Based on Draft Kings Sportsbook, Gonzaga is at the moment tied for the third greatest odds to win the Midwest area and make it to the Closing 4 at +450. It appears others don’t have a whole lot of hope within the Zags.
#5 Gonzaga is taking part in #1 Purdue for the third time in two seasons and on the opposite finish of the Midwest area, #3 Creighton has to undergo Dalton Knecht and #2 Tennessee with the intention to get their bid into the Elite Eight. Loads is on the road on Friday afternoon. Listed here are some explanation why the Zags will and why they received’t be making the journey to Glendale, Arizona.
Gonzaga’s offense is on fireplace
The Zags are taking part in their greatest ball now, particularly on the offensive finish. They’re peaking on the proper time with their potential to attain the basketball and doing it in massive bunches. Within the first half of the primary spherical recreation in opposition to McNeese State, Gonzaga received 48-25. Within the second half of the second half recreation in opposition to Kansas, Gonzaga received 46-24.
The three-point offense has particularly been rolling as of late within the NCAA Event. They related on 18-36 3PT in opposition to the Cowboys and Jayhawks which moved their season share to 36.2 3PT%.
However wait, there’s extra. Gonzaga is fourth nationally in offensive effectivity, third in taking pictures share contained in the arc at 60.0 FG% and second nationally at 51.9% from the sphere whereas going 16-2 in its previous eighteen video games. This offense is hitting its stride proper now.
It has been a decide your poison sort of deal within the first two video games this March. You need to hand over the three, the Zags will make you pay from deep. You need to focus guarding out on the perimeter, simply don’t even give it some thought since Gonzaga can rating contained in the paint higher than anybody within the nation.
An essential stat to recollect about this offense is the actual fact they’re 21-0 when scoring 80+ factors this season.
Ben Gregg has stepped up since getting into the beginning lineup
Loads has modified since Purdue and Gonzaga final performed within the Maui Invitational, particularly Ben Gregg is not coming off the bench. Matt Painter hasn’t seen this new rotation that Mark Few has put collectively and it ought to make a giant distinction this time round.
The 6’10” Vanilla Gorilla has been pulling down some clutch three-point pictures currently. While you received a giant man who can lengthen his vary like that, the ground and spacing simply opens up solely. It’s very exhausting to cease the Zags when Mr. Zag is contributing 15 factors on an ideal 6-6 taking pictures to associate with 9 rebounds and three assists like he did in opposition to Kansas.
Nobody desires Gonzaga to get again to the Closing 4 greater than Gregg who grew up idolizing this program. “This has been my dream college my complete life. I grew up watching these guys perpetually… To capable of have Gonzaga on my chest, it’s an honor for me. That’s why I lay all of it out on the court docket day-after-day as a result of it means a lot to me. I wanna win for these guys.”
Will Braden Huff contribute off the bench? How and who can decelerate Zach Edey?
Just like Ben Gregg, Huff’s potential to stretch out the ground within the pick-and-roll recreation may give opponents a ton of nightmares. If he can contribute 10+ factors off the bench like his 11 in opposition to Kansas, Purdue’s possibilities of profitable go means down. Extra importantly is that if Huff can present the toughness on the defensive finish like he did in opposition to Hunter Dickinson. Clearly, a a lot taller (actually) process developing when attempting to cease the perfect participant within the nation.
A whole lot of completely different defensive rotations might be thrown out with the plan to cease Zach Edey and most will fail. A couple of completely different defenders could have the prospect to matchup with the large and only one must make an impression. Can it’s Huff, possibly another person? Whoever it’s, hold Edey out of the important thing and getting that publish positioning.
The Zags don’t have historical past on their facet
This rematch with Purdue has the revenge consider it because the Zags misplaced to the Boilermakers within the 2023 Maui Invitational by a rating of 73-63 in addition to final season within the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, 84-66. Purdue is 4-0 all-time in opposition to Gonzaga. If you happen to didn’t need to hear anymore motive the previous may not be in Gonzaga’s favor on this particular matchup, the file for the Zags in opposition to #1 seeds within the NCAA Event is 0-9 all-time. I prefer to assume there’s at all times a primary for something within the faculty recreation (it’s particularly exhausting to beat a group 3 times in a row which is what Purdue is striving to do) however wow, it’s robust to go in opposition to the favourite after studying all that.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga College graduate from the Bay Space… Observe him on Twitter @a_cravalho
