NCAA Tournament

The men's college basketball season will end with the game of the season and the most anticipated showdown of the campaign.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs advanced to the national championship by beating the UCLA Bruins at the buzzer on a banked-in heave from Jalen Suggs. Suggs and Co. now have 48 hours to prepare for the Baylor Bears. The two teams were supposed to play in Indianapolis on December 5, but it was cancelled the day of because of COVID-19 protocols.

Baylor carved a much easier path to Monday's title game, as it blew out the Houston Cougars in the first of Saturday's two national semifinals.

With the way both teams made shots Saturday, the final has the potential to be a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair.

               

Men's National Championship Game Info

Date: Monday, April 5

Start Time: 9:20 p.m. ET 

TV: CBS

          

Preview

Everyone is going to remember the way in which Gonzaga qualified for the title clash.

Baylor's win over Houston feels like it happens days ago because of the long break between contests and the epic overtime battle between Gonzaga and UCLA. The extra few hours of rest, combined with a low-stress game, could give Baylor the slight advantage it needs to either stick with Gonzaga or dictate the tempo of the contest.

The Bears turned in a marvelous shooting performance, knocking down 52.7 percent of their shots and 11 of their 24 three-pointers. Baylor's offensive firepower should allow it to hang with Gonzaga, especially if it matches up well with the Bulldogs on the perimeter.

Jared Butler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell will be the most complete backcourt trio Gonzaga faces all season. Baylor also has two wide bodies in Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua who could deal with Drew Timme's maneuvering in the paint.

Timme has taken over stretches of Gonzaga's games because of his ability around the rim. His shot fakes have opened up gaps for easy baskets and trips to the foul line.

Although Baylor appears to have a unit that can match up well in all facets with Gonzaga, the Bulldogs may have gained an edge during the UCLA game. Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard were fantastic over 45 minutes in supporting roles of Suggs, Timme and Corey Kispert.

Ayayi made nine of his 12 field goals to finish second on the team with 22 points, while Nembhard added 11 points and eight assists. If Mark Few's team gets a high level of production out of its fourth- and fifth-best players Monday night, it could outlast Baylor.

As we saw Saturday, a team's most complete performance of the year may not be good enough to end Gonzaga's undefeated season. Of course, Baylor provides a step up in competition for UCLA, but Gonzaga has been able to answer all of the challenges thrown in its direction.

For Gonzaga to complete the perfect season, it needs to withstand everything Baylor throws at it, just like it did with UCLA on Saturday.

While Monday's contest may not reach the levels of the Bulldogs-Bruins showdown, it is expected to provide plenty of drama for a game involving the two best men's basketball teams in the country.

                  

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

Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs hit a running three-point jumper from just inside half court to give the undefeated Bulldogs a 93-90 overtime win over the UCLA Bruins in the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship in Indianapolis on Saturday.

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

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2021

UCLA trailed 90-85 with under a minute remaining, but a Jaime Jaquez Jr. three-pointer and a Johnny Juzang putback off his own miss tied the game at 90 with 3.3 seconds left.

The ball was then inbounded to Suggs, who banked in the game-winner to keep the Bulldogs undefeated. They'll now face Baylor in the national championship game Monday evening.

     

Notable Performances

UCLA G Johnny Juzang: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

UCLA G Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

UCLA G Tyger Campbell: 17 points, 7 assists

UCLA F Cody Riley: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists

Gonzaga F Drew Timme: 25 points, 4 rebounds

Gonzaga G Joel Ayayi: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

Gonzaga G Jalen Suggs: 16 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Gonzaga F Corey Kispert: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals

    

Suggs: Legend

The history of the NCAA basketball tournament is littered with buzzer-beaters, but game-winners in the deeper stages of the tournament are fairly rare.

The ones that have gone down are legendary.

UNC's Charlotte Smith and Notre Dame's Arike Ogunbowale both drilled three-pointers to win the women's titles in 1994 and 2018, respectively.

