Gonzaga vs Texas A&M: 2019-20 storylines for battle in College Station

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 23: Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts to a play against the Baylor Bears during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives to the basket during a practice session ahead of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /

2. How Texas A&M handles Gonzaga’s frontcourt

Even though Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke are playing in the NBA right now, the Bulldogs, even without Tillie still has a frontcourt that’s nearly impossible to stop. Sophomore Filip Petrusev is having an early breakout campaign, averaging a team-leading 19.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg. The previously mentioned freshmen Watson and Timme are producing a combined 25.3 ppg and 11.7 rpg. That doesn’t even include another freshman in Pavel Zakharov, a 6’11 big man who plays garbage minutes.

All of these forwards are capable of spreading the floor and shooting the ball from deep but has just dominated inferior competition in the first three games. It’ll be tougher to do that against the Aggies, with freshman center Jonathan Aku and Josh Nebo anchoring the paint. Both are long and strong and will be far more difficult to score on than anything the Bulldog bigs have experienced.

What will be interesting is how the four-spot (traditionally the power forward position) is handled by Texas A&M. Gonzaga will have a true power forward at that spot, while the Aggies have used either four guards and a big or an undersized forward. That position will likely be a mismatch but it could go either way. Watson is capable of guarding on the perimeter for Gonzaga, while Flagg may have to do the dirty work on the boards and guard inside. The four-spot is a key to observe in the game.