- Paris Olympics takeaways: What did Team USA’s crunch-time lineup say about NBA’s hierarchy?Posted 3 months ago
- Zach Edey posted an easy double-double in Summer League debut. Here’s why he’ll succeed in NBAPosted 5 months ago
- What will we most remember these champion Boston Celtics for?Posted 5 months ago
- After long, seven-year road filled with excruciating losses, Celtics’ coast to NBA title felt ‘surreal’Posted 5 months ago
- South Florida men’s basketball is on an unbelievable heater– but also still on the bubblePosted 9 months ago
- Kobe Bufkin is balling out for Atlanta Hawks’ G League team. When will he be called up to NBA?Posted 10 months ago
- Former Knicks guards Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett may yet prove Raptors won the OG Anunoby tradePosted 11 months ago
- Rebounding savant Oscar Tshiebwe finally gets NBA chance he’s deserved for yearsPosted 11 months ago
- Is Tyrese Maxey vs. Tyrese Haliburton the next great NBA guard rivalry?Posted 1 year ago
- The Detroit Pistons are going to be a problem in a few yearsPosted 1 year ago
NCAA Tournament Predictions: 1. Gonzaga vs. 16. Southern
- Updated: March 17, 2013
Kelly Olynyk
1 Gonzaga (31-2, 16-0 WCC)-The top-ranked Zags enjoyed arguably the most successful season in their history, rolling through their admittedly weakened schedule and dominating the West Coast Conference. Still, Gonzaga does own wins over Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma and swept St. Mary’s in three games this season.
They’ve also got one of the best front court tandems in the country in big men Kelly Olynyk (17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Elias Harris (14.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg). Olynyk might be one of the best players in the country, period. They’ve got a duo of speedy guards in Kevin Pangos and John Stockton’s son David, who has shown his father’s aptitude for making incredible passes that no one else on the court saw coming.
There’s a ton of pressure on this Gonzaga team to become the group that finally breaks through and reaches the Final Four.
KEY STATS:
3rd Field Goal Percentage (.504)
13th Points Per Game (77.6)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Derick Beltran
16 Southern (23-9, 15-3 SWAC)- The Jaguars are 22-4 in their last 26 games. Since a 1-5 start, Southern has been on fire. The Jags rolled through the SWAC schedule at 15-3 and captured the tournament title by knocking off Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M, who were a combined 14-22 inconference. They also have a dynamic duo in the backcourt. Senior guard Derick Beltran averages 15.9 points per game, while junior guard Malcolm Miller is a fraction behind him at 15.8. Those two could pose a small problem for Gonzaga’s guards in the tournament.
The Jaguars have won 7 of 8.Southern is coming in hot, with its only loss in that span on the road at Texas Southern, which we’ve already established is a pretty good basketball team.
KEY STATS:
172nd Field Goal Percentage (.434)