On the men's side, Villanova's Kris Jenkins drilled a deep three to give Villanova the 2016 crown, and Lorenzo Charles dunked home the winner to give NC State the 1983 men's title over Houston.

Christian Laettner may have the most memorable one of all, as he took a full-court pass from Grant Hill and connected on a turnaround jumper to send Duke into the 1992 Final Four over Kentucky.

Hill was on the call for the UCLA vs. Gonzaga game, and he was witness to another shot that will forever live in basketball history.

Because of it, Suggs has etched his name among the greats, and he even struggled to find the words for what had just happened.

“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

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports tried to provide historical context for Suggs' shot:

Jalen Suggs just drilled a shot just inside half court to seal the game for Gonzaga in overtime. Gonzaga wins 93-90. That's one of the five biggest shots in the history of the NCAA tournament. That had to be more than 35 feet.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 4, 2021

Adding to Suggs' legendary night is the fact that he already authored the play of the game (and maybe the tournament) before he even touched the ball following Juzang's game-tying putback.

With the score tied at 77 late in regulation, the 6'4" Suggs blocked the 6'9" Cody Riley's point-blank layup attempt.

The future top-five NBA draft pick then corralled the ball and somehow slid a half-court bounce pass through four UCLA defenders to a cutting Drew Timme, who finished the sequence with a dunk:

WHAT A SEQUENCE 😱@ZagMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/lfdsPYiMXh

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2021

Far more work needed to be done before Gonzaga could move on to the final, but Suggs made sure the Bulldogs got there.

   

UCLA, Led by Juzang, Achieves True Greatness

"I sit in Coach Wooden's seat, so when you sit in his seat you have to channel the things that he taught: True greatness is giving your best effort. What else can I ask from those guys?"

That's what UCLA head coach Mick Cronin told CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson following his team's loss. He referenced the legendary John Wooden, the UCLA coach who won 10 national titles with the school.

"My message to those guys is to not let that shot ruin what they have done." @tracywolfson speaks with Mick Cronin after a remarkable @UCLAMBB run. pic.twitter.com/xcgM9YbeSr

— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) April 4, 2021

The No. 11 seed has given a tremendous effort all tournament.

The Bruins needed to win an extra game in the First Four (overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit to win in overtime no less) just to make the round of 64. UCLA also won an overtime game against Alabama in the Sweet 16 and survived No. 1 Michigan in the Elite Eight, 51-49.

After all that, this is what UCLA was up against going into the Final Four:

Gonzaga entered Saturday averaging 91.6 points per game, the most in Division I men's hoops. Its 54.8 percent field-goal rate was No. 1, and the same went for its 23.1-point scoring margin. The Bulldogs won 29 of their 30 games by 10 or more points, including their last 27.

In addition, Gonzaga entered Saturday with the highest recorded adjusted efficiency margin recorded by KenPom.com (since 2002). The Bulldogs were not only first in offensive efficiency but also fifth on the defensive end.

Naturally, Gonzaga has NBA talent on the roster: Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has Suggs (third overall), Kispert (13th) and Joel Ayayi (39th) going in the first round in his latest 2021 mock draft. That list doesn't include Timme, who scored 25 points and put Gonzaga in position for the Suggs game-winner after scoring six in the extra session.

With all that, UCLA entered the game as a 14.5-point underdog.

So that's a lot. And yet UCLA, led by Juzang, nearly got it done.

It's already been an emotional weekend for Juzang, whose older brother Christian surprised him by coming to Indianapolis on Friday:

.@JohnnyJuzang's brother flew in from Vietnam to surprise him at the #FinalFour ❤️

(via @UCLAMBB)pic.twitter.com/bc0IQTPAnW

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2021

Johnny Juzang's brother traveled all the way from Vietnam to surprise him during an interview

Heartfelt moment ❤️

(via @marchmadness) https://t.co/KnxiB217r1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 3, 2021

Christian plays professional basketball in Vietnam, and the two brothers hadn't seen each other for nearly a year.

Juzang entered the Final Four averaging 21.6 points per game in the tournament, including 28 against Michigan and 27 versus BYU.

