Will Gonzaga Win the National Championship?

[A10 fan]

Until the Zags finally get to a Fina Four let alone win the NC, I won't believe they can do it. They're Pitt-level choke artists whenever they're a high seed.

They're the Atlanta Braves of college ball. It's amazing they've never gone beyond where Dan Monson took them that first year, especially in an era where George Mason, VCU, and Wichita St. have made the Final Four, and where Butler made the Final in consecutive years out of the Horizon.

 

[pj]

I'd like to see Cincy or Gonzaga win. Gotta keep the non-P5 schools winning. Don't want Villanova to become our regional rival now that Cuse is heading downhill.

But, I fear it will be Kentucky or an ACC school, maybe Louisville.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Cincy all the way! How great would it be for that commuter school to have even more credibility to be chosen over us in the next round of CR?!

Fuqq that. I'd rather have UK/Duke win 10 straight titles before Cincy wins one.

 

[mauconnfan]

They can as the ingredients are there. Really solid guard play, good shooters, a couple really good bigs who can rebound the ball. Only problem is who do they play all year preparation is so important in this day and age. Goss was a huge grad-get, he's been spectacular. Kraj is a monster, the freshman Collins who was "supposedly the 3rd best big on his HS team" is really really good and they have so many other pieces who play the game solid and really smart. Never know, but the need to right match ups to get through to the FF.

Having said that I loved watching St Mary's play last night, great ball movement no over dribbling just continuous movement by a bunch of good basketball players, none great. They won't go far in the tourney more than likely but they will be a tough out for many teams in the tourney.

 

[pj]

Cincy all the way! How great would it be for that commuter school to have even more credibility to be chosen over us in the next round of CR?!

Fuqq that. I'd rather have UK/Duke win 10 straight titles before Cincy wins one.

I'm sure there were Germans in 1944 saying, "I'd rather have Hitler win 10 more Chancellorships than let the Jews improve their position."

Personally, I like the fans who root for the underdogs.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I'm sure there were Germans in 1944 saying, "I'd rather have Hitler win 10 more Chancellorships than let the Jews improve their position."

Personally, I like the fans who root for the underdogs.

So who is UConn in this situation? Gypsys?

 

[awfuldan]

I'm gonna be rooting for Gonzaga or Cincinati after UConn's season is over, whenever that is.

Would love it if 3 of the last 4 National Champions were non-P5 teams.

 

[junglehusky]

Gonzaga hasn't even made a Final Four yet. (Then again, the first time UConn made the F4, we all know what happened).

 

[tzznandrew]

Virginia is fine too. They don't recruit the same type of players as us, and have never won a title.

Oregon is fine by me too, though we've had some recruiting tussles.

Wisconsin can win for all I care.

No Kansas, Louisville, UNC, Duke, UK, Villanova, UCLA.

 

[Robertelamin]

Gonzaga hasn't even made a Final Four yet. (Then again, the first time UConn made the F4, we all know what happened).

I forgot how rare that was. The last team before UConn to win it all at their first Final Four was Loyola in 1962.

 

[gtcam]

By enough, do you mean any? UCLA is a joke defensively. Which is shame because offensively they are far and away the best team in the country and maybe the best offensive team in the last decade.

And what is weird about that is that Alford was a really good defensive guard and learned from a defensive genius
Maybe its the PAC10 style that has offense as being dominant
I dislike Alford a lot but when UCLA is clicking, its fun to watch
I would love to see UVA or Wisc pull it out

 

[pj]

So who is UConn in this situation? Gypsys?

The allies. We're preparing our Normandy invasion.

 

[Devland]

I want to root for Cincinnati, but then I think about Mick Cronin winning it all and change my mind.

 

[Mr. French]

I'm with you on Alford and no blue blood win. Would really like to see Gonzaga do it, Kansas never really bothers me but I love the fact we have more National Championships than them.

I'm with this whole sentiment. My least wanted champions often resemble my least liked programs, and it isn't much diff this year:
Hatred:
UK, Cuse, Duke, KU, UNC, prob UCLA tho I love Ball's game, I don't really want them to win. -- I will be rooting against.

Keep our separation:
All above apply as well, but include Louisville, Cincy, Florida, Nova as teams I'd rather not have make a huge run and get closer/add debate to whether our program is more accomplished.

Might not mind, by default:
Gonzaga, Arizona, Purdue, Oregon ...

I can't think of THAT MANY programs I'd be cool with winning, I guess I'm a sore loser. But I think, unless I missed some, that encompasses the teams I def don't want to win ...

 

[pj]

It would be a shocker if Baylor won after all their scandals.

 

[CTBasketball]

Gonzaga would need a favorable draw to run the table. Historically they do poorly against athletic teams.

Apply the same logic to Oregon though. A much more athletic team, has experience, and has proven they can win in March. If they play well in February, they might not have to leave the West Coast come NCAAT time. I'd take those odds.

 

[Robertelamin]

I'm with this whole sentiment. My least wanted champions often resemble my least liked programs, and it isn't much diff this year:
Hatred:
UK, Cuse, Duke, KU, UNC, prob UCLA tho I love Ball's game, I don't really want them to win. -- I will be rooting against.

Keep our separation:
All above apply as well, but include Louisville, Cincy, Florida, Nova as teams I'd rather not have make a huge run and get closer/add debate to whether our program is more accomplished.

Might not mind, by default:
Gonzaga, Arizona, Purdue, Oregon ..

I can't think of THAT MANY programs I'd be cool with winning, I guess I'm a sore loser. But I think, unless I missed some, that encompasses the teams I def don't want to win ..

Honestly, Cuse felt like the worst case scenario last year so this year I don't care nearly as much who wins.

 

[QDOG5]

I don't know if the Zags will win it but this is their most athletic backcourt under Few. I think they can match up with any team out there. I still think their conference with only one(sometimes two) competitive teams does not prepare them for the intensity of the tourney. Although that may be a cop out. I predicted UNC early in the year and I'm going to stick with it. Depending on the bracket I think there's a chance of a title game rematch. Nova is so tough and battle tested that they would be my second favorite to win.

 

[Matrim55]

I want to root for Cincinnati, but then I think about Mick Cronin winning it all and change my mind.

Mick's an old-school Big East coach IMO, and I can respect that. I also think that he's not a scumbag like Boeheim, and I can respect that as well.

 

[pj]

Mick's an old-school Big East coach IMO, and I can respect that. I also think that he's not a scumbag like Boeheim, and I can respect that as well.

He's done an impressive job at Cincy, that's for sure.

 

[storrsroars]

I want to root for Cincinnati, but then I think about Mick Cronin winning it all and change my mind.

Yeah. It would be easy to root for the team. But picturing Mick with the trophy makes me vomit in my mouth a bit.

 

[BugsyCT]

Don't care at all about Cronin winning it all or not, it's more about Cincy gaining leverage over us in the CR pecking order.

Doesn't matter much, but doesn't help either.

 

[IMind]

Same old same old for Gonzaga until they proove otherwise. Great regular season early round exit.

 

[amory]

No

What he said.

 

[tzznandrew]

Same old same old for Gonzaga until they proove otherwise. Great regular season early round exit.

S16 and E8 in the last two years. The E8 was a tough game against eventual champions Duke, and then lost by 3 in the S16 to Syracuse, who went to the Final Four--and they had beaten the 6 and 3 seeds by double figures.

I'm not convinced they'll win the title (the field is almost always the best bet), but the last few years they've done quite well in the tournament.