UCLA Basketball: 3 keys to beat Gonzaga Bulldogs in No. 1 vs 2 matchup
By Tuck Clarry
1. Take advantage of matchups on offense
Mick Cronin has brought the most professional-style offense with him to Westwood. With scorers and shot creators from almost every position–every spot when Riley is healthy and on the floor–Cronin uses ball screens to get his guys in favorable matchups and target the biggest flaw of their opponent.
UCLA feasted in their last matchup on getting their scorers matched up against Timme and forcing him to defend their dribble-drives. They kept the big on skates, forcing him to try and match their pace getting to the basket or simply breaking and drilling open pull-ups. The Bruins pinned four fouls on him by the 4:41 mark and were able to score at will in the last 10 minutes of the semifinals.
That approach is an obvious option again, not just because of the high efficiency but because of how big of a threat Timme is on the other end. He is by far the Bulldogs’ most reliable scorer and primary option, which would make tagging him with early fouls guarding athletic scorers crucial for forcing the Zags’ hands.
Another mismatch could be whoever the Zags ask to guard Jamie Jaquez Jr. The 6-foot-7 forward has the ability to guard bigs but plays more like a wing, with a length and speed that puts forwards in a difficult position. He’ll likely have the matchup against freshman unicorn Chet Holmgren, who is averaging 3.5 blocks per game and affects nearly all shots at the rim when he’s on the court.
The 7-footer’s proclivity to contest shots makes him another big that the Bruins could get in foul trouble. In a game against Texas that seemed over five minutes into it, Holmgren racked up four fouls in a little over nine minutes in the second half.
Gonzaga’s defense is not only impressive in the paint with Holmgren squatting anything near him, but their perimeter defense has been terrific as well. Gonzaga’s depth allows them to run out three speedy and lengthy guards who read passing lanes and run off three-point shooters with a passion. But the Bruins have the size to make that close-out more difficult, with Jules Bernard and Juzang having two to four inches on their matchup outside of the Zags’ Julian Strawther who is also 6-foot-7.