Gonzaga vs. Tennessee: Storylines to watch in top-10 matchup

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts in the first half while taking on the Florida State Seminoles in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Staples Center on March 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 17: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts in the second half against the Loyola Ramblers during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

The winner of Gonzaga-Tennessee is in the Final Four

It’s not bold to consider either of these programs a Final Four contender for this season. With a win over the seemingly unbeatable Duke team that destroyed then-No. 2 Kentucky by 34, Gonzaga might already be a Final Four lock for some. If the Bulldogs were able to earn another top-10 win over Tennessee, it would be almost inexcusable to omit Gonzaga from a Final Four prediction.

But, what if a team were to beat the team that beat the seemingly unbeatable team that demolished the preseason No. 2 team? That is, what if Tennessee were to beat Gonzaga, who beat the Duke team that obliterated Kentucky? (Wow, that’s a mouthful.)

The answer: Tennessee could be, via the transitive property, the best team in the country, and a rather clear Final Four squad. They already have the experience, depth, and talent to reach Minneapolis, and if it could add a very convincing win, Tennessee would be so scary in March.

If Tennessee were to lose, it wouldn’t face a ranked opponent again until February 16 when it heads to Lexington to face Kentucky, the current No. 9 team in the nation. A loss on Sunday would increase talks of Tennessee being unproven, and the Volunteers could easily drop in the national rankings over the next two months in the event they are upset.