Arizona Basketball: 2019-20 keys for matchup against Gonzaga Bulldogs

Arizona Basketball faces off against top-10 ranked Gonzaga this weekend. What are the keys for the Wildcats to get the massive victory?

Although we’re 11 games into the season, there is still some mystery with Arizona Basketball. They’re 10-1 but really have only played against two legitimate opponents. The Wildcats handled Illinois at the start of the year but last week struggled mightily in 63-58 loss at Baylor. They rebounded from that this week in a 99-49 win over Omaha, with five players scoring in double figures.

Arizona’s offense is one of the best in the country, ranked 7th in scoring in 85.5 ppg. But to their bad luck, they’re taking on a team who scores even more than them in the Gonzaga Bulldogs (85.9 ppg). Despite losing four starters and three early to the NBA Draft this past offseason, the WCC powerhouse once again has the potential to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga already has had success this season against Pac-12 foes. They defeated Oregon in overtime in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, while recently going on the road and beating Washington this past Sunday. They’ll look to make it 3-0, as well as three straight wins against Arizona themselves. The Wildcats fell to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational, 91-74 last season.

The Bulldogs represent challenges that this new-look Arizona squad hasn’t faced yet this season. Will they be up to the task? They’ll have to be in order to get a win in what will be a primetime high-profile matchup Saturday night. Here’s a look at what Zona must do to get the victory.