Gonzaga Basketball: 5 teams that can defeat the Bulldogs this 2020-21 season

Michigan Wolverines (13-1, 8-1)

The Wolverines have been on pause for the past few weeks but don’t forget how dominant they’ve been in the Big Ten this season. During their unbeaten start, Michigan got everyone’s attention when they were up by as much as 40 points at home against No. 9 Wisconsin, known as one of the best defensive units in the country.

The dominance and big margins of victory have put the Wolverines in the national conversation. And head coach Juwan Howard and company would have no issue facing Gonzaga once again. Last season, Michigan defeated the Bulldogs handily in the Battle 4 Atlantic Tournament finals, with the Bulldogs having only losing one game since that day.

The roster for this team is also capable of doing the same thing in a hypothetical matchup. Michigan’s best player is freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who averages 15.1 ppg and 7.2 rpg and has been a consistent and dominant big man inside. He vs Timme would be epic in terms of traditional bigs who uses footwork and overall skillset instead of raw athleticism. Senior backup center Austin Davis is a load in his own right and gives quality minutes too.

In the backcourt, Columbia grad transfer Mike Smith and senior guard Eli Brooks combines to produce 17.4 ppg and 9.1 apg as starters. Both are 5’11 and 6’1 respectively so that could give the size advantage to Gonzaga. However, neither of these guys forces things on offense and are very efficient when they do shoot, especially from three-point range.

But what makes the Wolverines the most dangerous is the depth of elite wings. Isaiah Livers gave the Bulldogs problems last year and is averaging 14.6 ppg on a blistering split of 49% from the field, 45% from three-point range, and 94% from the free throw line. Sophomore Franz Wagner is averaging 12.0 ppg, while Wake Forest transfer Chaundee Brown has 8.8 ppg in 20 mpg off the bench.

All three of these small forwards are 6’7-6’9 and can defend and play both forward positions. That kind of versatility can prove vital in March in terms of matchups and Gonzaga’s depth lineup (Kispert at the 4) wouldn’t necessarily work against that Michigan can do. They have the defense and physicality to make the Bulldogs uncomfortable and can score enough if it’s a high scoring affair. Hopefully, they can recover from the pause and get back to being a top-5 team.