NCAA Basketball: Buy or sell 2020-21 national championship contenders?
By Bryan Mauro
Gonzaga Bulldogs – Buy
Where to begin with Gonzaga and why they can win the title. They are the most complete team in the entire country. If you ask anyone who has coached or played against the Bulldogs this year they would say they are overwhelming you have to play your absolute best to even be in a game with the Zags and even then they are likely 12 to 20 points better than you. The Bulldogs have so much, and they come at you in every possible way.
To review Gonzaga is currently averaging a shade under 95 points per game they can score from everywhere. They are not a great three-point shooting team overall only shooting about 34% from beyond the arc as a team, but players like Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi, and Jalen Suggs will carry them from beyond the arc. Gonzaga doesn’t need to be good from deep to blow teams away.
They are shooting 65% from inside the arc and 55% overall from the field which is the best percentage in the country. They are currently in the top 250 in overall defense as they only allow 72 points per game.
The Bulldogs have guys at every single position who can step in a contribute. The likely runner-up for national Player of the year Corey Kispert is deadly from deep, can score from inside, and plays great defense. He is currently averaging 21 points per game while shooting 50% from deep and 60% overall.
In addition to Kispert, Drew Timme was the favorite to be in contention for player of the year when the season started is a load inside with both his defense and touch around the basket. He is currently averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting over 60% from the floor.
The rest of the starters consist of arguably the best freshman in the country in Jalen Suggs who is a huge part of the team both on offense and defense. When he is not on the floor there is a noticeable difference. He can shoot, score, pass, and rebound. The other guard is junior Joel Ayayi who is a triple-double waiting to happen.
He is the type of player who can quietly score 20 points and accumulate 15-20 rebounds and does it without doing anything flashy. The last starter is not known for his offense, but his interior defense and hustle is something that no one else on Gonzaga can replicate. Anton Watson may be one of the most important players on this Gonzaga roster for those reasons.
Gonzaga is likely going to enter the tournament undefeated which in any other year would be a disadvantage and it would be wise to take the field. Gonzaga is also one of the best teams ever and there is not a single team in the country who can beat them. Legendary coach Jim Boeheim said that he had not seen a team as complete as Gonzaga since the John Wooden led UCLA teams. The Bulldogs overwhelm their opponents early and their games are usually over before halftime.
As for the “Gonzaga doesn’t play anyone crowd”. This year they are 14-0 and have beaten current No. 4 Iowa by 11, current No. 9 Kansas by 12, West Virginia by five, star player Jalen Suggs went out in the game early which skewed the results of this one. The bulldogs have also beaten defending national champion Virginia by 22 and have destroyed the competition in the West Coast Conference.
The Bulldogs are the real deal. The West Coast conference likely gets three teams in the NCAA tournament again and don’t be surprised when Gonzaga goes undefeated and wins their first NCAA title.