San Francisco vs. Gonzaga: 2022 WCC Tournament game preview, TV schedule

After a shocking upset to close out the season, number one ranked Gonzaga tries to right the ship against likely tournament-bound San Francisco.

TV Schedule: Monday, March 7th, 9 PM ET. ESPN

Arena: The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

For the first time in recent memory, the WCC tournament semifinals host three clear-cut tournament teams that seem safely in regardless of results between Saint Mary’s and this matchup of San Francisco and Gonzaga. The Bay Area Dons are fresh off of a 75-63 quarterfinals win over BYU, giving them another Quadrant 2 win and the resume of a solid at-large team.

The win showcased what makes San Francisco is a legitimate tournament team. Their senior backcourt of Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz scored 40 points with Shabazz making 5 three-pointers and Bouyea carving up the Cougars’ defense driving to the basket and in transition. San Francisco forced 11 turnovers in the game and Bouyea was credited with three steals.

Senior transfer Massalski banged his knee in the second half of Saturday’s game and is currently listed as a game-time decision for head coach Todd Golden. Massalski has been a force for the Dons throughout the season, averaging 13.3 points and 11.1 rebounds in conference play. Massalski’s availability will have major implications on this semifinal game, but a crucial win affords them the option to give him more time to heal before they potentially play again.

It will also be interesting to see how much Golden leans on his veteran backcourt in a game that isn’t necessary for tournament aspirations. Bouyea played the entirety of the BYU game and Shabazz played all but four minutes.

Meanwhile, the number one team in the country, Gonzaga, is playing their first game in eight days looking to course correct from a shocker of an upset against 19th ranked Saint Mary’s on the Gaels’ senior night. The upset was the only time this year that the Bulldogs shot under 40% from inside the arc.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone award finalists Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, two of the most efficient players in the country that average a combined 59% from the field, shot 29% on 17 attempts in the loss. Holmgren and Timme are averaging 21.5 points each against San Francisco this season.

Gonzaga is looking to not just get back to winning, but even simply playing their brand of basketball again. The Bulldogs were completely out of sorts for all 40 minutes in Moraga and struggled to find any offense with the stifling defense the Gaels threw at them. Point guard Andrew Nembhard failed to record an assist for the first time in his two seasons at Gonzaga.

After shooting 48% from three in January, Nembhard has been in a bit of a cold spell in the subsequent month shooting 30% in February with half of his made attempts coming against Santa Clara on February 19th. For the Zags to finally achieve the goal of a national championship they need Nembhard to be firing on all cylinders.

San Francisco’s defense, while not quite the schematic nightmare as Randy Bennet’s Gaels, is still a top 18 ranked defense in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom. They have athletic frontcourt players capable of extending the defense and active guards that are able to close out on three-point attempts.

If Gonzaga wants to win five games straight starting March 13th or 14th, they will need to shore up their defense and show energy and aggression that hasn’t consistently been seen the last month. Saint Mary’s Tommy Kuhse was able to dice up and get wherever he wanted in the half-court in Gonzaga’s last game. That can’t continue to happen in an elimination setting. The penetrative skills of Bouyea and Shabazz will be a solid opportunity for the Zags to implement some of the defensive lessons they’ve practiced over the layoff.

Ultimately, this game will be another great test for the Zags to find their offense before the marathon of March.

Prediction: Gonzaga 84, San Francisco 68