It’s been a
long time since anyone’s been able to write a pregame about Gonzaga playing in
the Sweet 16. It certainly feels nice.
It’s also fitting
that the opponent is UCLA too. Not only do the Zags get to play in the Sweet
16, they also get a chance to exact some revenge on the team that came from 17
down, pulling off a miracle, to knock them out of the dance the last time Gonzaga
played the Bruins in the Sweet 16. The game I’m talking about is the game
people remember where Adam Morrison was seen crying as he sat on the hardwood
at the end of that nightmare.
Adam has
long since graduated and is now with the team as an assistant. Certainly, he’d
love to be a part of this team that has a chance to get some payback.
Gonzaga
enters this game a #2 seed while UCLA is an #11 seed. Beating UCLA should
be very doable as the Zags already whipped them in Pauley Pavilion with ease (87-74) earlier
this season. This time around it will be on a neutral court, in Houston
So, should there
be any concern about winning this game and making it to the Elite 8? It’s said
that beating a team twice in the same season is a difficult thing to do. Also,
UCLA is hot. Well, that’s what I keep hearing. They've won six of their last
seven games, but the Zags have won 27 of their last 28. They pounded BYU while
winning the WCC Tourney Championship game, as well as running over Iowa
That being said, This Bruin team has
elite players with superior talent and athleticism. They have size, deep
shooters, NBA prospects, and excellent rebounding. They
are one of the top teams in the nation in scoring and one a very few teams that
boast a starting line-up where all five score in double figures.
Coach Alford’s son,
Bryce, is the point guard and he is an outstanding one. He scores 15.6 ppg, 5
assists, shoots .844 from the foul line, and a very respectable .392 from deep.
He will be matched up with Kevin Pangos. Bryce has a couple inches on Pangos,
who seems to struggle at times with big guards. Last time they faced each other
Bryce went off for 23 points while Pangos had only 9.
But, Byron Wesley had a
monster game going off for 20 points and 9 rebounds, while holding UCLA’s leading
scorer Norman Powell (16.4) to 3/11 shooting. Gonzaga’s Gary Bell Jr. and Wesley
will need to get up in his grill and slow him down.
UCLA’s outstanding pair
of bigs, Kevon Looney and Toney Parker, ave. 23/16 points and rebounds per game
between the pair. However, Gonzaga has a 1, 2, 3, punch with Karnowski, Wiltjer
and Sabonis. The last time they faced off the Zag’s bigs outplayed UCLA's
scoring a total of 44 points. Looney and Parker only managed to put up 19 total
points. Kyle Wiltjer had a monster game leading all scorers with 24 points.
The lack of depth is a problem for the Bruins. They have a
formidable starting five, but after that they fall off. They basically have no
bench. Once again, Gonzaga needs to use that weakness to their advantage. Rotate
players in and out to wear UCLA down. Also, get them in foul trouble. They basically have no-one on the bench that can out perform Gonzaga's starters, or for that matter, their bench. Additionally, UCLA has a tendency to get off to slow starts. They have had to climb out of
half-time deficits to get wins on occasion. It would be nice if Gonzaga got off
to a fast start, just like in their last meeting. Jump on them early and keep the pedal to the metal.
Many pundits are calling for an upset here, but I just don’t
see it. The Zags have been to the Elite 8 once, a long time ago. With the way
they are playing, their senior back-court, depth, trio of bigs, transfers who
came here to win, I feel a return is imminent.
Gonzaga 83 UCLA 72
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