Gonzaga Basketball: Keys to success vs. BYU in 2019-20

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 18: Gonzaga Bulldogs t-shirts are draped over stadium seats prior to the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on December 18, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 12: A general view. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

3. Connect on free-throw attempts

One of Gonzaga’s biggest weaknesses this season has been its struggles at the free-throw line. As a team, the Bulldogs have shot just 67.2% at the stripe so far this season. While this is yet to really hurt the Bulldogs in a big game, it is something to focus on heading into each high-profile matchup such as this one. BYU, even without Yoeli Childs, is a dangerous squad that could come into this game and pull off the upset. As a result, Gonzaga will need to play disciplined basketball and that includes connecting on the “easy” ones.

This is especially important for this matchup considering Gonzaga’s propensity to spend a lot of time at the charity stripe. Even though the Cougars do not send their opponents to the free-throw line that often, the Bulldogs rank 54th nationally in FTAr. Gonzaga will clearly have more size in the frontcourt and head coach Mark Few will look to exploit that advantage by feeding the rock to his bigs.

Most notably, Filip Petrusev will likely be the featured piece of Gonzaga’s offensive gameplan for this matchup. He is averaging 16.7 points and 7.9 rebounds to lead the team in both categories while also attempting nearly seven free-throw attempts per game. He has connected on 67.9% of his total attempts at the charity stripe this season.

In addition, Gonzaga lacks a truly elite foul shooter. Corey Kispert leads the team in free-throw percentage but even he is hitting on just 78.2% of his attempts. If BYU elects to foul down the stretch of the game, the Bulldogs will need to stay disciplined and calm when stepping to the line before knocking them down.

Gonzaga most recently shot 28-for-32 (87.5%) at the line in a dominating win over Santa Clara. Can the Bulldogs keep a strong level of efficiency moving forward?

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BYU has the potential to compete in this game but Gonzaga is the far better team. The Bulldogs will likely look to own this game in the frontcourt while defending their home court.

Final Prediction: Gonzaga Bulldogs – 85 | BYU Cougars – 76