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Gonzaga Basketball

Experts disagree on Gonzaga’s chances

Gonzaga coach Mark Few and CBS broadcaster Doug Gottleib watch the Zags practice on Wednesday. Gottlieb picked the Zags to lose to Michigan State in Final Four. (Dan Pelle)
By Christian Caple christianc@spokesman.com(509) 998-3135

What do national college basketball analysts think of Gonzaga’s chances in the NCAA tournament? Here’s a sampling from some of the major outlets.

Jay Bilas, ESPN: The famed ESPN analyst breaks the mold by picking VCU as one of his Final Four teams. But he’s got Ohio State winning Gonzaga’s region, with the Buckeyes knocking out GU in the Elite Eight.

Seth Greenberg, ESPN: One of four ESPN experts to slot Gonzaga into the Final Four. But no further.

Jason King, ESPN: Rare vote for N.M. as the West Region champ.

Joe Lunardi, ESPN: Premier name in bracketology likes Gonzaga to make the Final Four, but predicts it will lose to Louisville.

Seth Davis, Sports Illustrated: Davis picked Gonzaga to lose in the Sweet 16 to Wisconsin, though he went unconventional in picking No. 3 New Mexico to win the West Region.

Stewart Mandel, SI: Mandel joined the chorus of pundits picking Ohio State to win the West, but he does have Gonzaga advancing to the Elite Eight before falling to the Buckeyes.

Andy Glockner, SI: You won’t find an analyst who thinks the Zags will lose any earlier: Glockner has them falling to Pittsburgh in the round of 32.

Doug Gottlieb, CBS Sports: Sure, Gottlieb had some harsh words for Gonzaga during Sunday’s Selection Show. But he apparently thinks highly enough of the Bulldogs to pick them to advance to the Final Four, where he sees them losing to Michigan State. Perhaps not a coincidence: Gottlieb is on the broadcast team for Gonzaga’s first game against Southern.

Gary Parrish, CBS Sports: Parrish takes a bit of a different tack and slots Wisconsin into the Final Four as the West Region champion, predicting the Badgers to knock off Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.

Jeff Goodman, CBS Sports: Goodman sees Gonzaga as a Final Four team, but doesn’t think the Zags will get past Louisville in the national semifinals.

Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: Ohio State rules the West Region in Palm’s bracket, though he does think Gonzaga will last until it faces the Buckeyes in the Elite Eight.

Matt Norlander, CBS Sports: Norlander would be a popular guy in Spokane. The CBS Sports basketball blogger is featured as one of the site’s experts, and he predicts Gonzaga will win the whole thing.

Wally Sczerbiak, CBS Sports: The former Miami-Ohio star is feeling the small-conference love, apparently. He picked Gonzaga to win the championship.

President Barack Obama: In his annual NCAA tournament interview on ESPN, the commander in chief picked Wisconsin to end Gonzaga’s run in the Sweet 16. The president has Ohio State winning the West Region and Indiana defeating Louisville for the championship.