Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to beating West Virginia in Jimmy V Classic
By Ian Mumm
Controlling The Tempo
In a true clash of styles, Gonzaga and West Virginia will be locked in an evening-long battle for control of the tempo. West Virginia loves to slow things down and limit the total number of possessions, while the Bulldogs have found tons of success getting their athletes in space to attack the rim or shoot uncontested.
It’s no secret that taking shots in space produces better results than contested ones, but Gonzaga has the potential to create a real in-game advantage versus the frontcourt strength of the Mountaineers.
It didn’t take long in the first game of Jalen Suggs career to show his potential impact on the defensive end creating turnovers. That production resulted in fast-break opportunities and chances for Suggs to see the ball go through the net in the early minutes of big matchups. Making him feel comfortable and catering to his skillset, without worrying about shot contests in traffic from Culver or Tshiebwe, will get him to play looser and more relaxed.
Likewise, Drew Timme has shown a high ability for running the floor with the Zags backcourt players and capitalizing on his height advantage in the open court. Giving him more opportunities to assert himself and tire out Culver and Tshiebwe is an approach Coach Few must emphasize. However, this strategy isn’t purely an offensive tactic for Gonzaga to think about.
Pushing the pace definitely benefits their offensive production, but West Virginia is not a team built to play from behind and get quick shots off in a possession. They love to run their sets and get quality looks in the halfcourt or at least possessions that are likely to result in offensive rebounds and subsequent layups. Forcing them to speed up and make mistakes is a surefire way to increase the Bulldogs’ lead against the Mountaineers.