No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes: Injuries, odds, more
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are back in action after an over two-week layoff. The top-ranked Zags face number three Iowa in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Pacific Northwest Sports has all you need to know.
PNWS presents what you need to know to enjoy the Saturday showdown between the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and number three Baylor Iowa Hawkeyes. ZagsNation will have to catch this televised special early. PNWS has all you need to know.
We generally don’t do pregame buildups for basketball at Pacific Northwest Sports. This game, however, is special. It pits the two of the AP Poll’s top three teams. Also, the Zags are coming off a long layoff, so it’s good to get re-acquainted.
Who: Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0) vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-0)
Where: Sanford Pentagon – Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
When: Saturday, December 19, 2020 – 9:00 a.m. PST.
TV: CBS.
Line: Gonzaga -3.5.
Injuries: Gonzaga Questionable – F Julian Strawther (COVID-19), G Dominick Harris (COVID-19). Iowa: No injuries reported.
Interesting Trends: Gonzaga has lost one game in the last calendar year (27-1), including seven straight wins. They also won 14 of their last 18 and five straight on neutral courts. The Zags have gone over in 16 of their last 18 games.
Iowa is on a six-game winning streak this season. The Hawkeyes are 1-5 in their last six games as the underdog. Their last eight games have gone over.
Last Game
No. 1 Gonzaga 87 – No. 11 West Virginia 81
Bob Huggins‘ 11th ranked West Virginia Mountaineers are a very physical team. They were able to take the Zags out of their rhythm early, but they couldn’t hold the lead. The Zags got a scare around the seven-minute mark of the first half when freshman sensation Jalen Suggs went down with an apparent foot injury when he slipped awkwardly.
Junior Andrew Nembhard came off the bench to replace Suggs. The transfer from Florida was outstanding and helped lead the Zags back with his excellent ballhandling and court vision. Sophomore center/forward Drew Timme found his footing in the second half and became a force inside.
Somehow Suggs made it back into the game midway through the second half. The return gave his team the push they needed to take back the lead and eventually win. Forward Joel Ayayi was Gonzaga’s leading scorer with 21. Corey Kispert and Nembhard had 19 points each.
No. 3 Iowa 106 – Northern Illinois 53
This was a typical pre-conference tune-up game. After going down 10-8, Iowa went on a 31-11 run. They took a 51-27 lead into halftime. The second half picked up where the first left off. In the first seven minutes, the Hawkeyes outscored NIU 21-8, and from there, the subs took over.
Outlook
Iowa can put up the points. They lead Division 1 with an average of 100.5 points-per-game. Additionally, the Hawkeyes are flush with three-point shooters. The team hits almost 40 percent from downtown and averages the seventh most treys per game at 11.7. They also move the ball well with an average of 24 assists-per-game.
There are the above dimensions to Iowa, and then there is the team’s best player, Luka Garza. The 6-11 Wooden Award candidate averages 29.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per night this year.
If all of this sounds like Iowa is a load to handle, that’s correct. Iowa is an outstanding team. But, here are three reasons why the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.
1 – They haven’t played anyone good other than 22nd ranked North Carolina. Four of their six wins are against mid-majors with a combined record of 2-16.
2 – Every game the Hawkeyes played this season was at home.
3 – Finally, even with the tomato can schedule, the Hawkeyes rank 145th in the country, allowing 68.5 points-per-game.
So far, Iowa hasn’t seen anything close to what the Zags can do on both ends of the floor. Garza is in for a fight with Drew Timme, who can score, rebound, and run the floor. Additionally, the Zags are battle-tested, with wins over Kansas, Auburn, and West Virginia.
Gonzaga’s biggest questions are: Will they be rusty after sitting idle for over two weeks? What kind of physical shape are the Bulldogs in? Has freshman point guard Jalen Suggs fully recovered from the foot injury he suffered against West Virginia?
We’ll have the results and our take on the game with Zags 360 on Sunday.