The field started with 68 teams eager for the title and now, after all the smoke has cleared, we are in the final two. In the wake of one of the most interesting NCAA tournaments in modern history, the two teams that started the season in first and second place – Gonzaga and Baylor – will face each other for the national title on Monday night in Indianapolis. The Bears crossed in their final fight against Houston, while the Bulldogs needed an extension and a half court push from freshman Jalen Suggs to reach 11th place at UCLA.
Both teams have played a game for the title before and fell short. The Zags fell to North Carolina in 2017, when they carried a similar record in the title game. The Bears’ only appearance came back in 1948, when they fell to Kentucky. Reminder: the tournament field about 70 years ago? Only eight teams. Now Scott Drew has been tasked with guiding Baylor through a field of 68!
Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander set the stage with stories and their choices for Gonzaga-Baylor. Listen below:
Our team of writers evaluated the clashes and made choices both directly and against the difference for the national championship game. You can find all of our records for tournament selection games by clicking here. Odds via William Hill Sportsbook
Who will win and cover all games and which teams should be on the alert? Visit SportsLine now to see which team to bet on in each match, all from the $ 2,600 model for $ 100 players.
(1) Gonzaga vs. (1) Baylor
Time: 21:20 ET | Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: March Madness Live
The Baylor that we saw in this tournament is the mid-season Baylor that was destroying all the teams in its path. That was the Baylor team that led the entire college basketball for most of the season on the scoring margin, ahead of Gonzaga. But I can’t choose against the Zags – neither direct nor even the number. It felt like a destiny team for a while, and Suggs’s 3-point play against the buzzer in OT vs. UCLA only validated this for me. Baylor will have his runs, and this will be a real round-trip chess match, but I’m taking the best 2-point shooting team in decades to beat the best 3-point shooting team in the country. Prediction: Gonzaga 82, Baylor 77 – Boone