Gonzaga Basketball: Key storylines for 2019-2020 matchup with Pacific

Gonzaga Basketball: Key storylines for 2019-2020 home matchup with Pacific

TUCSON, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 14: Filip Petrusev #3 and Killian Tillie #33 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs high five on the court during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on December 14, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 08: Nahziah Carter #11 of the Washington Huskies scores on a 3-point shot over Joel Ayayi #11 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /

Rapidly improving defensive effort for the Bulldogs

It has been regurgitated by Gonzaga basketball Twitter so often that it is probably common knowledge by now, but GU’s wins in the week they were unseated from the AP top spot were against higher-rated teams than Baylor’s. They’ve also shown a leap in an area they struggled with earlier in the season.

In the Zags’ last two games, one of the most prominent takeaways has been solid defensive performance across the board. GU is now up to the #39 defense in the country per KenPom, a far cry from earlier in the year where they frequently hovered around the triple-digit mark.

It’s not just a byproduct of beating up on lower-tier WCC teams either. BYU currently has the 12th-most efficient offense in the country, and the Bulldogs held them to 69 points last week. They held a respectable Santa Clara team to 54 before that.

This feels counterintuitive, considering that much of GU’s woes on defense earlier in the season compounded when Watson’s playing time began to diminish. The personnel hasn’t changed, but the Bulldogs’ guards have improved with ball screens and the bigs’ positioning on guard penetration is better too. It’s obvious that GU’s offense has been consistently elite all year, but if the defense continues to dominate, it’ll make them much more reliable when shots aren’t falling.

That will be highlighted against a Pacific team that is perfectly content to play slow and ugly. The Tigers also foul frequently, so the offensive momentum the Zags often ride will be hard to come by. Free throw shooting and stifling defense will be called upon in its stead.