He carried the UCLA offense Saturday, playing all 45 minutes and scoring 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting. His three-point jumper gave the Bruins a late 77-75 edge, and he also nailed a mid-range jumper to answer Suggs' incredible block and assist to give Gonzaga a 79-77 lead:

JOHNNY. JUZANG. 🎯@UCLAMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/212tkbT7he

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2021

Juzang looked like he could have had the chance to play the hero in double overtime, but it wasn't meant to be. Still, Juzang and the Bruins received much love on Twitter from ex-Bruins Kevin Love and Troy Aikman, among others:

Bruins Final Four bound!!! Man Johnny Juzang was great!!! Hell of a fight!!! 🐻🐻🐻

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) March 31, 2021

What a game. So proud of both teams tonight. One of those games when there’s not a loser - only a winner. This was college athletics at its finest. Congratulations Coach Cronin and UCLA on one great season! Hats off to Gonzaga.

— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) April 4, 2021

Ultimately, CBS Sports analyst Clark Kellogg put it best:

"Nobody lost this game. UCLA ran out of time." @ClarkKelloggCBS gives both Gonzaga and UCLA a standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/SkJy9bmBhl

— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) April 4, 2021

The Bruins may have scored fewer points, but there were no losers. UCLA ultimately achieved that greatness Wooden and Cronin referenced. A moral victory isn't getting the Bruins to the national championship, but they were simply sensational.

The Marion County (Indiana) Health Department is investigating whether patrons attending the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament were exposed to COVID-19 after reports that Alabama basketball superfan and student Luke Ratliff, who was in attendance for the Crimson Tide's three games, died from complications related to the disease Friday.

Per Emily Hopkins of the Indianapolis Star, the department confirmed that it contacted Alabama's Department of Public Health regarding whether anyone in Indianapolis was exposed to COVID-19 by an Alabama resident. 

Marion County did not mention Ratliff's name in particular but said that its research efforts were based on a news report.

"We are conducting an investigation following the county and state's standard contact tracing procedures," the department stated. "We continue to encourage residents and visitors to practice the simple and important habits that keep us all safe: wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing."

Hopkins made it clear that it's unknown where, how or from whom Ratliff contracted COVID-19: "It is unclear whether he had contracted the virus before, during or after his visit to Indianapolis, or where he contracted the virus. It's also unknown whether he was symptomatic while in Indianapolis."

Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News reported Saturday that "multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed" Ratliff's death due to COVID-19.

Alabama's NCAA tournament run ended after the Crimson Tide lost to UCLA in the Sweet 16 last Sunday. The Crimson Tide also played on March 20 and 22.

Ratliff returned to Tuscaloosa on Monday, but he was shortly hospitalized thereafter at DCH Regional Medical Center.

Many people associated with the Alabama program expressed their condolences upon news of Ratliff's death, including head coach Nate Oats and SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones:

Devastating news. Doesn’t seem real. Fluff has been our biggest supporter since day one. Put all he had into our program. Loved sharing this ride with him. You’ll be missed dearly my man! Wish we had one more victory cigar and hug together. Roll Tide Forever.@fluffopotamus88 pic.twitter.com/1igys6NdHh

— Nate Oats (@nate_oats) April 3, 2021

RIP Fluff !!! Praying for your family bro 😭!! pic.twitter.com/IX2F7ekrNQ

— Herbert Jones (@_hoopinglife) April 3, 2021

The beloved Ratliff, who grew up in North Carolina, spoke with the Tuscaloosa News about his relationship with the school.

“They’ve taken me in. They’re good people and I appreciate how close they’ve let me get with the program. I feel like I owe them something. Because I feel like I don't deserve half the things, half the recognition, half the acknowledgement, half the accolades that I get because I'm just doing what I love.”

Ratliff was 23 years old.

The Baylor Bears are going to the national championship for the second time in program history after beating Houston 78-59 in the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Saturday in Indianapolis.

The Bears rolled off a 39-12 run to take a 45-20 halftime lead. That span included 10-0 and 11-0 runs. Houston played far better in the second half and cut Baylor's lead down to 16, but the Bears' 25-point halftime edge was too much to overcome.

