NCAA Basketball: Mock 2020 NCAA Tournament national title predictions
Anthony Brown – @ABrownSports
The NCAA Tournament Championship game is upon us and it’s a battle of one seeds between the Kansas Jayhawks and Gonzaga Bulldogs. This is a fitting matchup of college basketball’s best teams.
Kansas beat Michigan State 4-1 in the Final Four to advance to the championship game. This was the second time in two seasons the Spartans reached the Final Four and failed to advance. Gonzaga beat the Kentucky Wildcats 4-1 to advance to their first Final Four since 2016.
Both of these teams swept all but one opponent in the NCAA Tournament this year. Oregon gave Gonzaga a run for their money as each game came down to at least eight points or less in the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs won the first two predictions. The Ducks won the last prediction 72-70 according to Dave Mullen but their tourney run came to an end.
The Jayhawks edged out a really good Virginia Cavaliers team who beat Wichita State, Maryland and Houston to advance to the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks had to give this series all they could as each game was won by seven points or less.
Gonzaga’s number one priority against Kansas will be containing Udoka Azubuike who was a dominant force for the Jayhawks in the regular season and throughout the NCAA Tournament up to now. They won’t be able to stop him, but they need to limit his influence on the game. The Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the regular season. He does a variety of good things for the Jayhawks on both ends of the floor.
The Bulldogs need to also pay attention to Devon Dotson and Marcus Garrett. Dotson led the Jayhawks in scoring with 18 points and offenses needed to beware of him defensively as he averaged two steals per game. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Garrett is a guy I feel like could be an X-factor contributor in this game. He averaged nine points, four assists, and four rebounds in the regular season and his versatility in that regard could pay dividends for the Jayhawks.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have six players who averaged double-figures this season which speaks to the level of talent and depth Mark Few has at his disposal. Filip Petrusev, Corey Kispert, and Killian Tillie lead the charge at the forward position. These three will be an important part of Gonzaga winning their first-ever national championship.
I think the Kansas Jayhawks will put up a fight against the Gonzaga Bulldogs and this will be a high scoring affair. The Gonzaga Bulldogs will win the 2020 NCAA Tournament in a late-game surge down the stretch.