapolis, including Houston in the Final Four. Baylor's defense could hold an early edge Monday since Gonzaga is coming into the contest with a disadvantage in rest and off a game that demanded maximum energy on every possession.

If Scott Drew's team limits Gonzaga's output in the first five to 10 minutes, it will be hard for Gonzaga to reach 80 points again.

Saturday's win over the UCLA Bruins could hurt Gonzaga physically at the start, but how it played out may help it close out a victory Monday. Mark Few's squad received 33 points from Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard. If Ayayi and Nembhard reach double figures again, Baylor's defense could be stretched thin.

The Bears have to focus on Drew Timme, Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs, but if Ayayi and Nembhard get hot, they may have to alter their defensive strategy and avoid any double teams.

Baylor's guards could bring up the same issues in Gonzaga's defense, but if it can't drive into the paint against Timme, it may struggle to have a well-rounded approach. If Gonzaga affects enough of Baylor's short-range shots and turns those misses into transition opportunities, it could break open the game in a few quick spurts.

In Suggs, Ayayi and Nembhard, Gonzaga has three guards who can race down the court and shift the momentum in its favor in a few seconds. If Gonzaga forces enough misses and takes advantage of its pace in transition, it should build enough of a lead to complete its undefeated season.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

The Stanford women's basketball team earned itself quite a fan Sunday.

President Joe Biden tweeted his congratulations to the Cardinal and praised the Arizona Wildcats on a "hard-fought season."

Congratulations to @StanfordWBB on their NCAA Women's Basketball Championship win, and to @ArizonaWBB on a hard-fought season.

This year, every college team went through a uniquely challenging season but Coach VanDerveer's team shows how grit and tenacity can prevail.

— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) April 5, 2021

Biden also praised the "grit and tenacity" of Stanford in what was a "uniquely challenging season" for all teams as they competed amid the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented.

Stanford clinched the title with a dramatic two-game run at the Final Four in Texas. It defeated South Carolina 66-65 in the national semifinal after the Gamecocks were unable to capitalize on a chaotic scene in the final seconds when they created a turnover and had shots from Brea Beal and Aliyah Boston that could have won it rim out.

There was a similar situation in Sunday's final when Arizona had the ball down one on the final possession.

Aari McDonald's contested jumper just rimmed out, clinching the 54-53 win and a presidential tweet for Stanford.

When the field for the 2021 NCAA men's basketball tournament was set four weeks ago, there were 68 teams entering March Madness with national championship aspirations. Now, there are only two. And it's not surprising that either has reached this point.

Gonzaga and Baylor are the last two teams standing, and the schools will now face off in the national title game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Monday night. The Bulldogs are 31-0 and have an opportunity to complete a perfect season. The Bears are 27-2 and have bounced back in strong fashion after coming up short in the Big 12 tournament early last month.

It's guaranteed that March Madness will be ending with a first-time national champion. Neither of these teams has ever won a title and each has only reached this point once before. Gonzaga lost to North Carolina in the national championship game in 2017, while Baylor lost to Kentucky in 1948.

Here are the current odds for this matchup, followed by a look at how these team each got here.

        

National Championship Game Odds

Spread: Gonzaga (-4.5)

Over/Under: 159.5 total points

Moneyline: Gonzaga -210 (bet $210 to win $100); Baylor +165 (bet $100 to win $165)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook

     

March Madness Bracket Review

There hasn't been a team to go undefeated and win the national championship since Indiana in the 1975-76 season. But Gonzaga is now on the brink of history after rolling through the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.

The Bulldogs rolled big against No. 16-seeded Norfolk State in the first round, winning 98-55. They followed that up with an 87-71 victory over No. 8-seeded Oklahoma in the second round and an 83-65 win over No. 5-seeded Creighton in the Sweet 16.

Even once the tournament field was down to eight teams, Gonzaga still wasn't having issues rolling past its competition. It defeated No. 6-seeded USC handily in the Elite Eight round, cruising to an 85-66 win to secure the second Final Four appearance in program history.

The Bulldogs, who had won 29 of their first 30 games this season by at least 10 points, finally faced a true test in the national semifinals on Saturday night. No. 11-seeded UCLA made a surprise run from the First Four to the Final Four, and it was up to the task of giving Gonzaga a competitive game.

