Xavier (24-13) vs Gonzaga (35-1)
When: Saturday, March 25th 2017
Where: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
Time: 6:09 ET | TV: TBS
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The Xavier Musketeers and Gonzaga Bulldogs each will be looking to reach their first ever Final Four when they meet Saturday night in the Elite Eight at San Jose. Xavier can join LSU (1986), George Mason (2006) and VCU (2011) as the only 11 seeds to reach the Final Four after knocking off second-seeded Arizona on Thursday night. Xavier closed the game with a 9-0 run to post a 73-71 upset victory over the Wildcats. The Musketeers are led by red-hot junior guard Trevon Bluiett, who scored 25 points against Arizona and is averaging 25.0 in the Tournament to raise his season-mark to 18.3 to go along with 88 made 3-pointers. Xavier is getting contributions from everyone. Senior guard Malcolm Bernard (6.5 average) scored a career-high 15 against the Wildcats and junior power forward Sean O’Mara (6.3) scored the tiebreaking inside basket with 44.1 seconds to play. Junior guard J.P. Macura averages 13.9 points to go with 60 made 3-pointers for a team that is winning despite losing star sophomore point guard Edmond Sumner (averages of 15 points and five assists) to a season-ending knee injury in late January. O’Mara, who averages 13.7 minutes, is averaging 12.7 points on 11-of-13 shooting in three NCAA Tournament games.
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The Bulldogs are in the Elite Eight for the second time in three years after Thursday’s 61-58 victory over West Virginia. Shooting guard Jordan Mathews, who averages 10.7 points, nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 57.3 seconds remaining in Thursday’s Sweet 16 win that also featured the Bulldogs limiting the Mountaineers to 26.7% shooting from the field. Mathews is averaging 14.3 points with nine 3-pointers during the tournament and leads the Bulldogs with 77 made 3-pointers on the season. Junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss leads Gonzaga in scoring (16.5) and assists (4.7) but is just 12-of-42 shooting in three NCAA Tournament games. The Bulldogs outrebound opponents by 7.4 per game and rely on a solid frontcourt led by senior center Przemek Karnowski (12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds), junior power forward Johnathan Williams (10.1 points, team-best 6.6 boards) and freshman reserve 7-footer Zach Collins (10-point average, 5.7 rebounds). Head coach Mark Few commented after the game, “It would be phenomenal to get these guys, this team that I love deeply, the experience to go to a Final Four.”
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The Bulldogs have an extremely underrated defense and should be able to slow down the hot shooting Musketeers, but this Xavier team is a lot better than people think. Remember, they were ranked 7th in the preseason polls and are now playing like it. If Williams-Goss can get back on track for Gonzaga, this could be a double-digit win, but he hasn’t shown that yet. I say take the points in this one. Gonzaga is playing with a lot of pressure, even if they don’t say it.
Pick: Xavier +8
ATS TRENDS
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OU TRENDS
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HEAD TO HEAD
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