By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
Gonzaga played phenomenally in the opener but Houston is an entirely different cat.
The Cougars enter this matchup as a slight favorite in what might prove to be Saturday’s best game. These teams have completely different styles with the Bulldogs relying on their offense, while UH implements a trapping defense.
The key for the Zags is for someone outside of Ryan Nembhard or Graham Ike to make shots. GU is the second-leading scoring team in the country, averaging 86.7 points per game, but they probably won’t score that much against Houston’s slow-it-down pace.
No. 8 Gonzaga vs No. 1 Houston
Saturday, March 22
5:40 pm PT, TNT
Midwest Region, Wichita
The Cougars rank 359th in adjusted tempo. For reference, Saint Mary’s ranks 360th.
Some players who might step up for the Zags are Nolan Hickman, Khalif Battle, or Braden Huff. Battle scored 24 points in the first round and Huff has scored 36 combined points since being inserted into the lineup in the last two contests.
Flipping to Houston, they have a simple yet precise formula. Destroy souls on defense, make three pointers, and dominate the offensive glass. UH has made the Sweet Sixteen the past five years so they’re expecting to beat Gonzaga.
The Cougars’ best player is L.J. Cryer, who leads the team in scoring averaging 15.2 points per game. He helps form a three-headed monster of shooters with Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan.
The trio all shoot above 40 percent from beyond the arc, with Uzan leading the way converting 44 percent of the time. They all average in double-figure scoring.
From a stylistic standpoint, Gonzaga matches up well against Houston. If anyone in the country can handle a trapping defense it is Nembhard, who leads the nation in assists.
They will need at least one other guard to be strong with the ball though. The Zags also must box out against the Cougars who get 12.4 offensive rebounds per game.
UH got J’wan Roberts back from injury against SIU Edwardsville, which will make this task even more trying. Roberts leads Houston in rebounding at 6.2 per game, he also averages 10.7 points per.
Gonzaga’s gonna win this contest. The Bulldogs are in a no-pressure situation, and they’re lucky their opponent doesn’t have an elite post player.
GU moves on to the Sweet 16 for the 11th straight year.
Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.
