Gonzaga vs West Virginia: 3 biggest storylines for Jimmy V Classic matchup

No. 1 Gonzaga will take on No. 11 West Virginia in what should be a great matchup in the Jimmy V Classic.

Like many games so far early in this 2020-21 season, this game wasn’t the original matchup for the 2020 Classic. While Baylor and Illinois were set for the other game in the double-header, the Gonzaga Bulldogs was supposed to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. However, a Covid-19 outbreak within the program forced them to bow out.

The good news is that another team ranked in the top-15 was ready to go in the West Virginia Mountaineers. They’re as good as a replacement as one can ask for this event and presents an intriguing contrast to their Bulldog opponents.

West Virginia got ready for this game by competing… and winning the Bad Boys Mower Crossover Classic. They defeated South Dakota State, VCU, and Western Kentucky to start off the season with a 3-0 record but will have to take on the clear best mid-major program in the country in the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Coach Mark Few’s squad is already familiar with Big 12 foes, having taken on No. 6 Kansas to start off their own campaign. It was a high-scoring affair but the Jayhawks couldn’t keep up, with Gonzaga sending a national message with a 102-90 win. They followed that up the next day with a 90-67 convincing win over the Auburn Tigers.

As of now, everything appears to be good, despite the reports of a pair of Gonzaga bench players being in isolation to do a positive test for Covid-19. This piece will operate under the assumption that all players who participated in the Auburn game will be eligible to play in this one.

There are plenty of storylines and implications in this one, so here are three topics to consider as we near this big-time matchup.