Defenses could determine top 10 battle between high-powered Gonzaga, Kentucky

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Dec. 6—SEATTLE — Gonzaga players and coaches monitored Kentucky’s road loss to Clemson on television earlier this week with the Wildcats next on the Zags’ schedule.

Kentucky reminded senior guard Nolan Hickman of another team in blue jerseys that the Zags used to face in the West Coast Conference. Makes sense since Kentucky head coach Mark Pope spent the previous five years at BYU.

“He’s a great coach,” Hickman said. “What he’s done in his single year at Kentucky already starting off hot and bringing the same culture from BYU. That’s all I got watching Kentucky, I just really thought it was BYU in just a different jersey.

“They live and die by that 3, so we’re going to know that going into the game.”

Senior forward Michael Ajayi, a Seattle-area native like Hickman, noticed Kentucky lost the rebounding battle in the opening half and noted, “I feel like to win games you have to rebound and defend, and that’s what Clemson did.”

Both players’ assessments underline the key aspects in Saturday’s top-10 tussle at Climate Pledge Arena. The fourth-ranked Wildcats make 10.6 3-pointers and hoist nearly 29 per game, both ranking in the top 40 nationally.

Kentucky (7-1) is first nationally in defensive rebounding (33.6 per game) and rallied in the closing half to tie Clemson on the glass, but the Tigers were the more physical team Tuesday.

Both teams put up a lot of points — GU 90.4 per game, Kentucky 92.4 — share the ball (both average 19.9 assists) and hit essentially 50% of their shots, so the defenses will have their hands full.

Can No. 7 Gonzaga (7-1) deal with Kentucky’s perimeter shooting threats and contain Oklahoma transfer guard Otega Oweh, who does most of his damage inside the 3-point line while averaging a team-high 16.0 points?

Can Kentucky limit the effectiveness of post duo Graham Ike and Braden Huff, particularly in ball-screen actions with point guard Ryan Nembhard that were a major factor in GU’s 89-85 win last February at Rupp Arena?

Ajayi paid close attention to…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/defenses-could-determine-top-10-030300299.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2024-12-07 03:03:00

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