The Bulldogs and Bruins went to overtime, and the game was tied with 3.3 seconds remaining in the extra period before Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs received an inbounds pass, dribbled up just past midcourt and banked in a deep three-pointer to win the game.

"We were lucky enough to hit a 50-footer," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said, per Eddie Pells of the Associated Press. "So it helps when you have a magical, special guy like Jalen, special at the end of games."

Whether it was luck, skill or a combination of both, Gonzaga is now one win away from the national championship and making history with an unblemished record. But the Bulldogs will be facing a team capable of spoiling things for them.

Baylor won its first 18 games of the season, but it lost twice in a six-game span prior to the NCAA tournament.They lost to Oklahoma State in the semifinals of the Big 12 tourney, falling short of winning the event for the first time in program history.

However, Baylor could more than make up for that by winning its first national title. And it's been playing well during its run to reach this point.

The Bears beat No. 16-seeded Hartford 79-55 in the opening round. Then, they defeated No. 9-seeded Wisconsin 76-63 in the second round and beat No. 5-seeded Villanova 62-51 in the Sweet 16.

With an 81-72 victory over No. 3-seeded Arkansas in the Elite Eight round, Baylor reached the Final Four for the third time in program history and for the first time since 1950. Once there, the Bears had no trouble securing a spot in the national title game, as they cruised to a 78-59 win over No. 2-seeded Houston in a semifinal matchup on Saturday.

"Every day you're grinding, and you don’t really look back. You're pressing forward,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said, per Dave Skretta of the Associated Press, "but I'm so blessed to have these unbelievable players that bought into what we like to do with the program."

Now, Gonzaga and Baylor will play each other for the sixth time. Each of the previous five meetings between the two schools have been won by the Bulldogs, including an 83-71 victory on March 23, 2019, which was a second-round matchup in the NCAA tournament.

Will Gonzaga notch another win and finish 32-0, or can Baylor cap off its own impressive season with a championship? We'll soon find out.

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Gonzaga and Baylor have been the two best men's college basketball teams in the country all season. So it's fitting that either the Bulldogs or Bears will be cutting down the nets as the national champions Monday.

On Saturday, Gonzaga and Baylor won their respective Final Four contests to advance to the national championship game, which will take place Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Both teams are No. 1 seeds that have advanced through the NCAA tournament with impressive runs.

Not only is Gonzaga looking to become the first team to go undefeated and win the national title since Indiana in 1975-76, but the Bulldogs are also looking to win the first national championship in program history. Baylor has also never won a national title, and it hasn't reached the championship game since 1948.

Here's everything else you need to know about this year's national championship game.

                            

Championship Game Information

Date: Monday, April 5

Start Time: 9:20 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

                

Championship Game Odds

Spread: Gonzaga (-4.5)

Over/Under: 160 total points

Moneyline: Gonzaga -225 (bet $225 to win $100); Baylor +170 (bet $100 to win $170)

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

            

Preview, Prediction

In an unorthodox season that has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Gonzaga has an opportunity to go down as one of the greatest teams of all time. After winning their first 31 games, the Bulldogs are one victory away from a national title.

Gonzaga was dominant to open the NCAA tournament, winning each of its first four games by at least 16 points. That wasn't anything new for the Bulldogs, who had won all but one of their games by 10 or more points heading into Saturday night.

However, Gonzaga faced its greatest test in its national semifinal against UCLA, a No. 11 seed that made a surprising run from the First Four to the Final Four. Not only did the Bruins take the Bulldogs to overtime, but they also tied the game at 90-90 when sophomore guard Johnny Juzang scored with 3.3 seconds remaining in the extra period.

Gonzaga ended up victorious, however, as freshman guard Jalen Suggs banked in a deep three-pointer as time expired to secure a 93-90 win. Now, the Bulldogs are in the national championship game for the second time in program history (the previous appearance came in 2017, when they lost to North Carolina).

Even though Gonzaga has been unbeatable, its final test won't be easy. Baylor has been rolling the past few weeks too.

"I think now they're back playing the way they were earlier this year," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of the Bears, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "And so well coached. Stepping up, making shots. Playing great defense. ... We've got to get ready for a terrific Baylor team. And we're going to have to play great."

Baylor won its first 18 games of the season, but it had lost twice in a span of six games heading into the NCAA tournament, which included falling to Oklahoma State in the semifinals of the Big 12 tourney. But the Bears have bounced back with five straight wins, including a dominant 78-59 victory over No. 2-seeded Houston in the Final Four on Saturday.

