Gonzaga vs West Virginia: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
West Virginia and Gonzaga face off at the Jimmy V Classic. Will the No. 1 team in the country take a loss?
TV schedule: Wednesday, December 2, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have played up to their No. 1 ranking so far in the early season. Mark Few’s team is coming off a recent (90-67) win over Auburn. Drew Timmie and Corey Kispert combined for 53 of the bulldogs 90 points and shot 66% from the field. For the Zags to pull off the win against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Kispert and Timmie need to continue their positive start.
Another name to keep an eye on is true freshman Jalen Suggs. Suggs has got off to a great start for his college career ( 18.7 ppg, 7.0 apg). While bringing quality on-ball defense. His ability to push the ball in transition and finish around the basket is important for the Zags.
An X Factor for Gonzaga is forward Anton Watson, (4.0 ppg. 4.5 rpg). Watson starts as Gonzaga’s 2nd big and is known as a good switchable defender. But to match up against West Virginia’s size, Watson is going to need to step up.
West Virginia is coming off a tournament win at the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in South Dakota. The Mountaineers took home the trophy after defeating Western Kentucky (70-64). Over the tournament, West Virginia did a great job on the offensive glass by rebounding 42.8% of their misses. Derrick Culver led the team in scoring with 15 points.
Two more key players for the Mountaineers in big man Oscar Tshiebwe, (7.7ppg, 8.7rpg) and Miles McBride (16.3 ppg). For the Mountaineers to pull off the win. Tshiebwe and McBride need to have a big game.
To beat the Zags, the Mountaineers will need to shoot better from the outside. According to Kenpom, West Virginia is 122nd out of 240 teams who have played in three-point percentage at 31%. They will need to shoot better from the three-point line to beat Gonzaga.
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On paper, Gonzaga and West Virginia come into the game with a top 15 matchup. Gonzaga’s offense has been great this year, where West Virginia has overwhelmed opponents on the class and with their physicality. However, the Zags have too much offensive firepower and should pull out the victory.