Gonzaga Basketball: 3 biggest keys to beat BYU Cougars in Provo in 2021

2. Protect Drew Timme/deal with Harward

If there is “one” area where BYU has an advantage is in terms of frontcourt depth. They start 7’3 center Matt Haarms but also have UVU transfer, Richard Harward, and junior Kolby Lee as backups. The Cougars are at their best when these guys get the ball down low and establish a presence insider to get easy buckets.

We saw in the first matchup that the Bulldogs have a massive advantage on the perimeter. The size of the Gonzaga guards made life miserable for both Barcello and Brandon Averette and also prevented them from getting the ball inside effectively. But BYU also settled for lots of perimeter shots as they had to climb back from an early double-digit deficit.

Look for head coach Mark Pope to focus heavily on inside touches in the first part of the game. That puts pressure on Drew Timme, who is by far the best post player in the game, to defend several competent post players.

What makes this game different from last time is that Gonzaga won’t have backup center Oumar Ballo, who is out for a few weeks due to a finger injury. The 7’0 freshman only plays around eight minutes a game but he spells Timme when needed to prevent him from getting into foul trouble. Now, 6’8 forward Anton Watson is the backup center when Timme goes to the bench. Harward can take advantage of that so look for a rotational chess match between the coaches.

BYU is going to try and take it to Timme so it wouldn’t be a shock if Gonzaga goes zone, as well as the press to make things difficult for the Cougars offense. If the points in the paint end up even between the teams, then the Bulldogs should win comfortably.