NCAA tournament Sweet 16 preview: Gonzaga vs. UCLA
No. 2 Gonzaga (34-2) vs. No. 11 UCLA (22-13)
Time, TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, CBS
Where: Houston
Why Gonzaga will win: This is coach Mark Few's best team at Gonzaga, which is in its 17th consecutive NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs, the No. 2 seed in the Sout, rank first nationally in field-goal percentage (52.6%). They are the only team in the NCAA tournament that ranks in the top 25 in field-goal percentage and field-goal percentage defense.
Why UCLA will win: The 11th-seeded Bruins need another big game from Tony Parker, whose 28 points against UAB were the most by a UCLA player in an NCAA tournament game since 2008. Bryce Alford also must continue to thrive after averaging 24.5 points in the first two tournament victories. After suffering a five-game losing streak, the Bruins have gone 14-6. They are playing well at the right time.
History lesson: For the second consecutive tournament game, UCLA will play a non-conference opponent it played earlier this season. Gonzaga beat UCLA 87-74 on Dec. 13, marking UCLA's only home loss this season. Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer scored a game-high 24.