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NCAA Basketball: Buy or sell Gonzaga, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas Tech as national title contenders

By Brian Rauf

SYRACUSE, NY - MARCH 04: Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates a teammate's three point basket during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on March 4, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Virginia defeats Syracuse 79-53. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - MARCH 04: Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates a teammate's three point basket during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on March 4, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Virginia defeats Syracuse 79-53. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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SPOKANE, WA – FEBRUARY 21: Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is congratulated on breaking Gonzaga’s the all time assist record with 669 assists in the game against the Pepperdine Waves at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 21, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 92-64. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WA – FEBRUARY 21: Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is congratulated on breaking Gonzaga’s the all time assist record with 669 assists in the game against the Pepperdine Waves at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 21, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 92-64. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Buy or Sell: Buy
Let’s start with the No. 1 team in the country, shall we?

It’s rare for a team ranked this high to have doubts going into the NCAA Tournament, but not every team is Gonzaga – but Gonzaga is always going to have doubts because of the conference they play in.

While the West Coast Conference has traditionally been a multi-bid league, it’s definitely not a power conference. The Zags play every conference game as a heavy favorite against much lesser competition. They went undefeated in WCC play but that’s not a notable accomplishment anymore. The Bulldogs have either suffered a lone conference loss or gone undefeated in five of the last seven years.

Yet don’t make the mistake of thinking this Bulldogs team hasn’t been tested. They played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country and are still the only team to beat a fully healthy Duke team. Their only losses came against Tennessee on a neutral court and then at North Carolina, where it was clear the cross-country trip affected them somewhat.

Gonzaga is also one of the most talented teams in the country. Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke will be first-round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft while Zach Norvell Jr. and Killian Tillie are also future pros.

I still have some doubts about Josh Perkins in big games but he has been mostly fantastic this year. They have everything you look for in a national championship team with the exception of the conference they play in. Don’t let that cloud your judgment when it comes to this team.

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