Gonzaga Basketball: Keys for the Zags meeting with Tennessee
3. Free throws will be key for the winning team
The Zags’ two-point victory over Washington on Wednesday was clearly fueled by Gonzaga’s stroke at the free-throw line. When games are within one possession, a team’s ability to drain the foul shots may very well make or break it. In their victory over Duke, Gonzaga nearly had the opposite benefit, as Hachimura and Clarke went 0/4 from free throw in the final seconds, but tremendous defense by both players made up for it in the end.
However, if another close game ensues between the Volunteers and the Bulldogs, a huge defensive stop on the final play may not happen, and the Zags will need to seek as many attempts from the stroke as they can. Gonzaga is shooting 75.6% from the charity strike so far this season, earning them a respectable No. 33 in the nation in this stat. The perfect performance a few nights ago increased their previous season total from 73.5%.
Perkins, Norvell and freshman Filip Petrusev are the Zags best free throw shooters, with 90%, 83.3% and 82.1%, respectively. Kispert is shooting 100% from free throw, but has only attempted seven foul shots.
Inversely, Tennessee’s free throw shooting has certainly not been their strong suit, as the Volunteers are averaging 69.3% from the strike, landing them an unimpressive tie for No. 179. Jordan Bone is the team’s best shooter with an 81% accuracy.
In fact, only three players on the Gonzaga roster are shooting below the Tennessee average, with Clarke at 61.1%, Geno Crandall, who is out for several weeks with a hand injury (68.8%) and Greg Foster Jr., who has gone 1/2 so far this season.
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These numbers bode well for the Zags in both a late deficit scenario or a late lead scenario. If the Zags are down, fouling can help stall the Volunteers from increasing their lead, as earning every point from the line will clearly not be easy. Inversely, if the Zags find themselves with a lead as the game winds down, the two starting guards in Perkins and Norvell will be surefire players to knock down shots to finish the game.