NCAA Tournament

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are two wins away from perfection. 

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament cruised to the Final Four with a quartet of impressive victories. 

Mark Few's team has not been tested yet in Indianapolis, and it may not face a significant challenge until the National Championship.

The UCLA Bruins deserve credit for getting to the Final Four, but they lack the depth across the board to deal with the 30-0 Zags. 

The Baylor Bears or Houston Cougars could give Gonzaga more of a fight in Monday's title matchup, but to get there, they have to win what is expected to be a defensive battle. 

Both Texas programs have rangy guards who cause trouble with their length and athleticism, which could create some fantastic individual battles inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

          

NCAA Men's Final Four Schedule

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)

      

Previews

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA

Gonzaga can put an end to the Pac-12's amazing run in Indianapolis by moving one win away from the school's first men's basketball title. 

The Zags have obliterated the four defenses that tried to stand in their path over the first four rounds. 

Gonzaga eclipsed the 80-point mark in all four contests and allowed a single foe to reach 70 points. The Oklahoma Sooners hit that barrier at the end of the second round. 

Drew Timme has been fantastic down low with three consecutive 20-point games, and he could once again be the key to victory. 

UCLA's frontcourt players suffered through foul trouble in the Elite Eight against Michigan's Hunter Dickinson. 

If Gonzaga feeds the ball inside to Timme on a regular basis in the first half, he could be more effective than Dickinson. 

The sophomore is 32-for-52 from the field in March Madness, and he has been able to get the free-throw line regularly as well. Timme went 12-for-14 from the charity stripe against Oklahoma.

If Gonzaga gets Timme going early, it could attract more defenders, which would then allow Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and others to knock down open three-point shots through fast ball movement. 

Gonzaga shot 50 percent from the field, made seven of its 21 three-point shots and assisted on 21 of its 33 field goals against USC. Additionally, Suggs, Kispert and Timme combined to score 59 of the team's 85 points. 

If Gonzaga is that efficient on Saturday, it will not matter how many points Johnny Juzang scores for UCLA.

Juzang was responsible for 28 of UCLA's 51 points in Tuesday's win over the Michigan Wolverines. Even if he scores 30 against the Zags, Juzang may not have enough support to take down the No. 1 overall seed. 

UCLA's other four starters combined to make 10 field goals against Michigan. Juzang was 11-for-19 on his own. 

If the Bruins can't get a second player to score at a high clip, they may not have enough firepower to reach the 70-80-point mark that we expect the Zags to reach.

        

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Houston

Baylor-Houston is a fascinating matchup because of the way both teams defend with their length on the perimeter. 

Davion Mitchell, MaCio Teague, Jared Butler and Mark Vital have tortured most of Baylor's opponents on both sides of the ball. 

Baylor held its first three NCAA tournament opponents under 65 points, and it forced the Arkansas Razorbacks into some offensive struggles at the start of their Elite Eight battle. 

Scott Drew's team withstood the runs Arkansas threw at it and still thrived offensively, with Butler, Mitchell and Teague all scoring 12 points or more. 

If Baylor's top-scoring trio thrives again, it could unlock a frustrating Houston defense that held its four NCAA tournament foes to 61 points or fewer. 

Houston's length along the perimeter may take a few minutes for Butler, Mitchell and Teague to get used to. How the Bears adjust to the Cougars' defensive strengths could decide the contest. 

In the Sweet 16 win over the Villanova Wildcats, Baylor went away from the three-point line, where it struggled. The Bears attacked the paint and played tighter defense to run away with an 11-point win.

If Mitchell is able to penetrate Houston's defensive line, Baylor could gain the advantage it needs to set up a heavyweight clash with Gonzaga. 

Houston will win the game if DeJon Jarreau, Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser produce a similar performance to their Elite Eight showcase. 

The trio of guards combined for 56 of Houston's 67 points and held the Oregon State Beavers to 6-for-16 from the three-point line. If the Cougars find a way to hold Baylor under 70 points, they should have a path to victory. 

However, Baylor has been held under 65 points in just two of its 28 games, and it won one of them by holding Villanova to 51 points.

