The NCAA 2021 Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four round is upon us and four teams are left in the running to become this year’s national champion. Sports Analyst Joe Wiz takes a close look into this weekend’s games.
Sat. April 03: (2) Houston vs. (1) Baylor
Houston advanced with a 6-point win over Oregon State, but not before the Beavers made a big move for a win late in the game. Houston dominated in the early going and had a 42-27 lead with 15 minutes left before Oregon State went on a 28-13 run to tie the game at 55-55 with 3:46 remaining. Houston got the win, in the end, to complete an easy trip to the Final Four by defeating four double-digit seeded teams.
Joe Wiz, one of nation’s top sports betting analysts takes the madness out of March Madness 2021
Houston will now face a bigger challenge, as Baylor will have a height advantage over them in the frontcourt. The Cougars will need hotter 3-point shooting to stay in this one, they have hit only 31% in their last two games (18-58).
Baylor is already fine-tuned for this one, defeating much tougher opponents than Houston has faced. The Bears have triumphed over Arkansas, Villanova, and Wisconsin. Baylor doesn’t rely on three-pointers to win; they know they can beat teams in the paint. The Bears have a very strong bench, with Mayer, Flagler, and Tchamwa contributing a combined 25 points vs. Arkansas, and 24 points vs. Villanova.
Baylor needs to avoid looking ahead to a potential final matchup with Gonzaga here.
Sat. April 03: (11) UCLA vs. (1) Gonzaga
The UCLA Bruins shouldn’t have too many non-believers left after beating first-seed Michigan and second-seed Alabama this week. The Bruins showed they can both play and win in either a fast-paced game like their 10-point win over Alabama 88-78, or in their nail-biting low scoring game vs. Michigan 51-49. Guard Johnny Juzang is the key to UCLA’s offense. Juzang scored 28 points against Michigan, and has scored in double-digits in all six post-season games so far for the Bruins.
Sadly for UCLA, they now get to face the steamroller that is Gonzaga. The oddsmakers are showing no respect to the Bruins, making Gonzaga a big double-digit favorite. The Bulldogs are now 30-0 this season, and still have a chance to become the first undefeated NCAA champion since Indiana went 32-0 in 1976. Gonzaga’s Drew Timme appears to be unstoppable, as he has been the leading scorer on the floor in their last three games against: USC, Creighton, and Oklahoma. With powerhouse performers like Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs behind him, Gonzaga is threatening to score around 80 points again in this one.
MLB 2021 Season Previews
Check out our 2021 MLB Season previews to get yourself ready for life after March Madness:
• MLB Baseball is Back! A team by team rundown of the 2021 season – National League
• MLB Baseball is Back! A team by team rundown of the 2021 season – American League
