The UCLA Bruins just became the first First Four team since the 2011 VCU Rams to make the Final Four. Standing in the Bruins’ way is the world-eating Gonzaga Bulldogs, who will look to avoid getting upset by Johnny Juzang and company. Check out our preview of this game below.
The Johnny Juzang and the UCLA bandwagon can still take some passengers. Once again, the Bruins pulled off a shocker in the tournament by defeating No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight on Tuesday, 51-49. Juzang scored over half of the Bruins’ total output against Michigan, dropping 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Juzang is averaging 21.6 points in five tournament games while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. Juzang will be heavily relied upon by the Bruins against Gonzaga, but it’s UCLA’s defense that will be the bigger key. The Bruins held Michigan, which entered the game averaging over 75 points per game, to only 0.83 points per possession, 42.5 percent from inside the arc and 27.3 behind it.
UCLA has been perfect against the spread in the tournament thus far, covering in all its last five games.
Gonzaga annihilated the upset-seeking USC Trojans on Tuesday, 85-66, to advance to the Final Four — as expected. For the third time in four games in the tournament, the Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field against the Trojans. Since the Big Dance started, Gonzaga has averaged 88.3 points on 53.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.4 percent from deep. UCLA heavily relies on Juzang on offense, but even if he explodes again, the Bruins still look criminally overmatched when compared to the arsenal of Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are stacked on scorers. Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi, Jalen Siggs, and Drew Timme are all incredible scorers on their own, but they as a group are greater than the sum of their parts. Gonzaga has been unstoppable on offense for a reason. Even well-coached defensive teams haven’t solved the Bulldogs’ attack.
Gonzaga is 4-0 against the spread in its last four games.