Junior guard Jared Butler led the Bears with 17 points (all in the first half) on 6-of-9 shooting. Fellow junior guard Davion Mitchell added 12 points and 11 assists for the Bears.

Houston sophomore guard Marcus Sasser led the Cougars with 20 points, 17 of which occurred in the first half. Junior Cougar guard Quentin Grimes scored all 13 of his points in the second half.

Baylor will now play the winner of Gonzaga and UCLA in the national championship Monday.

     

Notable Performances

Baylor G Jared Butler: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

Baylor G Davion Mitchell: 12 points, 11 assists

Houston G Marcus Sasser: 20 points, 4 rebounds

Houston G Quentin Grimes: 13 points, 2 steals

     

Fantastic 1st Half Propels Baylor to Win

Led by Butler's scoring and Mitchell's distributing, Baylor put on a first-half clinic.

Butler's 17 first-half points occurred on 6-of-8 shooting (4-of-5 from three-point land). The rest of the Bears were excellent as well with 28 points on 10-of-20 from the field.

Matthew Mayer came off the bench to kick-start the Bears' 39-12 rally with five points:

Matthew Mayer with a quick 5pts off the bench ♨️@BaylorMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/olyB8vkx11

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2021

Butler later nailed one of his four first-half three-pointers from the wing to give Baylor a 22-11 edge:

Jared Butler. Automatic. 🎯@BaylorMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/wE8TBlkaXx

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2021

He stayed hot from downtown, nailing back-to-back shots from deep to provide the Bears with a 33-17 advantage:

Jared Butler ON FIRE 🔥

He just drilled back-to-back triples @BaylorMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/tFh8ksLFqX

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 3, 2021

Butler excelled thanks in part to excellent ball movement facilitated by Mitchell, who had seven first-half assists. ESPN Stats & Info posted about Mitchell at the half while also noting where Baylor stood in Final Four history following its opening 20 minutes:

Baylor leads Houston by 25 points at halftime.

That is the 4th-largest lead at halftime of a Final Four game all-time and the largest since Kansas (+29) vs Marquette in 2003.

Davion Mitchell scored or assisted on 27 of Baylor’s 45 first-half points (60%). pic.twitter.com/ouvKFsH0mF

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 3, 2021

But he took care of business himself as well, nailing a three-pointer as time expired in the first half:

BOOM 💥💥💥#SicEm 🐻 | #TimeIsNow 🏀

pic.twitter.com/RpaoAUcyXs

— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) April 3, 2021

The combination of a potential NBA lottery pick in Mitchell, a possible first-round selection in Butler and a host of Bears who got hot from deep, dominated the boards and played tight defense ultimately put Houston in a hole it could not crawl out of Saturday.

             

Fantastic Houston Season Ends in Final Four After Rough 1st Half

Saturday simply wasn't Houston's evening, as a 16-minute stretch saw an early 8-6 lead turn into a 45-20 Cougars deficit by halftime.

Credit to Houston for outscoring Baylor 47-39 outside that run. The Cougars clearly did not pack it in after halftime, scoring 39 points to Baylor's 33.

However, this game ultimately boils down to a few facts.

First, Mitchell and Butler were unstoppable, as previously noted.

Second, Baylor's dominance on the boards played a big part in the Bears' win. The No. 1 seed grabbed 20 versus Houston's 11 in the first half, getting second-chance points and preventing Houston from doing the same. It was a team effort on the glass, too, with four players grabbing at least four boards.

Third, the Cougars struggled outside Sasser, who had 17 points scoring on 6-of-11 shooting (5-of-8 from three-point range) in the first half. However, the rest of his teammates scored just three points on 1-of-15 shooting before halftime.

Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report mentioned Sasser and the team's performance during the first half:

Sasser has 15 of Houston’s 17 points. Baylor dominating this game but he’s doing all he can. Legit him vs Baylor

— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) April 3, 2021

Baylor entered Saturday with the third-most efficient offense in the nation, per KenPom.com, so Houston needed to keep pace on offense barring an excellent defensive performance. Neither happened in a first half where everything that could have gone wrong did.

