“They’ll probably zig when they should have zagged” - Skip Bayless admits Gonzaga could get upset by a team like like Longwood despite picking them to win it all in the NCAA tournament
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and are favorites to win the school's first national championship.
While March Madness always creates upsets, analyst Skip Bayless believes in Gonzaga.
Bayless' pick of Gonzaga is a sound selection. Gonzaga (26-3) is the top-ranked team in college basketball. Coach Mark Few may have a more talented team than the one that made the Final Four and lost in the championship game last year.
We’re rolling with Gonzaga. The stars are aligning for Mark Few’s Boeheim moment
-Built the program up to relevancy
-Got the #1 recruit in the country
-Final Four in New Orleans
-First championship twitter.com/adamaabdalla/s…
The addition of top overall recruit Chet Holmgren is a vital part of Gonzaga's chances. Holmgren is the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
But Bayless made a strong point about Gonzaga's ability versus the madness that is, well, March Madness.
"I'm picking the No. 1 seed," Bayless said. "I'm going with the Zags. I love them, but, you watch, they'll probably zig when they should have zagged and they'll get upset by Longwood or somebody. You know it and I know it, because it is madness."
While the Bulldogs are the best team entring the tournament, that, of course, doesn't guarantee they'll win the title. In March Madness, so many teams are capable of pulling off upsets. That's Bayless' point.
Gonzaga's chances at being upset in the tournament
The Bulldogs are favorites to win it all in the NCAA Tournament, but there is no guarantee they will. Beyond the usual March Madness chaos, they also drew one of the toughest regions, the West.
A possible game in the second round against the Memphis Tigers could be a challenge, as Memphis' Jalen Duren is going to be a matchup problem. Beyond that, they could face several teams with the recipe to beat them.
Gonzaga is a 1-seed for the 5th time, all since 2013.
Two of the three teams that have defeated Gonzaga this season (Duke and Alabama) are in the West region with them. https://t.co/3iQMHWjTHx
Ninth-ranked Duke (28-6) and Alabama (19-13) beat the Bulldogs on neutral courts, where all NCAA Tournament games will take place. Duke beat Gonzaga 84-81 on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 91-82 on Dec. 4 in Seattle, Washington (not far from Gonzaga's home in Spokane).
Twelfth-ranked Texas Tech (25-9) is another team that the Bulldogs played on a neutral court during the regular season. While Gonzaga won 69-55 on Dec. 18 in Phoenix, Arizona, its offense was not as effective.
Four potential opponents that create matchup problems means four possible teams that could upset Gonzaga. Longwood, a No. 14 seed in the South, is unlikely to reach the Final Four, let alone beat Gonzaga in the title game. But the Bulldogs are not upset-proof.