             

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

It's hard to get to the Final Four without at least one serious NBA prospect. For all the mid-major upsets the 2021 NCAA men's tournament has produced, each team that made it through did so with pro-level firepower.

The Big Dance provides a large stage for top prospects—and creates a few top prospects of its own. It also has a way of handing out demotions of sorts, as players fail to live up to their potential when the lights are brightest.

Here is a list of potential future NBA players in the Final Four whose stock has notably risen or fallen, along with thoughts on whether we're buying or selling their chances for a big draft night. We'll look at their position in Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman's most recent mock, which was released before the tournament began, and decide whether that pick still seems realistic.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all the NBA prospects in the Final Four, but rather includes those whose stock may have fluctuated the most.

                

(Dis)honorable Mention

Franz Wagner (Michigan, Shooting Guard, Sophomore)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: 12

No, Franz Wagner and his No. 1-seeded Wolverines are not in the Final Four. And not to pile on, but it's easy to lay that at his feet. In fact, the case kind of makes itself. 

In their 51-49 Elite Eight loss to No. 11 UCLA, Wagner only managed four points on 1-of-10 shooting. Not to mention he missed not one but two potential game-winning threes. One of them was an air ball. Not so great.

Overall, his tournament average was 10.3 points per game, which is 2.2 points off his season average of 12.5. But it's his three-point shooting that turns heads. After making a solid-if-unspectacular 34 percent of his tries on the season, he managed only 13 percent (2-of-16) from deep in the tournament.

His tournament rebounding numbers (8.5 per game) and assist average (3.8) were both above his season marks, but if you're going to be an offensive black hole for extended stretches (or entire games), that's what people will key on.

The 6'9" Wagner, whose brother Moe already plays in the NBA, is coveted by scouts for his all-around game, length and ability to guard multiple positions. He should still go in the first round, but he may drop a few spots after stumbling on the college game's biggest stage.

Stock: Down

     

Johnny Juzang (UCLA, Shooting Guard, Sophomore)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: Unranked

Number of points Juzang scored in Tuesday's upset of Michigan: 28. 

Number of points scored by the rest of UCLA's starters combined: 23.

Juzang carried this Bruins team to the Final Four. He's averaging 21.6 points over five tournament contests—well above his season average of 15.5. And it might very well be higher if he hadn't fouled out of the Alabama game with 13. 

Johnny Juzang (18pts) was LIGHTS OUT in the 1st half ♨️@UCLAMBB #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Oku07qA28v

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 31, 2021

Inside, outside, it doesn't matter. He's shot 47.7 percent from the floor. He's at 35.3 percent from three, but again that would be higher without his 1-of-6 aberration against Alabama, which is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The 6'6" Kentucky transfer just knows how to score.

He's not a stellar athlete, which has put him on the outside of the first round—or the entire draft—looking in. It may also make sense for him to stay in school to get further seasoning under head coach Mick Cronin.

But Juzang's innate basketball instincts and notable toughness have been on full display in this tournament and have him higher than he was before. If he comes out after this season, he's far more likely to get a shot in the pros than he would have been otherwise. 

Stock: Way up

         

Davion Mitchell (Baylor, Point Guard, Junior)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: 18

Another reminder of how good Mitchell is came in the second half of the Villanova game, when he and backcourt mate and fellow NBA prospect Jared Butler ground out a win with defense, transition acumen and penetration when they experienced a collective 1-of-12 three-point slump for the contest.

But that only tells part of the story. Even after going 0-of-3 from deep in that game, Mitchell is shooting 57.1 percent on the tournament, or 4.8 percentage points above his season average.

Mitchell has averaged 13.5 points per game, which is in line with his season average of 14.1. His ability to fight on every possession—and carry Baylor with him—has shown up time and again. And he's just a constant terror on defense, where he's averaging two steals per contest in the dance.

Mitchell was in a good draft position before, but after this, he may be knocking on the lottery's door.

