It doesn't get much sweeter than this. One of the West Region's two Sweet 16 games on Thursday will pit the #3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-5, 13-20-1 ATS) against the #2 seed UCLA Bruins (31-5, 21-13-2 ATS). Both schools closed the season red-hot and haven't missed a beat in the postseason. These teams also played an instant-classic Final Four game in 2021, with Gonzaga coming out on top at the buzzer in overtime.
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Neither team has made it that far yet this year, but a Final Four trip is the goal for both sides when they leave Las Vegas this weekend. Their first game is at 9:45 p.m. EST on Thursday in T-Mobile Arena.
According to KenPom, Gonzaga has the best offense in the nation in terms of adjusted efficiency. The Bulldogs lead college basketball in points per game and field goal percentage while ranking 11th in three-point percentage. They also commit the 29th fewest turnovers per game despite one of the country's fastest tempos. As a result, they enter this game on an 11-game winning streak.
TCU's defense was tough this season, but not tough enough to prevent Gonzaga from putting up 84 points and getting a win. The Bulldogs trailed by five at halftime, but took the lead with 11:36 remaining and never relinquished it. They had an off-night offensively, by their standards, but a +7 rebounding margin was enough in the three-point victory. Drew Timme's 28 points may have helped a little too.
The Zags take the lead @ZagMBB pic.twitter.com/4v ZYpH0SW0
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Gonzaga's defense isn't terrible but certainly doesn't match their offensive prowess. Their opponents shoot 43.8% from three and 44.4% from the field overall. They're allowing over 70 points per game this season.
The Bulldogs have been one of the nation's top teams all season and enter this one ranked seventh in KenPom's ratings. They are 9-2 on neutral floors after winning both of their first weekend games.
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