However, Houston has a lot to be proud of after a 28-win season saw the Cougars land in the Final Four for the first time in 37 years.

The future is ultimately bright under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who has completely rebuilt a Cougars team that had made the NCAA tournament just once between 1993 and 2017.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will try to continue their undefeated season against the only Division I men's basketball program with multiple perfect seasons.

Although this year's iteration of the UCLA Bruins is not viewed as a contender to Gonzaga, there is a bit of symbolism involved in the Zags beating one of the most historic programs in the Final Four to advance to the national championship.

Gonzaga is once again an overwhelming favorite to win in Indianapolis, and unless UCLA halts the run of fast starts, the game may be all but over by halftime.

Saturday's opener inside Lucas Oil Stadium is expected to be much closer, as the Baylor Bears and Houston Cougars share similar strengths in the backcourt. Baylor should advance, but it may face its toughest test of the NCAA tournament to get into the title game.

                

Men's Final Four Information

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Houston (5:14 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA (8:34 p.m. ET, CBS)

Games can be live-streamed on the CBS Sports app and CBSSports.com.

               

Picks

No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 11 UCLA

Gonzaga is aiming to be the eighth team to finish a men's basketball season with a perfect record.

The Zags looked the part of the nation's top program in their first four victories. They eclipsed the 80-point mark and won by double digits in each of those contests.

Gonzaga has not let its opponents find a rhythm early on, as it is known for racing out to fast starts and not letting up. Mark Few's team has a first-half winning margin average of 15.5, and it is averaging 45.3 points in the first 20 minutes.

In the Elite Eight, the Zags finished off the USC Trojans within the first 10 minutes and owned a 19-point lead at the break. If Gonzaga solves UCLA's defense and gets off to a similar start, it could once again cruise into the next round.

UCLA's path to an upset revolves around strong defense and support for Johnny Juzang in the scoring column. It only received the strong defensive outing against the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan was one of two teams in the past three games that the Bruins held below 50 points, but achieving that total seems unlikely Saturday versus a team that could put up 50 in the first 20 minutes. UCLA needs to hold Gonzaga to 60-70 points to have a chance of clinching a spot in the final. It also needs more support for Juzang, who earned 28 of the team's 51 points versus Michigan.

If Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez and others chip in, like they did against the Alabama Crimson Tide, UCLA stands a shot to remain close. Even if UCLA plays a mistake-free game, Gonzaga can still win by double digits. The Zags have displayed a terrific closing gear and have a single win by fewer than 10 points this season.

The No. 1 overall seed can control the paint through Drew Timme much better than Michigan did with Hunter Dickinson, and there is a good chance its guards do not have as poor of a shooting night as the Wolverines' guards.

Gonzaga's offense was held under 80 points on two occasions, and it still won those games by double figures.

Every time you try to map out UCLA's potential path to an upset win, there is a Gonzaga stat to discredit it. All of the numbers suggest Gonzaga will win in convincing fashion.

                  

No. 1 Baylor over No. 2 Houston

The all-Texas Final Four opener should be billed as a defensive showdown.

Baylor and Houston both have impressive defenses that are run by a lengthy unit of guards. Baylor runs through Davion Mitchell, MaCio Teague, Jared Butler and Mark Vital. Houston relies on DeJan Jarreau, Marcus Sasser and Quentin Grimes.

Houston is more accustomed to playing a grind-it-out type game, as it won its past three contests by scoring in the 60s. The Cougars also ended their American Athletic Conference slate with two tight battles against the Memphis Tigers, which were won by a combined five points.

Baylor's games typically featured more points, with it pulling away through a dominant defensive stretch. For example, the Bears put up 81 points on the Arkansas Razorbacks and used a stretch of 11 missed field goals in a row from the SEC side to create second-half separation.

