Gonzaga vs. UT-Arlington: 2018-19 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
After losing their last two games, Gonzaga looks to get back on track against Ut-Arlington. Can the Mavericks challenge the Bulldogs in Spokane?
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 18, 9:00 pm ET. Check Local Listings
Arena: McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington
After being ranked the No. 1 team for a couple of weeks, Gonzaga (8-2) has come back to Earth a bit, losing their last two games to Tennessee and North Carolina. Against the Tar Heels, the Bulldogs gave up over 100 points and were outscored 27-0 on second-chance points.
Gonzaga remains one of the top offenses in the country at 93.7 ppg but the scoring defense has been a problem, currently ranked in the 300s. Part of it has been the tough non-conference schedule that the Bulldogs have gone through but it’s also been due to the absences of both Killian Tillie and Geno Crandall, two of the top defenders on the team. Both are likely out for this upcoming game but should each be ready to go for the start of WCC play.
The schedule gets easier for Gonzaga, with four straight home games against perceived heavy underdogs. First up is UT-Arlington (3-7), a team who averages less than 30 ppg than the Bulldogs. The Mavericks are going through a complete rebuild under first-year head coach Chris Ogden, with 10 new players on the roster.
The key players for Texas-Arlington are junior guards Brian Warren and Edric Dennis, who average 14.9 and 14.0 ppg respectively. Their top player is Andres Ibarguen, who has missed a few games this season. In four appearances, the 6’7 forward has averaged around 11 ppg and eight boards a night.
Ibarguen will have a tough task having to deal with both Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura, who are combining to average 38.4 ppg and 13.2 rpg. An even bigger issue will be how the Mavericks will be able to outscore Gonzaga, with their 25% three-point shooting percentage ranked among the very worst of 353 D-I teams.
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Gonzaga will have as easy a game as they’ll have all season. But with the students dealing with finals and the crowd not expected to be their normal raucous selves, the possibility of the Bulldogs sleeping through the early stages of the game is there. If they can avoid that, then look for the WCC heavyweight to get back on the winning track.