Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to beat UCLA Bruins in No. 1 vs 2 matchup

3. Win the battle of the point guards

UCLA’s roster is already fairly well known. Johnny Juzang is the leading scorer and All-American pick for many. Some believe Jaime Jaquez is actually the team’s best player, while bigs Cody Riley and Myles Johnson make up the interior. And Jules Bernard is one of the best shooters in the country and currently averages 18.0 ppg.

Yet the player that continuously flies under the radar is starting point guard Tyger Campbell, currently averaging 13.0 ppg and 4.8 apg. While Juzang and Jaquez got a ton of credit for last year’s postseason run, it was the veteran ball-handler who not only led the offense but also played great defense against the opposing point guards as well.

Campbell will be going against one of the nation’s best playmakers in Andrew Nembhard, a former Florida Gator that was in Jalen Suggs’ shadow a bit last season while splitting time between starting and coming off the bench. So far, the senior playmaker is averaging 7.5 ppg and 5.5 apg in four games and went for nine points and eight assists in 40 minutes against Texas.

What hurts Nembhard nationally is that he isn’t flashy or overly athletic, so he won’t have those highlight moments that guys like Jaden Ivey, Andre Curbelo, TyTy Washington, and others will have. But there are few ball-handlers that are as steady as the Gonzaga starter is, and that’s more important sometimes than having flashy moves and high-scoring outputs.

In a game that could be going back-and-forth for 40 minutes, if there is someone between Campbell and Nembhard that has a clear advantage in the individual matchup, odds will be great that their respective team will get the victory. That’s how important they both are to their teams, regardless of whatever national recognition they get. Don’t be surprised if these two play all 40 minutes in this game.