If there's any team capable of beating Gonzaga, it could be Baylor.

However, there's a reason Gonzaga hasn't been beaten this season, and that's because it's a strong, well-rounded team. The Bulldogs have faced some tough competition, but they have still rarely been tested. Still, they are capable of pulling out wins in close games, which they proved against UCLA.

Expect Gonzaga's talented core of sophomore forward Drew Timme (19 points per game), senior forward Corey Kispert (18.9), Suggs (14) and junior guard Joel Ayayi (11.8) to be too much for Baylor to slow down. The group will lead the Bulldogs to the national title and an unblemished record, marking one of the best seasons in college basketball history.

Prediction: Gonzaga 77, Baylor 72

                   

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INDIANAPOLIS—Every once in a great while, there is an "I will always remember where I was when" sports moment.

Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs just delivered one of those all-timers, banking in a 30-plus-foot heave at the buzzer for a 93-90 overtime win over UCLA in what was easily the greatest NCAA tournament game since at least the 2016 national championship.

Even the cardboard cutouts in Lucas Oil Stadium were screaming after that one.

Suggs' miraculous bucket kept the undefeated quest intact, and it set up the Gonzaga-Baylor showdown we've been waiting for four months to watch.

Not too shabby for a freshman playing in a close game for the first time since early December.

"I was just thinking, please, please go in," said Suggs in his postgame Zoom conference, brandishing a smile that assuredly won't fade in the slightest until it's time to get back to business on Monday night. "I don't want to go to another overtime. I want to get this over with. But I saw something afterwards, 'Gordon Hayward walked, so Jalen starts to run.' That was pretty funny."

Jalen Suggs' game-winner called by Gonzaga's IMG radio team of Tom Hudson and Adam Morrison.

Yes, former @ZagMBB Adam Morrison.

🎥: @briannnnfpic.twitter.com/ozQDEppxu0

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 4, 2021

Suggs actually had several gigantic moments late in this instant classic.

With two minutes remaining in regulation, he rose up for a preposterous block on a would-be Cody Riley dunk, corralled the rebound and then dropped an absolute dime of a bounce pass to Drew Timme, who was streaking down the floor for a go-ahead dunk (and obligatory mustache salute to the rafters). That sequence came on UCLA's first possession after Suggs had a marvelous finish in the paint, pirouetting away from a block for a game-tying bucket.

The Zags needed every bit of his heroics just to get into overtime in a back-and-forth battle for the ages.

A battle, by the way, that only the five hundred or so incessant "U-C! L-A!" chanters in the stands legitimately thought was possible.

Gonzaga was favored by 14. After Baylor took care of Houston earlier in the evening, most of us spent Miley Cyrus' between-games concert peeking ahead to the presumed clash of No. 1 seeds on Monday night.

But someone forgot to tell UCLA that it was only here to be the next sacrificial lamb on Gonzaga's undefeated rampage to the title game.

Johnny Juzang continued his outstanding tournament with 29 points for the Bruins. Tyger Campbell only made six field goals, but it felt like at least twice that many, as each one came at a juncture when UCLA desperately needed a momentum-shifting bucket. And Cody Riley must have made more mid-range jumpers tonight than he did in his past 15 games combined.

It wasn't just Riley, either. Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. were both lethal on the 15-foot shots that went out of style in college hoops a long time ago. The Bruins shot 61.9 percent on two-point attempts, and most of them were from distances that analytics would deem to be "low percentage shots."

They clearly weren't low percentage on this night, though, as UCLA repeatedly stifled any attempt by Gonzaga—who shot 71.4 percent from inside the arc in its own right—to pull away.

This game featured 19 lead changes and 15 ties, and you could easily convince me those counts were just from the first half—when it often felt like Gonzaga's fourth-best player, Joel Ayayi, was playing 1-on-5 against the Bruins and somehow holding his own.

"It was quite a chess match going on out there," said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few after the game. "And, you know, we had the last possession. And like I said, we were lucky enough to hit a 50-footer. So it helps when you have a magical, special guy like Jalen, special at the end of games."

At no point did this feel like a meeting between the best team in the country and a team that just barely qualified for the NCAA tournament. This was a heavyweight fight chock full of haymakers, and a game that none of us will forget any time soon.

