Baylor thumped Gonzaga in the NCAA men's basketball championship game, 86-70.
I give the Bears all of the credit as they were superb. Baylor had four players in double digit scoring - Jared Butler 22, MaCio Teague 19, Davion Mitchell 15 and Adam Flagler 13. The points from these four players, which nearly equaled the Bulldogs' team score, totaled 69.
I like Baylor and the recognition and all that comes with it goes to the Bears. But as I was watching the game, something seemed a little off with Gonzaga.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs edged UCLA, in what is being called one of the best men's tournament games ever, on Jalen Suggs' last-second triple from just past half court.
After the win, Suggs said, "This is the greatest feeling that I've ever been a part of."
The game featured 15 ties and 19 lead changes. Most March Madness aficionados agreed that it was the best game of the entire 2021 tournament.
Which leaves me to think about why Gonzaga just did not seem quite like themselves in the championship matchup.
I believe that the Bulldogs were so emotionally high on the feeling of defeating UCLA in dramatic fashion, that it actually hurt them in the title game. With Suggs stating that this was 'the greatest feeling', I have to wonder if there was no longer another pinnacle that Suggs, or Gonzaga, could reach in the tournament.
The UCLA game was probably the most emotionally-charged contest of the year for the Bulldogs. They went through many ties and lead changes. Games such as this can be draining. The entire team reaches a great summit of positive emotions after the overtime win. But where could they go from there?
I felt like Gonzaga was acting like it had won the championship after defeating UCLA. Suggs and head coach Mark Few were both crying after the victory.
Overconfidence may have also played a part in Gonzaga not looking quite like Gonzaga. Then again, maybe it all just came down to dominance by a beast called Baylor.