NCAA Tournament 2023: Top 10 most likely 2nd round upsets to happen
By Joey Loose
6. 6 TCU over 3 Gonzaga
There were certainly moments where both of these teams looked to be in danger on Friday night, with Grand Canyon giving Gonzaga everything they could handle before fading after halftime. For TCU, they clawed out a win against an Arizona State squad that came on strong just a few days removed from a blowout win in the First Four. The Horned Frogs briefly lost star point guard Mike Miles Jr. to another leg injury, but he came back into the game and helped pull out the win late.
Clearly, the Horned Frogs will need a healthy Miles to pull this off, as this team looked lost without him back in February against their Big 12 foes. Miles just had 26 points against the Sun Devils to secure that opening-round victory but might need an equal performance if they’re going to upset Gonzaga. Damion Baugh (11 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) will be leaned on heavily, but it’s going to come down to the frontcourt. Can this TCU team stop Drew Timme with what they have on this roster, having recently lost center Eddie Lampkin Jr. from the team?
You could easily claim that Gonzaga is the best offensive team in the nation and TCU’s upset win would come from a strong defensive performance. While Miles might be the best guard on the floor, TCU cannot win this game if it gets played into the 80’s or higher. The Horned Frogs have won games like this earlier in the year, but their offense is not playing great interior basketball right now, with poor shooting numbers from inside the arc in recent weeks. Contain Timme and get a decent shooting night from outside the arc and you have a chance.