Did the emotional highs and physical exhaustion that Gonzaga experienced during the national semifinals play a significant role in the team's stunning championship game loss to Baylor?
Len Elmore sure believes so.
"Throughout the season, I thought these were the two teams, head and shoulders, above everyone else," the Fox Sports college hoops analyst told The DA Show on Tuesday. "Leading up to this particular game, they pretty much had proven it. But the caveat was, after [Gonzaga's semifinal win over UCLA], any player will tell you that when you experience something as emotional as that, you get flat. Gonzaga was never really able to overcome that.
"Take nothing away from Baylor, they were an absolute juggernaut from the beginning to the end... They beat Gonzaga in just about every facet of the game, so you take nothing away from the Baylor Bears. They're the national champs. But Gonzaga, obviously, didn't bring their best stuff."
Gonzaga, which lost to Baylor, 86-70, on Monday night in Indianapolis, was flat-footed from the opening tip. In less than three minutes, they found themselves behind 9-0, and by the midway point of the first half, they trailed by as many as 19 points.
The Bulldogs had no answer for Baylor's sharp-shooting guards, suffocating defense, and aggressiveness on the boards. They were simply overwhelmed -- Baylor's lead was insurmountable. And because of the Bears' dominance and impeccable game plan, Gonzaga was unable to become the first undefeated national champion in Division I men's play since 1976.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few didn't blame the team's shocking loss on fatigue -- he credited Baylor for their toughness and flawless execution. But it's reasonable to suggest that the Bulldogs weren't fully prepared -- both mentally and physically -- to exchange blows, as they needed 45 minutes to outlast UCLA in an overtime thriller on Saturday night.
"There's no question about it, and you could see it in their eyes," Elmore said of Gonzaga's signs of fatigue. "Good camera work during the game, the close-ups of those guys. They were somewhat glassy-eyed. But again, the onslaught from Baylor right from the get-go -- they began 5-for-5 from beyond the arc -- that had something to do with it as well. It was a shellshock look. And again, the carryover from the emotional high of the UCLA game certainly had something to do with it."
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Baylor became the first team to win the national title game without trailing since UConn in 2014, and just the fifth team to ever win both Final Four games by 15-plus points.
The entire Baylor-Gonzaga conversation between Elmore and DA can be accessed in the video and audio players above.
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