Stock: Up

             

Jared Butler (Baylor, Shooting Guard, Junior)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: 25

This is all on a relative scale. But the fact is, Butler hasn't delivered the goods offensively, compared both with Mitchell and his own season averages.

Butler was easily the biggest culprit behind that Villanova cold streak, going 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. Not what you're looking for from the guy who led your team with 16.5 points on the season and typically shoots 40.4 percent from deep.

And it's not just one game. In four tournament outings he's averaged 13 points and hasn't matched his season mark in any contest. Although he's part of a Final Four team, that position in the lower end of the first round may get a bit more tenuous. It's conceivable he'll fall into the second round.

Stock: Down

               

Quentin Grimes (Houston, Shooting Guard, Junior)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: Unranked

The story of every Houston player begins with defense, but Grimes is the team's first and best offensive option, thanks to his effective if non-flashy game.

Grimes led Houston into the Final Four while averaging 18 points in four tournament games, which is exactly the same as his team-leading season average. His three-point conversion rate is up slightly from 41.3 percent on the season to 43.6 percent in the tourney. And this is to say nothing of the 21 points on 66.7 percent shooting, two steals and one block he chipped in to win the American Athletic Conference title.

And of course he's also a great defender, something he's repeatedly shown in the tournament. For example, Grimes was instrumental in keeping Syracuse guard Buddy Boeheim under wraps, forcing the 38.3 percent three-point shooter into a miserable 1-of-9 performance from deep. Houston held the Orange to 46 points in that game. That's just mean.

Grimes hasn't found himself in the first-round conversation, and with a relative lack of athleticism he may never crack the top 30. But at an absolute minimum the middle of the second round feels like more of a floor than a ceiling.

Stock: Up

          

Drew Timme (Gonzaga, Center, Sophomore)

Pre-tournament draft prediction: Unranked

Were you intrigued by how Timme would stack up against an NBA-caliber big, like, let's say, USC's Evan Mobley? Well, now we know.

Everything you need to know about Timme you could learn from the first sequence Tuesday in the Zags'  85-66 shellacking of No. 6 USC. The 6'10" Timme was on the perimeter guarding 6'2" USC point guard Tahj Eaddy. Mismatch, right? Well, Timme picked Eaddy's pocket, drove to the other end, missed the layup, got his own rebound, went up again and drew a foul on Mobley.

His dominant line on the night: 23 points on 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) shooting, five rebounds, four assists, three steals.

He just doesn't play like anyone else. Outside picking a point guard's pocket, I'm not sure I've ever seen him run. I've certainly never seen him jump. But he's always in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. And yeah, he just did it against NBA-caliber competition. USC isn't Pepperdine. Timme may not be in the lottery like Zags guard Jalen Suggs or mid-first round like team leader Corey Kispert, but he could be making a case for first-round consideration if he declares for the pros.

Stock: Up

The Final Four of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament field is set after UCLA defeated Michigan 51-49 to earn the last national semifinal berth on Tuesday.

The Bruins will play Gonzaga, who took down USC 85-66 earlier in the evening. The winner will play Baylor or Houston in the first-ever men's semifinal featuring a pair of Texas schools.

Here's a look at the schedule, odds and some picks against the spread before rundowns on how each of the teams got this far in March.

              

Schedule, Odds and Predictions Against the Spread

No. 1 Baylor (-5) over No. 2 Houston: Saturday at 5:14 p.m. ET

No. 1 Gonzaga (-13.5) over No. 11 UCLA: Saturday at 8:34 p.m. ET

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

         

How They Got Here

Gonzaga

Gonzaga outscored its four tournament opponents by 24 points en route to the Final Four, beating Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton and USC. The Bulldogs were never seriously challenged in any of those contests, leading by double digits in each of them by halftime.

The Bulldogs beat Norfolk State 98-55 after shooting 51.9 percent from three-point range. The Oklahoma matchup in the round of 32 was all about Drew Timme, who scored a game-high 30 points and posted 13 rebounds.

Timme led four Bulldogs in double figures with 22 points in a 83-65 win over Creighton in the Sweet 16, with Andrew Nembhard contributing 17 points and eight assists.