But the best part is this was merely the appetizer.

Perhaps it was the most delicious appetizer of all-time, but because Gonzaga got the W, now we get the Monday night entree between Gonzaga and Baylor.

And, friends, that steak has been dry aging for four full months. It is going to be all sorts of scrumptious.

In case you've somehow both forgotten and missed all of the reminders over the past few weeks, Baylor and Gonzaga were scheduled to square off on the afternoon of Dec. 5. Unfortunately, that game was postponed just a few hours before tipoff because of COVID-19 issues within the Gonzaga program.

Ever since that day, this game has constantly felt like the one that got away.

Gonzaga is still undefeated, now just 40 (or 45, or 50) minutes away from becoming the first undefeated men's college basketball team since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers. And Baylor was the most recent team to lose that undefeated status, making it all the way until Feb. 27 before suffering its first loss.

Even if they had never been scheduled to face each other, there would have been a palpable, mounting anticipation for a potential national championship clash.

Because they were scheduled to square off and it got taken away from us, it often felt like the only acceptable end to this tournament would be the rematch of the game that never happened.

Would we have enjoyed a UCLA-Baylor national championship? Absolutely. Either the Bruins would have become the unlikeliest national champion in the history of the sport or Scott Drew would have polished off an incredible 18-year turnaround with that Bears program.

But Gonzaga-Baylor is the ideal ending to the first NCAA tournament in two years.

"I think we match up pretty well," said Baylor's Jared Butler about a possible matchup with Gonzaga. "They've got pros. We've got pros. They win a lot of games. We win a lot of games. I think we match up well."

Preseason No. 1 vs. preseason No. 2 for all the marbles.

One of these programs will be winning its first ever national championship.

Let's see if it can possibly live up to the hype.

That Suggs buzzer-beater sure set the bar high.

                   

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @kerrancejames.

UCLA guard Johnny Juzang was called for a charge with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation of the Bruins' eventual 93-90 overtime loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Saturday.

Nice crossover by Juzang to get by Suggs. Great job by Timme of stepping up to take a charge. pic.twitter.com/SQ5chbypkB

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 4, 2021

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James provided his take after the call, which occurred with UCLA and Gonzaga tied at 81:

Hahaha! Everything is a CHARGE in HS and College ball. EVERYTHING

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021

Juzang would have gone to the free-throw line for two shots if referees called a blocking foul on Gonzaga's Drew Timme.

Juzang, a 90 percent free-throw shooter, almost certainly would have nailed at least one. That would have forced Gonzaga to get off a game-winning shot attempt from full court with just 1.1 seconds left.

Instead, the charge was called, leading to an incredible overtime period that featured a game-tying putback layup from Juzang before Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs nailed the game-winning three-pointer from just beyond half court.

Timme had an excellent game outside the charge, scoring 25 points (six in overtime). He played the end of regulation and all of overtime with four fouls.

Juzang was exceptional as well, leading all scorers with 29 points.

Gonzaga men's basketball head coach Mark Few said that Bulldogs point guard Jalen Suggs has a "magical aura" after the freshman drilled the game-winning three-pointer from just beyond half court to give the Bulldogs a 93-90 win over UCLA in the Final Four on Saturday.

JALEN SUGGS FOR THE WIN 😱😱😱 https://t.co/S8M5RMEpYD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021

"He's got that magical aura," Few told reporters. "He makes them in practice. ... I was staring right at it and I was like, 'That’s in.' And it was."

Suggs provided his own comments on the moment postgame:

“I can’t put this one into words. Turning dreams into reality.”

Jalen Suggs reflects on the Zags' special @marchmadness run https://t.co/0fC8HCuXOH

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021

Suggs had authored another magical moment earlier in the game when he got up to block a Cody Riley shot before dishing a half-court pass between four other UCLA defenders to find Drew Timme for a dunk and a 79-77 lead late in regulation:

SUGGS TO TIMME FOR THE LEAD.

THIS GAME. https://t.co/t5NhhskWlM

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021

More work needed to be done, but Suggs put Gonzaga into the finals with one of the greatest shots in NCAA tournament history.

Suggs, who finished with 16 points, six assists and five rebounds, will look to make Gonzaga the first undefeated men's Division I team since 1976 when the Bulldogs take on Baylor for the national title Monday.