The Bears were tested on plenty of occasions in the Big 12, but they had five wins of eight points or more against Top 25 sides. They also recovered from a poor start against the West Virginia Mountaineers on March 2 to win by five in overtime.

Baylor's closing ability should give it the edge against a Houston side that struggled to put away the Oregon State Beavers in the Elite Eight. Oregon State looked out of the contest by halftime and then scored 44 second-half points to finish within six of the Cougars.

Houston also could not pull away from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second round. It had to claw back from behind to avoid an early elimination. Kelvin Sampson's side has not displayed the same killer finishing instinct in close games that Baylor flashed all season.

With the margins expected to be thin, all it could take for Baylor to gain control is a four-minute stretch in which it outscores Houston by five or more points.

                

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

The first women's Final Four for freshman sensation Paige Bueckers begins against a program making its first foray into this stage of the NCAA tournament. 

Bueckers and the UConn Huskies will attempt to get back to the national championship game for the first time since 2016 against the Arizona Wildcats. 

Arizona and the Stanford Cardinal extended the Pac-12's tremendous postseason in college basketball by making up half of the women's Final Four. 

Stanford relied on its scoring depth to advance to Friday's national semifinals, and it will need the same well-rounded approach to get past the South Carolina Gamecocks. 

South Carolina has shut down the offenses of its four NCAA tournament foes, and if it imposes its defensive will on the Cardinal, it will earn the opportunity to play for its second title in five years. 

         

Women's Final Four Schedule

Friday, April 2

No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 1 South Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 3 Arizona (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

       

National Championship Prediction

UConn vs. South Carolina

UConn enters its showdown with Arizona as the better team, but it will face a difficult task in defending Aari McDonald. 

Arizona's senior guard will get a chance to slow down Bueckers, who has lived up to an immense amount of hype in her first season at UConn.

According to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme, Bueckers is aiming to be the sixth man or woman to lead a national champion in scoring as a freshman. Jahlil Okafor was the last player to achieve that feat in 2015 for Duke. Chamique Holdsclaw was the last woman to do that in 1996 for Tennessee. 

Bueckers has 46 points in the last two games, including a 28-point outburst against the Baylor Bears that secured UConn's spot in the Final Four. 

The star freshman already won one head-to-head showdown with a top guard in the country, as she led UConn past Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16. Bueckers had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists compared to Clark's 21 points, five assists and three rebounds. 

McDonald will be a more explosive threat to the UConn defense, as she is coming off back-to-back 30-point performances. 

If UConn contains the 5'6" guard during some stretches, it should pull away with the win since Arizona's supporting cast has not filled up the scoring column. McDonald had one teammate reach double figures in the victories over the Texas A&M Aggies and Indiana Hoosiers. 

UConn had Bueckers, Christyn Williams and Evina Westbrook score over 10 points against Baylor, and if its scoring depth is on display again on Friday, it should get past the Wildcats. 

Stanford's calling card over the last four games has been its deep offense. It has produced over 70 points in all four NCAA tournament games and had four players reach double digits in its last two games. 

The Cardinal's offensive mettle will be tested by a South Carolina defense that has held all of its foes to 65 points or fewer and conceded under 55 points to three of them. The Gamecocks were so effective on defense in the Elite Eight that they held the Texas Longhorns without a fourth-quarter point. 

Dawn Staley's team is following a similar blueprint to when it took the 2017 title. During that run, the Gamecocks did not allow an opponent over 70 points and held Stanford to 53 points in the Final Four. 

If Stanford forces South Carolina into a high-scoring affair, the Gamecocks are equipped to match that production. They had five players score over 10 points against Texas and a quintet with nine points or more in the Sweet 16 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. 

If South Carolina prevails through its defense, it likely will get a shot at shutting down Bueckers with a title on the line. 

UConn is looking for its first title since 2016, and it is trying to remain the only women's program to win a championship in San Antonio. The Huskies cut down the nets in 2002 and 2010 inside the Alamodome.

        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NCAA.com.

The primary discussion in men's college basketball this season has been the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears versus the field.

There are two teams left to spoil a national championship that has been talked about for months.