Against USC in the Elite Eight, future NBA draft lottery pick Jalen Suggs fell two assists shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight dimes.

Gonzaga will now look to finish as the first undefeated men's Division I hoops team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers.

          

Houston

It's been a roller-coaster ride for the Houston Cougars, who are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1984, when Phi Slama Jama reigned the collegiate courts.

Two comfortable wins were followed by two nail-biting victories. Six Cougars scored 10 or more against Cleveland State in an 87-56 first-round victory.

Houston was lucky to get out of the second round, though, as No. 10 Rutgers led the Cougars for nearly the entire second half. The Scarlet Knights led 58-49 with under five minutes remaining, but Houston ended the game on a 13-2 run. A Tramon Mark three-point play and a pair of Marcus Sasser free throws proved to be the difference.

The Cougars held Syracuse to 28.0 percent shooting in a 62-46 win to move to the Elite Eight, where No. 12 Oregon State awaited. The Cougars led by as many as 17 in a game the Beavers never led, but Oregon State tied the matchup at 55 following a Gianni Hunt three-pointer.

Houston responded with a 9-1 run off a Quentin Grimes three-pointer and six free throws to put the game away, though.

           

Baylor

The Bears outscored their four tournament opponents by 14.25 points, winning each game by nine or more.

The only game where the Bears may have sweat a bit occurred during the Sweet 16, where No. 5 Villanova led 30-23 at the half. But it was all Baylor down the stretch, as it closed the game on a 21-10 run to beat the Wildcats.

Otherwise, Baylor hasn't been seriously threatened. A 79-55 win over Hartford opened the tournament before the Bears took a 13-point halftime lead against Wisconsin before a 76-63 win.

Arkansas never led Baylor in a matchup of old Southwest Conference rivals during the Elite Eight. MaCio Teague's 22 points led the Bears into the Final Four following the 81-72 win.

          

UCLA

The Bruins are now the second team to start in the First Four and reach the Final Four after defeating Michigan in the Elite Eight on Tuesday.

UCLA joined the legendary 2011 VCU squad after beating Michigan State in overtime 86-80 despite losing by 10 at the half in the First Four. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang combined for 50 points.

The Bruins then had little trouble with BYU (73-62) and a Cinderella team in Abilene Christian (88-68) before a rock fight with Michigan in the Elite Eight.

Once there, it was all Juzang, who scored 28 on 11-of-19 shooting, with 18 first-half points.

However, outside of Juzang and Tyger Campbell, UCLA scored just 12 points on 5-of-25 shooting, giving Michigan an opening.

The Wolverines had the ball down 51-49 with six seconds left, but three-pointers from Mike Smith and then Franz Wagner did not connect. UCLA is now going to the Final Four for the first time since 2008 in search of its 12th national title.

        

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Referee Bert Smith was taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing to the court during the first half of the NCAA men's tournament Elite Eight matchup between USC and Gonzaga on Tuesday.

TBS says official Bert Smith was feeling light-headed while on the court and he's now being tended to trainers in the locker room. His condition is stable.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 30, 2021

As of halftime, Smith did not require hospitalization and was in stable condition:

Update from the NCAA: Bert Smith is alert and stable and will not be transported to a hospital. He has been in contact with his family.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 31, 2021

He was sitting up and was conscious when he was taken off the court.

Glad that ref Bert Smith of @accmbb seems ok / let’s pray that he makes complete recovery .A ref in standby will replace him .🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 30, 2021

The official -- Bert Smith -- is now up and being taken off the floor and back to the locker room.

Thank God. https://t.co/TFWDOIU729

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 30, 2021

Looks like he fainted. Hopefully that's it. Good to see Bert on that gurney and alert.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 30, 2021

Sheepish grin on Bert Smith's face as he's rolled out - seated - on stretcher. Crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium applauds as he disappears into tunnel. That includes me. Scary moment. https://t.co/ne8AKYqnhm

— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) March 30, 2021

The NCAA will turn to an alternate referee to replace Smith for the duration of Tuesday's matchup.

