Gonzaga Basketball: 2019-20 keys to beating the ranked BYU Cougars

By Andy Patton | Feb 21, 2020

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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TUCSON, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 14: Joel Ayayi #11 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs handles the ball in the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on December 14, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga Basketball will face the No. 23 BYU Cougars in Provo on Saturday, in perhaps their biggest remaining game. Here are three keys to victory for GU.

Gonzaga Basketball is a comfortable 27-1 on the year and remains undefeated in conference play. However, they’ll face without a doubt their most challenging conference game yet, with a date on the road against the No. 23 ranked BYU Cougars on Saturday.

The last time the Zags played a ranked WCC opponent that wasn’t St. Mary’s was, no joke, back in 1990 against the Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble led LMU squad.

This is the first time BYU has been ranked since joining the conference back in 2011, and they are firing on all cylinders with a healthy Yoeli Childs and a desperation to make the NCAA tournament with a squad full of seniors. A signature win against Gonzaga would almost certainly land them in the tournament, regardless of what happens in the WCC championship, and you can bet they’ll be out for blood in this one.

However, Gonzaga appears to have a healthy Killian Tillie, and while they struggled in the first half against a stout San Francisco squad on Thursday night, they will be ready for the challenge of the Marriot Center on Saturday evening.

Here are three keys to victory for the Zags, starting of course with the health of their starting forward, and heart and soul of this team, Killian Tillie.