Only two more victories until the Zags get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2021.
According to Draft Kings Sportsbook, Gonzaga is currently tied for the third best odds to win the Midwest region and make it to the Final Four at +450. It seems others don’t have a lot of hope in the Zags.
#5 Gonzaga is playing #1 Purdue for the third time in two seasons and on the other end of the Midwest region, #3 Creighton has to go through Dalton Knecht and #2 Tennessee in order to get their bid into the Elite Eight. A lot is on the line on Friday afternoon. Here are some reasons why the Zags will and why they won’t be making the trip to Glendale, Arizona.
Gonzaga’s offense is on fire
The Zags are playing their best ball now, especially on the offensive end. They are peaking at the right time with their ability to score the basketball and doing it in big bunches. In the first half of the first round game against McNeese State, Gonzaga won 48-25. In the second half of the second half game against Kansas, Gonzaga won 46-24.
The three-point offense has especially been rolling as of late in the NCAA Tournament. They connected on 18-36 3PT against the Cowboys and Jayhawks which moved their season percentage to 36.2 3PT%.
But wait, there’s more. Gonzaga is fourth nationally in offensive efficiency, third in shooting percentage inside the arc at 60.0 FG% and second nationally at 51.9% from the field while going 16-2 in its past eighteen games. This offense is hitting its stride right now.
It has been a pick your poison type of deal in the first two games this March. You want to give up the three, the Zags will make you pay from deep. You want to focus guarding out on the perimeter, just don’t even think about it since Gonzaga can score inside the paint better than anyone in the nation.
An important stat to remember about this offense is the fact they’re 21-0 when scoring 80+ points this season.
Ben Gregg has stepped up since entering the starting lineup
A lot has changed since Purdue and Gonzaga last played in the Maui Invitational, specifically Ben Gregg is no longer coming off the bench. Matt Painter hasn’t seen this new rotation that Mark Few has put together and it should make a big difference this time around.
The 6’10” Vanilla Gorilla has been knocking down some clutch three-point shots lately. When you got a big guy who can extend his range like that, the floor and spacing just opens up entirely. It’s very hard to stop the Zags when Mr. Zag is contributing 15 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 assists like he did against Kansas.
No one wants Gonzaga to get back to the Final Four more than Gregg who grew up idolizing this program. “This has been my dream school my whole life. I grew up watching these guys forever… To able to have Gonzaga on my chest, it’s an honor for me. That’s why I lay it all out on the court every day because it means so much to me. I wanna win for these guys.”
Ben Gregg BURIES the trifecta
It’s ALL @ZagMBB pic.twitter.com/DJBtdqAbsw
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2024
Will Braden Huff contribute off the bench? How and who can slow down Zach Edey?
Similar to Ben Gregg, Huff’s ability to stretch out the floor in the pick-and-roll game can give opponents a ton of nightmares. If he can contribute 10+ points off the bench like his 11 against Kansas, Purdue’s chances of winning go way down. More importantly is if Huff can show the toughness on the defensive end like he did against Hunter Dickinson. Obviously, a much taller (literally) task coming up when trying to stop the best player in the nation.
A lot of different defensive rotations will be thrown out with the plan to stop Zach Edey and most will fail. A few different defenders will have the chance to matchup with the giant and just one needs to make an impact. Can it be Huff, maybe someone else? Whoever it is, keep Edey out of the key and getting that post positioning.
BIG jam for Braden Huff #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/tIb1hn6qSi
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2024
The Zags don’t have history on their side
This rematch with Purdue has the revenge factor in it as the Zags lost to the Boilermakers in the 2023 Maui Invitational by a score of 73-63 as well as last season in the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, 84-66. Purdue is 4-0 all-time against Gonzaga. If you didn’t want to hear anymore reason the past might not be in Gonzaga’s favor in this specific matchup, the record for the Zags against #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament is 0-9 all-time. I like to think there is always a first for anything in the college game (it’s especially hard to beat a team three times in a row which is what Purdue is striving to do) but wow, it’s tough to go against the favorite after reading all that.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho