NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: (1) Gonzaga (29-0) vs (6) USC (25-7) prediction and college basketball game preview.
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: (1) Gonzaga (29-0) vs (6) USC (25-7) prediction and college basketball game preview.
Gonzaga vs USC Broadcast
Date: Tuesday, March 30
Game Time: 7:15 pm ET
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Network: CBS
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Gonzaga vs USC Game Preview
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Why USC Will Win
This is the exact type of team that should and could give Gonzaga a whole lot of problems.
Don’t let the 82-68 blowout over Oregon fool you – this is a defensive-minded team usually wins games by controlling the tempo a bit and clamping down in all phases.
It’s one of the tallest teams in the tournament, and it shows – it leads the nation in blocks, it’s one of the best in the country on the boards, and it’s normally great at stopping the three.
Oregon couldn’t make a thing from the outside, shot just 38% from the field, and before it knew what happened, it got rolled by a USC run in the first half and that was it.
The Trojans are a killer on the offensive glass, they allow teams to make a mere 39% of their shots, and they get to the free throw line a whole lot.
Basically, they have the ability to stop Gonzaga inside and out.
So what’s the problem?
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Why Gonzaga Will Win
For a team that’s so strong at generating big defensive stops and is so good at scoring on its own terms, it turns the ball over a whole bunch.
The Trojans turned it over 14 times against Oregon and 13 times against Kansas. That wasn’t a problem as the Trojans annihilated both teams – and Drake, too, in the opener – but Gonzaga has the ability to take a few steals and turn them into a turn-the-lights-out ten point run.
Yes, USC has been amazing so far in the tournament, but it’s now about to deal with the ruthless relentlessness of an offense that has way too many weapons and stars.
Corey Kispert might be the best player in the country this season. He only took one shot in the first half and Creighton was up by ten.
Almost no one moves the ball around better, it’s one of the best teams in the country at generating steals, and this team finds a way to make baskets no matter what.
The machine doesn’t stop.
However …
What’s Going To Happen
No one in the tournament is playing better than USC.
It’s as if the Trojans were just waiting for the real games to start, and then they turned it all on with a total destruction of three solid teams in Drake, Kansas and Oregon had the ability to get to this point with the right run.
Everything is working from the field – USC should be able to keep up.
The defense has the ability, length and talent to matchup with the Gonzaga playmakers – there will be plenty of blocks.
The Bulldogs aren’t going to win the battle on the boards, and they’re not going to be able to get into the normal rhythm that keeps on pressing through even when things aren’t right.
Yeah, USC has the right makeup and mix to pull this off, and it’ll do it in a thriller. The Trojans will pull this off with one last defensive stop.
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Gonzaga vs USC Prediction, Line
USC 79, Gonzaga 78
Bet on college basketball with BetMGM
Line: Gonzaga -9.5, o/u: 155
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1
Must See Rating: 5
5: Howard Schnellenberger
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