Gonzaga and Baylor have been the most consistent squads in the sport. The only time when one of them looked vulnerable was when the Bears came out of a COVID-19-related pause.

Scott Drew's Bears open the Final Four slate Saturday with a clash against the Houston Cougars. The UCLA Bruins will oppose the Zags in the nightcap at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Although Houston is a No. 2 seed, a win over Baylor would be viewed as a decent-sized shock since many believe we are headed for a Gonzaga-Baylor final.

                    

Men's Final Four Schedule

Saturday, April 3

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Houston (5:14 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA (8:34 p.m. ET, CBS)

               

Breakdown

Gonzaga and Baylor have seven double-digit wins in eight NCAA tournament games.

The lone exception to that trend was Baylor's nine-point victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Elite Eight.

The Bulldogs' and Bears' NCAA tournament performances have been an extension of their season-long form.

Gonzaga owns 29 double-digit wins in its 30 games. The West Virginia Mountaineers were the only team to finish within single digits of the Zags on December 2.

Baylor suffered a slip in form in late February, as it barely beat the Iowa State Cyclones and lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in its two games out of the pause. But the Bears rebounded in the third game out of the shutdown against West Virginia, and their only loss since was in the Big 12 tournament against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Final Four foes of the two remaining No. 1 seeds faced some bumps in the road that make us believe Gonzaga and Baylor will advance to Monday's national championship.

Houston turned in a few uncharacteristic outings in American Athletic Conference play, and it was pushed to the brink of defeat twice by the Memphis Tigers in March.

The Cougars had to eke out a second-round win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and experienced a bit of a scare at the end of Monday's win over the Oregon State Beavers. If Houston either starts slow, like it did versus Rutgers, or fails to close out a lead with conviction, like in the Oregon State game, Baylor could take advantage of its mistakes and pounce for a win.

Baylor's defense has been fantastic during second-half stretches in the past two games. It forced the Villanova Wildcats into six turnovers over a four-minute span, and Arkansas missed 10 straight field goals in its comeback attempt Monday.

Gonzaga's defense through four games has been stellar as well, as it held three opponents under 70 points and limited the Oklahoma Sooners to 71.

The Zags' ability to create separation makes them a heavy favorite to beat a UCLA squad that has relied on its defense to make a surprise run to the Final Four.

Prior to the NCAA tournament, UCLA lost four games in a row to the four other Big Dance qualifiers from the Pac-12. The Bruins responded well to that losing run by putting up 86 points in an overtime win over the Michigan State Spartans. That was the second-highest point total produced by the Bruins, and they needed overtime to record their other 80-point showing against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

UCLA's offensive production dipped in every regulation finish it has had, from 73 points over the BYU Cougars to 51 versus the Michigan Wolverines. To beat Gonzaga, UCLA needs to have a much better offensive performance than it had versus Michigan, and even then it might not be good enough.

Gonzaga either silenced opponents with its defense or outscored a foe's impressive offensive showing during its run to the Final Four. An argument can be made that the only team that can beat Gonzaga is Baylor, which is why many are rooting for the two best teams to emerge from a chaotic tournament and compete for a title Monday.

                

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

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have covered the spread in each of their four NCAA men's basketball tournament games this year.

The No. 1 overall seed won 29 of its 30 games this season by double digits, and it is projected to win by a similar margin Saturday over the UCLA Bruins. UCLA deserves credit for winning four times as the moneyline underdog, but Gonzaga is a different force compared to the other top programs it has faced.

The Michigan Wolverines were the closest team to Gonzaga that UCLA took on in Indianapolis, but there is still a decent-sized gap between Gonzaga and Michigan, especially when Isaiah Livers is not on the floor.

Saturday's first national semifinal between the Baylor Bears and Houston Cougars is expected to be much closer. Baylor is favored by five points and has been viewed as the only team that can reach the echelon Gonzaga is in. But to test itself against the Bulldogs, it must get by a stingy Houston defense that has no problem playing a game in the 60s.

