Gonzaga-UCLA matchup is great for men's college basketball
By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst
A No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Associated Press poll has happened 42 times in men's college basketball history. Never has it been between two teams from the West Coast.
On Tuesday in Las Vegas, No. 1 Gonzaga will meet No. 2 UCLA in a rematch of their epic national semifinal — won by Jalen Suggs’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer and seen by an estimated 14.9 million people.
This is the third consecutive time that a matchup between No. 1 and No. 2 will come in November. In fact, the past two have both been in the Champions Classic (Michigan State-Kentucky in 2019 and Duke-Michigan State in 2017).
This rematch won’t come close to the TV rating of that Final Four game, but that doesn't matter. This needs to happen more often.
"This is great for college basketball, players and fans and everyone, but we need more of this," UCLA coach Mick Cronin told me Monday.
Cronin said the 20-game conference schedule — which the Pac-12, like the Big Ten, ACC and Big East, has adopted — is too much.
"I think we should have an open date in late January to play a great game on national television," said Cronin, which is something the Big 12 and SEC do every year. "Jim Calhoun always did this at UConn. I thought this helped his team, recruiting and brand — big time."
The Zags are used to matchups such as this — just not 1 vs. 2, even though Gonzaga has been No. 1 many times.
"Rankings don’t mean anything this time of the year," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "However, [there is] much to be learned when playing an elite-level opponent."
Both teams have already had a Final Four-level test — and passed.
Titus & Tate on UCLA's win over Villanova and whether the Bruins are America's team
UCLA came back from down 10 late to beat Villanova at home at Pauley Pavilion. Gonzaga dominated Texas at home.
The Bruins aren’t at full strength. Cody Riley, the Bruins' big man who started on the Final Four team, is out with a knee injury. He is an integral part of the UCLA lineup, and his absence will be an issue against Gonzaga bigs Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren.
But this is a UCLA team that knows how to win now. The depth and versatility of scoring forwards Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. give the Bruins plenty of options early and often. But it’s the play of point guard Tyger Campbell and freshman Peyton Watson, as well as the specialty play of center Myles Johnson and guards Jaylen Clark, Jules Bernard and David Singleton that make UCLA a title contender.
The same is true of Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have one of the most intimidating frontcourts in the country in Timme and Holmgren. Kaden Perry and Anton Watson know their roles and play them perfectly.
The depth on the perimeter from returnees Andrew Nembhard and Julian Strawther and newcomers Nolan Hickman, Rasir Bolton and Hunter Sallis means the Zags can match the Bruins at each position.
This game might not determine No. 1 seeds, but it won’t hurt. It might not alter the national player of the year race, but the candidacies of Timme and Juzang will certainly be enhanced.
The sport needs this game after a season in which fans weren’t allowed to attend or, at the very least, be in arenas at full capacity. That won’t be the situation Tuesday in Las Vegas.
There will be no restrictions.
It's tough to think about the fact that this game almost didn’t happen. Few and Cronin wanted to play the game, but both had commitments for this season. Getting out of previous tournament options was the first move. Once that occurred, the next move had to be to agree to play the game, find a promoter (Princeton, New Jersey-based Gazelle Group) and then lock in a site and network.
Gazelle got Central Michigan and Bellarmine to come, too, to ensure an extra game for Gonzaga and UCLA on Monday. The results of Monday didn't matter (the Bruins and Zags both won easily). UCLA-Gonzaga was locked in for Tuesday no matter what.
"We cannot wait for March Madness anymore. We need to aggressively pursue what helps our sport," Cronin said. "We need to make sure young players see the benefits of college basketball — scheduling and media opportunities are part of that.
"We’re not the only show in town anymore."
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
