NCAA Men’s Basketball: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Baylor Bears- Possible Lineups and Predictions

NCAA Men’s Basketball will see a massive clash of the titans this weekend. The number one-ranked team in the country (Gonzaga Bulldogs) will be taking on the number-two ranked team in the country (Baylor Bears). The hype around this early-season clash between these heavyweights will be tantalizing.

This will be only the ninth time since 2005 that two teams ranked number one and two will face each other. We saw this last season with Michigan State and Kentucky, a game that Kentucky won.

Both the Bulldogs and the Bears are undefeated this season with 3-0 records. Both have beaten ranked as well as unranked opponents, firmly establishing why they have been picked as the two best teams in the country. But which way will this super-important fixture fall?

The health of Gonzaga player Jalen Suggs is under question after his ankle injury in their last game. However, they do have leading scorer Drew Timme to take the pressure upon himself. Baylor has College Player of the Year contender Jared Butler and a super-talented squad around him. So how does this one shake out?

NCAA Men’s Basketball: Gonzaga holds on to the top spot?

The winner of this matchup will obviously be given the next top spot in the rankings. So the question is whether Baylor can do enough to take it from the Bulldogs. Baylor will start with Jared Butler, Mark Vital, Davion Mitchell, Macio Teague and, Flo Thamba. This is one of the best defensive teams in the country.

However, there aren’t many college teams built to take down the offensively versatile Gonzaga team. Their starters are Joel Ayayi, Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, Anton Watson, and Drew Timme. The Zags’ definitely have a lineup resembling a more conventional setup. However, their players are interchangeable and dynamic. They basically won their last game without either leading scorer Timme performing or Suggs.

It is hard to look past Gonzaga in this contest. Baylor is set up really well and has all the firepower needed to take them down, so a win for them wouldn’t be surprising. However, the Zags’ look to be in a flow right now which doesn’t seem to be a product of momentum. They are well-built for a title run, and this is their first big test for it.