                

Final Four Schedule and Odds

Saturday, April 3

No. 1 Baylor (-5) vs. No. 2 Houston (Over/Under: 134.5) (5:14 p.m. ET, CBS)

No. 1 Gonzaga (-14.5) vs. No. 11 UCLA (O/U: 145.5) (8:34 p.m. ET, CBS)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

            

Predictions

Gonzaga (-14.5) vs. UCLA

The only way UCLA can be competitive with Gonzaga is if it plays excellent defense and Johnny Juzang turns in another spectacular performance.

The latter of the two has a higher chance of happening since Juzang is shooting at a high volume, but the defense that took UCLA this far could be exposed by Gonzaga's offense.

UCLA was the first team to take advantage of Livers' absence in the Michigan offense, and it benefited from a poor shooting night from most of his replacements Tuesday.

Franz Wagner's air ball from three-point range on a potential game-winning shot was the perfect play to sum up Michigan's offensive struggles. It shot 39.2 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three-point range and went 6-of-11 at the free-throw line.

UCLA will not get as lucky on Saturday since Gonzaga has rarely shown that much offensive weakness.

Gonzaga has eclipsed the 80-point mark in every one of its games in the NCAA tournament, and it has two wins since February 1 with fewer than 80 points. In the February 4 win over the Pacific Tigers and the March 8 victory against the Saint Mary's Gaels, Gonzaga won by double figures by holding both opponents under 60 points.

Even if Gonzaga struggles to start, it has consistently found an extra gear to pull away from opponents. The BYU Cougars turned in the best first half against Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament final, but they blew a 12-point halftime lead to lose by 10.

Whenever Gonzaga has been tested, it has come up with an in-game answer, which is why it is so hard to see UCLA staying in the contest. The Bruins can't clone Juzang, who has 108 points in five games, and there is a chance his shooting lanes are taken away.

The USC Trojans entered the Elite Eight with three double-digit wins powered by terrific three-point shooting. They were held to 26.7 percent from downtown Tuesday.

If Gonzaga smothers UCLA's guards, it could open up the possibility of a first-half blowout. If you do not feel comfortable with the 14.5-point spread, the first-half lines could be the way to bet Gonzaga. The Bulldogs held a double-digit lead at halftime in their four NCAA tournament games and scored at least 43 points in those halves.

The first-half line is eight points, while the first-half over/under sits at 69. Both could cash in again if the Zags impose their will on UCLA early.

                        

Baylor (-5) vs. Houston 

Baylor is more suited to winning a high-scoring game than Houston.

The Bears have also displayed a closing ability that only Gonzaga has been able to replicate this season.

Scott Drew's team has four victories of nine points or more in Indianapolis. It reached the 75-point mark in three of those victories.

Houston has to win by playing suffocating defense and holding Baylor under 70 points. The Villanova Wildcats tried that in the Sweet 16 but were done in by turnovers late in the second half. The Cougars could follow a similar strategy as Villanova by driving to the rim to take high-percentage shots instead of trying to beat Baylor in a high-scoring affair.

Kelvin Sampson's team can slow down the pace and frustrate Baylor from three-point range, but all you have to do is look at the Villanova game for how well the Bears make adjustments. Baylor nailed two three-point shots in the first half and went into the locker room facing a seven-point deficit versus Jay Wright's team.

Drew implored his team to drive to the basket more. The success from that move boosted the team's confidence, and it played with a deeper fire on the defensive end. Baylor outscored Villanova by 18 points in the second half, and it only made one three-pointer.

Baylor has the defenders, led by Mark Vital, to deal with the agility of DeJon Jarreau, Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser. The Bears can also match Houston's length and driving ability on the offensive end through Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler and MaCio Teague.

If Baylor can neutralize the offensive output of Houston's guards, it could pull away in a similar fashion to its Elite Eight win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. In that game, the Bears sped out to a double-digit advantage, withstood a second-half run and won by nine points.

Even if the Bears do not create separation until the second half, we know that late surge will come, and when it does, the Big 12 side could open up a lead that is large enough to cover the five-point spread.

                  

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

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