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Monday night was supposed to be a coronation. It was supposed to be a night of chasing immortality and the history of chasing the 1976 Indiana basketball program for an undefeated record in the regular season. This was going to be Gonzaga’s night.
After all the Gonzaga Bulldogs survived everything UCLA threw at them on Saturday night in the semifinals that ended on Jalen Suggs’ heave-ho shot to advance to the championship game, we all thought they would not be denied.
This season was all about Gonzaga from Game 1. Everyone picked the Bulldogs to win the national championship with a stacked roster. The Bulldogs backed up the predictions by going undefeated all the way to the national championship game.
We forgot all about Baylor accomplishing a great season of its own to go to the national championship game. On Monday night, the Baylor Bears reminded everyone they are as good as Gonzaga. They played like it, and that’s why they are the national champions after a 86-70 victory over Gonzaga on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
We expected the two best teams in college basketball to go at it for 40 minutes. Instead, Baylor played all out for 40 minutes, and Gonzaga did not. This told the story right there. This game will not be remembered as one of the best like Saturday’s contest between UCLA and Gonzaga that was decided in overtime. Likely, we will forget about everything that took place in the title game outside of the outcome.
Baylor asserted its will by taking a 21-6 lead after a 9-0 start to the game. It was a message to Gonzaga that the Bears were here to play, not be a part of Gonzaga’s coronation on this night.
We waited for Gonzaga to answer like it usually does. It took until the Bulldogs were down by 19 at one point for them to make their charge. They made it a game by trailing 47-37 at the half. They offered hope they can come back and make a run in the second half and maybe win the game. After all, they proved that against UCLA on Saturday night.
Baylor knew that, too. But here is the thing: Like UCLA, Baylor never was in awe of Gonzaga’s presence. Baylor felt it had the stuff defensively and offensively to counteract with Gonzaga.
Baylor started the second half by scoring nine points on a couple of 3s, a layup and a free throw. From there, it set the tone for the Bears. Gonzaga tried to answer as much as it could, but Baylor kept on scoring. There was not going to be a 12-0 run that we waited to see Gonzaga on this night.
It was until nine minutes to go that everyone knew this game was all but over. Baylor wore Gonzaga down defensively, and Gonzaga struggled to shoot and turned the ball over in the second half. Even worse, when Baylor missed its shots, Baylor was able to grab its own rebound and score.
To say Saturday’s game took a lot out of Gonzaga would do a disservice to what Baylor did in the title game. Gonzaga was good enough to beat Baylor. The Bulldogs did not get the job done. This was more about what Baylor did than what Gonzaga did not do.
Baylor featured four players scoring in double figures in Jared Butler (22 points), Davion Mitchell (15 points), Macio Teague (19 points) and Adam Flagler (13 points off the bench). Baylor’s bench outscored Gonzaga’s bench 21-7. Baylor outrebounded Gonzaga 38-22, including a 16-5 advantage on offensive rebounding.
We spent so much time on Jalen Suggs (22 points) and Corey Kispert that we overlooked Butler and Mitchell. We look at Mitchell as a defensive stopper than a scorer.
Baylor won’t say it, but that team may have felt disrespected by the national media for being overlooked with Gonzaga chasing immortality and history.
Baylor earned its respect for beating a great team. Baylor beat Gonzaga at its own game in shooting and defense. If it was any other team, Gonzaga likely wins.
In the world of hot takes, people won’t view that way, unfortunately, especially the casual fans who likely watch the first and only college basketball of the year. They will look at Gonzaga fading under pressure, which is balderdash at its best.
Gonzaga got beat by a better team. Plain and simple. There’s no reason to complicate things.
