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NCAA Tournament: Breaking Down The Elite 8 Matchups

By Casey Pazzalia

Mar 16, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; General view of a March Madness basketball prior to the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; General view of a March Madness basketball prior to the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard J.P. Macura (55) and guard Trevon Bluiett (5) react after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard J.P. Macura (55) and guard Trevon Bluiett (5) react after defeating the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

West Region: No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 1 Gonzaga

  • Date: March 25, 2017
  • Venue: SAP Center, San Jose, CA
  • Tip-Off: 6:09 p.m. ET
  • TV: TBS
  • Line: Gonzaga (-8)

What appears as a David vs. Goliath matchup is really anything but that. The No. 11 seed, Xavier, is actually from a “Power” conference, while the No. 1 seed is from a mid-major conference.

Storylines aside, this is going to be a very good game and must-watch television.

Xavier is the darling of the NCAA Tournament, fighting off numerous higher seeds to earn their spot into the Elite Eight. In their first three games, the Musketeers beat No. 6 Maryland, No. 3 Florida State and No. 2 Arizona.

What some people don’t realize is that the Musketeers almost missed out on the tournament all together. After losing their best player midway through Big East play, Xavier went on a six-game losing streak and was on the bubble heading into the conference tournament. Luckily, they wound up beating a very good Butler team in the Big East Tournament, securing their spot in the Dance.

The Musketeers are led by Trevon Bluiett, a junior who is averaging 18.7 points per game.

In the Zags’ case, they have had a much easier road into the Elite Eight. So far, they have beaten No. 16 South Dakota State, No. 8 Northwestern and No. 3 West Virginia.

Gonzaga is led by NBA prospect Nigel Williams-Goss, a combo-guard who has carried the team all year. Overall, he is averaging 16.5 points per game, while dishing out 4.7 assists per night.

These two programs have met twice this decade, with the Zags winning both games.