Smith officiates ACC games during the regular season.

The NCAA won't follow the advice of Baylor coach Kim Mulkey to abandon COVID-19 testing during the Final Four of the 2021 women's basketball tournament, per Michele Steele of ESPN.

"We WILL continue to test through the end of the championship on Sunday," an executive told Steele.

Mulkey said after her team's loss to UConn in the Elite Eight Monday night that the NCAA should stop testing to ensure no one is forced to miss any games:

"After the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side. They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four? So you just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

The Baylor coach had tested positive for COVID-19 herself earlier in the season.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma tested positive in March and was forced to miss the early rounds of the NCAA tournament while quarantining. He returned to the sidelines in time for the Sweet 16.

Both the men's and women's tournaments have seen positive tests, although only one game has been canceled. The first-round game between VCU and Oregon was declared a no-contest in the men's tournament after multiple positive tests from the VCU side.

The NCAA has utilized strict protocols to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, including frequent testing and contract tracing. Even with the games increasing in importance, the rules will not be changed.

It took three rounds, but No. 15 Oral Roberts was eventually snuffed out of March Madness. With them, it appears that all upset dreams have been extinguished as well. No higher-seeded team has lost in the Elite Eight thus far, and the two remaining top seeds don't seem likely to either.

No. 2 Houston ruined No. 12 Oregon State's Cinderella run, while No. 1 Baylor outlasted No. 3 Arkansas (possibly cursed for denying ORU a chance at history). Now, two matchups remain to lock in the Final Four.

First, No. 6 USC will face No. 1 Gonzaga, and then No. 11 UCLA meets No. 1 Michigan. Here's how the updated bracket looks and why two more top seeds should make it into a stacked Final Four.

         

2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket

Final Four

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 1 Baylor

No. 1 Gonzaga or No. 6 USC vs. No. 1 Michigan or No. 11 UCLA

         

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Through the first three rounds, Gonzaga and USC have yet to win a game by fewer than double digits. The two teams haven't just made their way through their brackets, they've absolutely run through them.

However, in a meeting between two seemingly unstoppable forces, the Bulldogs should come out on top.

Boasting the best offense in the nation, Gonzaga averaged 91.8 points per game this season (first in the country), thanks to 18.6 assists per game (second) and a 55.1 field-goal percentage (first). The team remains undefeated and has the firepower to outduel the Trojans (outside of Evan Mobley's territory).

USC's Mobley is a projected top-two pick in the NBA draft for a reason: The explosive big man scores, rebounds, assists and swats shots with ease. A balanced USC had four double-digit scorers against Oregon in the Sweet 16, but it's his presence that cements the Trojans defense.

https://twitter.com/theoneanddones/status/1376249807652724740

That's where Gonzaga's Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs come into play—arguably the nation's best shooter and best offensive facilitator, respectively.

All four of Gonzaga's leaders in minutes per game shot over 32.2 percent from three this season, led by Kispert at a nasty 46.2. Helmed by Suggs' playmaking, the Bulldogs should be able to disrupt USC's defense, withstand their inconsistent offense and clinch a trip to the Final Four.

        

Michigan Wolverines

Neither Michigan nor UCLA has had as easy a prance through the Big Dance as USC and Gonzaga, but both have impressed. Led by balanced scoring, each team has made it to the Elite Eight, but it's the Wolverines who should move forward.

UCLA's Johnny Juzang has been a star in the tournament, drilling threes and hitting double-digit points in each contest. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jules Bernard have been potent as well but far more inconsistent.

Most importantly, the team's defense showed serious cracks against Alabama, which scored 78 despite missing 14 of 25 free throws.

https://twitter.com/dmurrayNBA/status/1376289830531895296

A deep Michigan roster has gotten points from different places, but the team has proved its resilience in every game. Hunter Dickinson is a menace in the paint, guards Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown have taken turns getting buckets and Franz Wagner is just a bona fide Swiss Army knife.

Unless Michigan shockingly suffers from the same free-throw bug as Alabama, they should prove too deep and balanced to grant UCLA the upset.