Deep Dive Thread for Gonzaga

Alabama Gameday Poster courtesy of AlabamaMBB

The Bulldogs are coached by Mark Few, who is in his 26th year in Spokane. He will look to get them back to the second weekend, a place they missed last time, for the first time since 2014. So far this season, they have started at 5-0, including 3 wins over Power 5 teams, though Alabama will be their best opponent thus far.

They are led in scoring and rebounding by 6-9 Graham Ike. The skilled lefty does most of his scoring near the basket but can step back from deep if left unguarded. He is their best defensive rebounder and also does a solid job protecting the rim. Alabama will need to have its post defense ready, as he has a ton of moves he will look to throw at the frontcourt.

Ike is a big physical roller Alabama will have to bring the physicality down low. https://x.com/ZagMBB/status/1989567544852975651?s=20

Their second-leading scorer is Ike’s frontcourt mate, 6-10 Braden Huff. Huff is the better offensive rebounder and does a great job going back up and scoring if he’s able to get the ball off the glass. He isn't as much of a threat from 3, but still does plenty of damage inside the arc, so Alabama will need to be ready to defend for 40.

Huff has the skills to put the ball on the floor as well. https://x.com/ZagMBB/status/1985540507813232976?s=20

The Grand Canyon transfer in 6-7 Tyon Grant-Foster should need no introduction to Alabama fans, as he scored 29 against us in the round of 32 a few years ago before Alabama’s first Final Four. Grant-Foster is one of their leaders in blocks and rebounds well for his size. He has not shot the ball well from deep so far this season, but I would expect him still to let a few fly from beyond the arc.

Grant-Foster is elite on defense, especially blocking shots. https://x.com/SWXLocalSports/status/1990603943031062903?s=20

One of the biggest new impact players for their team is 6-3 Mario Saint-Supery. The freshman from Spain not only leads the team in steals at a bit over 2 per game but also has shot over 63% from 3 so far this season. He has been a huge addition to the Bulldogs and has been their only impact underclassman this season.

Gonzaga’s other major contributors in the back court come in the form of transfers, 6-3 Adam Miller and 6-0 Braden Smith. Miller is most recently from Arizona St and is much more of a scorer, while Smith is a pass-first point guard who came from Colgate. Both have lots of college basketball experience and are big impacts for this team.

The last 3 guys you will likely see on the court are 6-7 Jalen Warley, 6-7 Steele Venters, and 6-5 Emmanuel Innocenti. Warley transferred from Florida State, where he played last season with Bol Bowen. Venters came from Eastern Washington and had almost exclusively taken shots from 3, and Innocenti, as well, is much more of a shooter than an elite defender.

Gonzaga, so far this season, has been much more of an elite defense than in years past. They are top 10 in both offense and defensive efficiency, while sitting at 2nd in effective FG rate on defense. So far this season, they have given up a decent amount of attempts from 3 while also rebounding the ball at a very decent rate. Alabama will have its hands full in Vegas.

Alabama will need to rebound the basketball and take advantage of where I believe they have the biggest advantage, which is in the backcourt. Additionally, I expect that Alabama will be allowed to take the shots from deep, so this game may also come down to hitting the open shots when given the chance.

My player to watch is Keitenn Bristow. After his incredible performance in his first game back from his ankle injury, Alabama will need him to play great again against a solid Bulldog frontcourt. Keitenn will not be giving up any height in this game, and I believe he should be able to use his motor and athleticism to help Alabama on the glass. The whole front court will have its hands full on defense, but defending without fouling will have to be the key.

Alabama has played the much tougher schedule to this point, and with that, some of the best front courts in America. It will have them prepared to face this Gonzaga offense, pairing that with Alabama having the clear advantage in the back court, and I believe Alabama should be able to come out with the win. I expect a great game versus an elite team, but I see Alabama coming out on top.

Prediction: Alabama 88 - Gonzaga 83

I also broke down this game in more detail over on YouTube, talking about the entire Players Era Tournament. Subscribe for more Alabama Basketball Content. https://youtu.be/AmUhrdlR77U