2019 NCAA Tournament: Gonzaga, Virginia, and Duke under most pressure to win

2) Gonzaga Bulldogs

“Gonzaga is the most overrated team every single year!” This has been the opinion of many college basketball fans, despite four straight Sweet 16s, including an Elite 8 run in 2015 and a National Championship Game appearance in 2017. It seems like nothing will ever eliminate the hatred some fans out on the East Coast have for the Zags. Even a National Championship may not be enough to silence the doubt, but it will certainly vindicate the fans.

Gonzaga is a Top-5 team and holds the fourth overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. A National Championship may not be a likely outcome, but the Zags have a lot of pressure to advance out of the West Region. If the Zags lose anywhere along the way, they will once again be proclaimed unworthy of such a high seed. And they must do it against Syracuse, Florida State and either Texas Tech or Michigan. Having any “easy” game will also feed the people claiming “they had an easy path.”

1) Virginia Cavaliers

It is pretty simple. For the past year, Virginia has been the butt of pretty much every “choking in the tournament” joke made by college basketball fans. Most people remember their loss to UMBC in a 16-over-1 upset, not many people have paid enough attention to realize that they are one of the most efficient offenses in the country. This coupled with their excellent defense makes them a clear Final Four favorite out of the South. Now they just need to prove it.

Anything short of a Final Four run, even if that loss comes in the Elite Eight to Tennessee, will continue to promote the notion that the Cavaliers are overrated. If Tony Bennett cannot get his team to Minneapolis, his entire style of play will remain under scrutiny.

Most conference champions of the high-major conferences, while built to make a deep run in March, can escape some criticism for an early loss in the Big Dance. For Virginia, however, it may be Final Four or bust.