Welcome back to the Sweet 16, Gonzaga! After failing to make the second weekend of the Big Dance in five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Zags finally avoided another early exit. Meanwhile, one of the tournament’s surprise entrants, UCLA, flexed its muscles in a big rout of UAB. Can the Zags survive a dangerous showdown against this year’s Cinderella team?
Get a feel for all the teams remaining in the Big Dance. Check out our complete Sweet 16 picks and predictions. If you’re into the big favorite of the tournament, then head over to our complete preview of the Kentucky vs. West Virginia game.
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March Madness No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 11 UCLA Bruins Preview
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been playing nothing like the team known for its early-round flameouts in this year’s tourney. Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 from beyond the arc) in just 25 minutes of play as the Zags routed Iowa 87-68 in Sunday’s Round of 32 showdown. Gonzaga has won both of its first two tournament games by double-digits.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]It wasn’t all Wiltjer, though. Kevin Pangos swished 4-of-7 from deep to help him finish with 16 points, Gary Bell Jr. scored 10, and Domantas Sabonis had 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
As a whole, the Zags shot 62 percent from the field including 63 percent from downtown. The same sort of offensive prowess should help Gonzaga take advantage of a leaky UCLA defense which allows 68 points per game, 215th in the nation. Gonzaga already did so in the regular season, dropping 84 in a 13-point win over the Bruins back on Dec. 13. Wiltjer had 24 points in that game.
But in order to ensure entry to the Elite Eight, Gonzaga will need to have tighten up its defense this time around. The Zags played some lax defense against UCLA, allowing the Bruins to score 47 second-half points. Gonzaga allows an average of just 33 points in the second half of games.
Gonzaga’s inside defense rests on big man Przemek Karnowski heading into this game. The 7’1” center has two blocks in each of the past two tournament games. Karnowski had a block against UCLA and was instrumental in limiting Bruins forward Tony Parker to just five points.
The Zags are 3-1 against the spread in their last four games.
Betting on the UCLA Bruins
Plenty of naysayers questioned UCLA’s place in the tournament after Selection Sunday. Those same naysayers have since been silenced as the Bruins have made their way to the Sweet 16. A controversial goaltending call led UCLA past SMU in the Round of 64. But there was no such controversy in the next round as they handily beat No. 14 seed UAB, 92-75.
Tony Parker led the Bruins with a career-high 28 points and 12 rebounds. He was dominant in the paint, making 11-of-14 shots. Bryce Alford wasn’t one to shy away as well. The UCLA guard scored 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Alford is due for another big game. He made five big threes in UCLA’s regular season game against Gonzaga and finished with a team-high 23 points. But for UCLA to have any success, it’ll need Parker to score more than the five he put up against Gonzaga. The Bruins are in luck as Parker has been a scoring machine as of late. He’s averaging 16.7 points over UCLA’s last seven games.
The Bruins will also need clamp down on Gonzaga’s Wiltjer. Forward Kevon Looney has played some tight defense recently, averaging 1.7 steals over his last seven games. Wiltjer has five turnovers over two tournament games so far.
The Bruins are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Here’s the Gonzaga flameout everybody’s been waiting for. UCLA wins and covers the spread. Want to win big on this big dog? Create a betting account now and punch a ticket into the Sweet 16.
