Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys for Bulldogs to beat No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes

Gonzaga Basketball will (hopefully) be ending a long layoff when they face a stiff challenge in the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Gonzaga Basketball was scheduled to play in their biggest game of the year – really, THE biggest game of the year – when they clashed with the Baylor Bears at a neutral site. Just hours before tip, however, the coronavirus reared its ugly head and forced the postponement of the game.

It’s hard to believe, but Gonzaga hasn’t been seen on the court since. While the Baylor game is being considered a postponement for the time being, the Bulldogs were forced to cancel their next four games, meaning they haven’t played a game since December 2’s win over West Virginia.

On Saturday, it appears the No. 1 Bulldogs will finally take the court once again. They’ll face the literal next best team in the country after Baylor, the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes, led by Player of the Year frontrunner Luka Garza. The game will take place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Nobody knows how Gonzaga will look after such a lengthy layoff. Will they be fresh and rejuvenated, or sluggish and out-of-sync? Additionally, this could be the last big non-conference test of the year for Gonzaga (though they announced on Thursday they would be adding Virginia to the schedule), who is expected to blow through WCC play en route to a likely top-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This may very well prove to be a preview of the National Championship Game. Here are three keys for a win over the Hawkeyes for Gonzaga.