Game 1: UCLA vs Gonzaga
Friday at 7:15 p.m. ET
NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.
UCLA Bruins (22-13)
No. 11 seed, South Region
Coach: Steve Alford (second season)
Bid: At-large/Pac-12
UCLA wasn’t even supposed to make the tournament. They finished fourth in a dismal Pac-12 conference losing seven games, and they scored just seven points in the first half against Kentucky back in December. Seven. Still, they were given an at large bid which had America as a whole scratching our heads. With deserving mid majors like Temple, Murray State and Colorado State left out in the cold and forced to play in the nation’s B-team tournament, many were convinced the Bruins got an invite based off their name alone.
But the beauty of March Madness is that regular season records don’t matter. Once you are in, anybody has a chance and luck has certainly been on UCLA’s side. After slipping by SMU on a controversial call and beating UAB with ease, the Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16. But their luck will run out on Friday against the #2 seed Gonzaga.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (34-2)
No. 2 seed, South Region
Coach: Mark Few (16th season)
Bid: West Coast Conference Tournament champions
Despite being a mid-major, Gonzaga has earned their right to play with the big dogs making the tournament 17 years in a row. Led by Kyle Wiltjer, the Bulldogs come into this game 34-2 with an offense that ranks 10th in the nation averaging 79.1 points per game. With three-point snipers and the stellar postseason of play of senior guard Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga has too many weapons for UCLA’s “Cinderella” story to continue. They will also be looking to avenge their 2006 Sweet 16 loss to the Bruins. I’m sure Coach Few still has nightmares about that game.
The two teams last played December 13, 2014, with Gonzaga winning 87-74. As difficult as it is to beat a team twice in one season, the Bulldogs are too focused to let this one slip out of their hands.
Game 2: Duke vs Utah
Friday at 9:45 p.m. ET
NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.
Duke Blue Devils (31-4)
No. 1 seed, South Region
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Bid: At-large/ACC
Since the beginning of the college basketball season all eyes have been on Duke’s freshman phenom Jahlil Okafor. Not only a top candidate for the Wooden Player of the Year Award, but the 6-foot-11 Center out of Chicago is expected to be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Duke will rely heavily on Okafor to get them to Indianapolis.
In addition to Okafor, Duke’s other weapons in forward Justice Winslow and guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook pose a serious threat for anybody who steps on the court against the Blue Devils. The trio is averaging a combined 40 points per contest, making Duke one of the most formidable offenses in all of college basketball.
Think this game will be a cakewalk for Duke? Think again.
Utah Utes (26-8)
No. 5 seed, South Region
Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (fourth year)
Bid: At-large/Pac-12
Utah has been one of the breakout teams in college basketball this season posing the only legitimate threat to Arizona’s Pac-12 title run. Coming into the tournament, Utah was picked as one of the early upsets but they have proven their 25-8 record is no fluke, defeating the No. 4 seed Georgetown 75-64 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005.
This is a classic match-up of offense vs defense. Duke’s 80.4 points per game ranks them fourth in the nation offensively, while Utah’s tenacious defense and ball pressure has only allowed 59.6 points per game, ranking them 11th in the nation. Despite being a firm believer in the saying “defense wins games, offense sells tickets” Utah has yet to face a high power offensive machine like Duke. The Utes simply don’t have the depth to stop this young but extremely talented Duke team.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter @SimoneOnSports for live tournament updates.