This year’s NCAA Tournament started with 68 national-title-hopeful teams.
It’s now down to two.
After winning their respective Final Four matchups on Saturday, No. 1 seed Gonzaga will battle No. 1 seed North Carolina for the national title Monday night. It’s a matchup between two teams that have shared the “best team in the country” label at different points this year. This is a big-boy matchup.
Who will cut down the nets? Our experts are picking the winner straight up and against the spread, which currently sits at UNC -2. Below are the picks along with an explanation from each writer on his national title pick.
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| Against the spread | | | | | |
Bill Reiter
Gonzaga was the best team in the regular season. It is the No. 1 seed in this tournament. It has lost just a single game in a remarkable run has it on the verge of a first national championship. And on the back of that belief, the Zags’ depth and a defense that has no peers in college basketball they get it done Monday night against UNC.
Gary Parrish
This is a total tossup game, which the point spread accurately reflects. But I really do think public perception -- one of these schools is from the ACC, the other from the WCC -- is the only thing that has North Carolina favored by a bucket. Other metrics suggest Gonzaga should be the favorite. So there’s value in grabbing the Zags plus the points. And I actually believe Mark Few’s program will win the game outright. Final score: Gonzaga 76, North Carolina 75. So if you’ve got any more Zags jokes, get them out before Monday night.
Matt Norlander
The Bulldogs will win their first national championship on Monday night because, through and through, they are better than the Tar Heels. They have rated as the best team in college basketball for months. They have the size — and better frontcourt players — to match up against UNC. Nigel Williams-Goss wins the head-to-head battle of the point guard vs. Joel Berry. Those are two victories to UNC’s one with Justin Jackson winning the battle of the wings. The coaching practically cancels itself out. Gonzaga played better in victory on Saturday than UNC, and it will find its groove early against the Heels on Monday night. Bulldogs 84, UNC 80.
Chip Patterson
Twice in this tournament, North Carolina has won a game it didn’t deserve to win. Finishing off Arkansas and hanging on against Oregon gives this experienced Tar Heels team a shot at completing a goal that’s been in place all season. Zach Collins had the game of his life in the semifinals but runs into a pair of experienced bigs with Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks and gets neutralized as the Tar Heels win another grinder. Roy Williams has gotten to his current level of success with up-and-down teams, but it’s these clunky close wins that will define the 2017 tournament run.
Kyle Boone
I picked the Tar Heels from the onset, and they’ve done nothing to dissuade me they won’t win their sixth straight NCAA Tournament game on Monday against Gonzaga. They aren’t the deepest of the two teams, and the health of starting point guard Joel Berry II is a concern. But they have the edge when it comes to talent and experience. I think experience wins out.
