Only four teams remain in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. We have two mid-major teams in the Houston Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a double-seeded team in the form of the UCLA Bruins, and two No. 1 seeds in Gonzaga and Baylor Bears. All four are expected to provide incredibly thrilling action on Saturday down in Indianapolis. Which teams are going to advance to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game?
The Bruins are the undisputed Cinderella of all Cinderellas this season, and they have pretty much locked that title up by taking down the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight round. The Wolverines had no answer to Johnny Juzang, who almost single-handedly led the Bruins to the win, scoring over half of his team’s total output. But the Bruins’ defense also played a key role. Both Juzang and the Bruins’ defense will be heavily tested this coming Saturday by the overall top-seed Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are two wins away from a perfect season, and they clearly have the players, the coaching, and the system to take them there. Mark Few has had several talented Bulldogs teams in the past, but this current Gonzaga version is arguably the best of them all. The Bulldogs are shooting the lights out ever since the season started and have gotten only better. Do the Bruins have a chance? The Bruins have been answering that question since the First Four matchup against the Michigan State Spartans and so far, they have been defying the odds.
Houston is set to face its toughest test yet in the Big Dance. After picking off wins against double-digit seeds in the first four rounds of the tournament, the Cougars will be facing a No. 1 in the form of the Bears. But that’s not to say that the Cougars have gotten this far just because they have been lucky with their opponents. Houston is a strong team. A force to reckon with. A team that has what it takes to bring Baylor down. Houston’s defense and an incredible nose for offensive rebounds will be the major keys to success for Kelvin Sampson’s team. The Bears, on the other hand, are confident in their ability to break away with their efficient offense. As scary as Gonzaga’s offense is, the Bears are a much better team than the Bulldogs when it comes to 3-point shooting, and that’s what’s going to keep Houston’s defense on its toes all game long this Saturday.
