Busting Brackets
Fansided

Gonzaga Basketball: Keys to success against Arizona on the road

By Lukas Harkins

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Ryan Woolridge #4 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives past Sam Timmins #14 of the Washington Huskies in the first half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Ryan Woolridge #4 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives past Sam Timmins #14 of the Washington Huskies in the first half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Petrusev of the Bulldogs drives. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Petrusev of the Bulldogs drives. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /

2. Dominate the glass on both ends.

With the likes of Petrusev, Killian Tillie, Drew Timme, and Anton Watson holding down Gonzaga’s frontcourt, this team is one of the best in the country on the glass. These pieces are all very capable rebounders and that much is evident in the statistical analysis of this team as well. Through the first 11 games of this season, the Bulldogs rank 37th in the nation in offensive rebounding rate (34.3%) and 5th in defensive rebounding rate (79.2%).

They are simply elite with regard to cleaning the glass and that often leads to the team attempting more shots than their opposition. Winning the possession battle is often dictated by limiting/forcing turnovers but Gonzaga is able to often build a strong advantage simply by its work on the glass with this dominant frontcourt. It is also important to mention that Gonzaga has not been at full strength for much of this season as both Tillie and Watson have missed time.

Arizona’s frontcourt is quite solid on the glass in its own right (113th Oreb%, 156th Dreb%), but is not nearly on the same level as Gonzaga. Considering the Bulldogs will be playing on the road in this game, it is reasonable to think that there could be some shooting jitters early. In order to counteract the possibility of nerves in the road arena, Gonzaga should look to prove its advantage on the glass early and often.

Not only will securing offensive rebounds help create a possession advantage but second-chance opportunities at the rim will be high-percentage shots, even against Arizona’s defense that is limiting teams to just 39.4% shooting on 2-point attempts (fifth nationally). The Wildcats’ freshman forward Zeke Nnaji is the player to watch inside as he is averaging 15.9 points (70.7% FG), 6.7 rebounds (2.5 offensive), and 1.0 blocks per game to lead their frontcourt.