Gonzaga vs. San Diego: Preview, prediction and TV schedule

Riding the high of a nine-game winning streak, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will look to avoid a loss in San Diego this Thursday.

Game Info

Network: ESPN2

Location: Jenny Craig Pavillion (San Diego, CA)

Date: February 22nd, 2018 at 9:00 p.m.

How have the Bulldogs been playing as of late?

The Bulldogs may be the hottest team in the country. Following an early-season loss to St. Mary’s, many doubted the Bulldogs, but all that has changed in the past few weeks. Currently on a nine-game winning streak that includes wins over BYU and the previously mentioned, St. Mary’s Gaels, Mark Few and company have held teams eight points below their season average while shooting 50% from the field. If the squad out of Spokane can keep the same energy they’ve held over this stretch, then they should have no issue Thursday night in San Diego.

How have the Toreros been playing as of late?

Coming off of a thirteen point win at home against the BYU Cougars, the fourth-place team has the perfect opportunity to play spoiler to the Spokane heavyweights. While the Bulldogs have played well as of late, they haven’t exactly blown teams out. In fact, during Gonzaga’s last outing, four-win Pepperdine pulled within four points with less than ten minutes to go in the second half. Mark Few’s squad is good, but they are far from the dominant force they were last year.

During the Toreros first matchup with Gonzaga, the team out of San Diego was able to pull within two points of the top ten heavyweight with less than five minutes to go. Not to mention, the Toreros did this while shooting 12% under their season average on the road. If San Diego can play anywhere near its usual self, they will most definitely give the #6 team a run for its money.

Key Matchup

The two West Coast Conference foes feature relatively small line-ups that have three guards. In the first matchup, the San Diego trio of Isaiah Wright, Isaiah Pineiro and Olin Carter III outscored and out assisted the Spokane trio. If the San Deigo Toreros are going to pull of the biggest upset of their season, they have to outduel the Gonzaga backcourt from start to finish.

Key Player to Watch

In his team’s first matchup with the San Diego Toreros, senior forward, Johnathan Williams, led the Gaels in points, rebounds, and assists. This type of performance is nothing new for the Memphis native. He has had double-doubles in his last six outings, including an eighteen point, twelve rebound performance on Saturday against Pepperdine.

Next: Previewing the final week of WCC games

The forward’s kryptonite seems to be foul trouble. In his last two games, the forward has had three or more fouls. If he’s going to lead his team to victory, he must be on the court. Look for the home officials in San Diego to play an integral role in whether we see Williams in crunch time Thursday night.

Prediction: San Diego, 72 – Gonzaga, 69