Gonzaga Bulldogs: Zags 360 – A breakdown then a Kentucky surprise
Teresa Powe
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The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a meltdown against Texas. But their big win over Kentucky almost evens it.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs fell apart around the 14-minute mark in the second half of their game against the Texas Longhorns in Austin. However, GU never took their foot off the gas in the Kentucky Wildcats game.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (74) vs. Texas Longhorns (93)
I haven’t seen a Gonzaga Bulldog game as ugly as this since the NCAA 2020 Final against Baylor. The Longhorns beat the brakes off our boys.
I won’t place all the blame on the players’ shoulders. Zags Head Coach Mark Few has to take some of it.
What happened to coaching the point guards? Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis haven’t had four years of experience. They need to be coached in how to be floor generals like Jalen Suggs and Andrew Nembhard.
Not every “guard” can be a point guard and run the offense. A point guard and a pure point guard must have a high basketball IQ. They need to be able to see every man on the floor and figure out the best move for his team. He needs to know not only where his teammates are but where they are going to be.
Texas turned the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ 20 turnovers into 27 points. That may be because the Bulldogs think they can win despite their poor ballhandling. They are not taking the turnovers seriously.
In the previous game vs. Michigan State, the Zags had 18 turnovers and got the win. However, Gonzaga got lucky, in my opinion, in winning that game. They had zero points in transition, and their threes were not falling.
Drew Timme led the Bulldogs with 18 points, and Julian Strawther was next with 13.
Tyrese Hunter led the Longhorns with 26 points, including five of eight from three. Marcus Carr, who I thought was the biggest pest, was next with 16 points, including 4 of 9 from behind the arc and 7 assists.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (88) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (72)
They were right if the Gonzaga Bulldogs thought winning this game against the Kentucky Wildcats by 16 would soothe their fans. This was one of the Power 5 games that had me nervous.
Coaches John Calipari and Mark Few had been trying to get this game together for some time. In August, they agreed to the matchup for six seasons, beginning with this game in Spokane.
On this night, the Gonzaga Bulldogs had four players score double figures, including three players with 20 or more points. But there is still so much work for the Bulldogs to do.
The ball handling has to improve a great deal, Coach Few. The eight turnovers in the first half kept Kentucky in the game, but a 14-3 run had the Bulldogs leading 41-21 as the first half came to a close.
Rasir Bolton led the team with 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 8 from three and a perfect 4 of 4 from the free throw line.
Drew Timme, who I now call the “Inside Man” because he was a terror from inside the paint! The senior did fancy over-the-head passes and everything! Timme had 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting with 7 rebounds.
Julian Strawther was once again the sharpshooter with 20 points on 5 of 10 shooting, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.
But the surprise of the game was Anton Watson, the Quiet Enforcer, who was anything but quiet. Watson had 10 points, 10 rebounds with 2 steals, and a monster throwdown dunk which was one of the game’s highlights.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Out of AP Top 5
For the first time since December 2, 2019, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have fallen out of the AP Top 5. It was due to the thrashing GU got from Texas.
Houston moved into the Bulldogs’ number 2 spot, and after defeating the Zags, Texas has moved up to number four.
Gonzaga has a tough schedule coming with more of the Power 5 teams. f they can’t fix their holes, the Zags could be looking at falling out of the Top 10. hat hasn’t happened since February 5, 2018.
This week
The Gonzaga Bulldogs take on Big Sky’s #3 Portland State Vikings (3-1) on November 25. Th n they take a trip to Waco, Texas, to take on Baylor (4-1) at the Ferrell Center on December 2.
In the meantime, please stay safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving!