Texas vs Gonzaga: 2021-22 key storylines to watch for top-5 matchup

Gonzaga’s ability to hit from deep

Basketball is a delicate balancing act and that is what makes it so beautiful. For all the difficulty that the Longhorns are going to have to prevent the Bulldogs from scoring in the paint, two things need to be kept in mind. First, a post player does not begin with the ball in his hands and it needs to be passed into him by a guard on the perimeter. If the defenders apply adequate pressure, the entry passes become more difficult. Second, there is always the possibility of the guard doubling down onto the post.

The balancing act comes into effect when the outside shooting is potent enough that defenders cannot risk leaving the shooters and surrendering uncontested three-pointers. The downfall for Gonzaga that was revealed during the Dixie State game, is that there is no ‘them’ for Gonzaga, just Iowa State transfer Rasir Bolton. The Bulldogs shot 6 for 21 from beyond the arc, more importantly, they were 2 for 13 in the first half, it was not until the game was all but over in the second half that Gonzaga went 4 for 8.

The Bulldogs lost a ton of three-point shooting when they lost Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, and Joel Ayayi, their three top three-point shooters. Their departure left Andrew Nembhard as the only player returning to average at least one three-pointer per game.

After the smallest of sample sizes of one game, Rasir Bolton – who shot 31 percent last season – seems to be the lone Bulldog ready to make a three-pointer in the early going. If Gonzaga hopes to capitalize on their advantage in the paint, they will have to connect on more than 29 percent of their three-pointers.