Sign up here

The 2021 men’s Final Four is set, and heading into Saturday night’s games (No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA; No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 2 Houston) in Indianapolis, we’re power ranking the quartet based on how they’re playing right now and who they’ve beat in the tournament. (For women's Final Four rankings, click here.)

1. Gonzaga: What else is there to say at this point? The Zags have picked apart everyone in their path so far and have barely broken a sweat as they continue to pursue history. If even 7-foot freshman phenom Evan Mobley couldn’t stop Drew Timme, who will? Look, nothing is a guarantee in March, but this is Gonzaga’s title to lose.

2. Baylor: The Bears haven’t won their tournament games by as many as Gonzaga, but they haven’t been truly threatened, either. All season long, this has looked like the team that has the best chance of going toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs, and it may come down to that Monday night. Baylor’s offense isn’t quite on the level of the Zags’, but it’s darn good in its own right, with a plethora of three-point shooters and Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague as a killer trio. Of course, to play for the title, first it must get past a stingy Houston roster.

3. UCLA: On the season, Houston has been the better team, but the Bruins have been playing above their heads this tournament, including capturing arguably the most impressive pair of wins (over No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Alabama), based on opponent, of anyone in the men’s field of 68. That’s worth something, though Johnny Juzang & Co. received the unfortunate award of facing Gonzaga next. They’ll need their biggest miracle yet to pull this one off, and it will take a lot more offense than the 51 points they managed against Michigan.

4. Houston: The Cougars might be last here, but they certainly seem to stand a better chance against Baylor than UCLA does against the Zags. It’s true that Houston has yet to play a single-digit seed in this tournament thanks to a fortuitous draw, but it’d be a mistake to overlook this team based on that. The Cougars have been a consistent top-10, if not top-five team all season, and their defense and offensive rebounding ability are strong calling cards.