Death, taxes, and Gonzaga Basketball dancing in the Sweet Sixteen.
Seriously, it’s beginning to feel as though this is how the saying should go, these days. Gonzaga Basketball is headed to its seventh straight Sweet Sixteen appearance and is looking for its fifth berth in the Elite Eight in the same time frame.
The Zags are as consistent as it gets 🔥 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/MWIlQPVy6B
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2022
Gonzaga – 28–3 overall, ranked 1st in the popular AP Top 25, and the #1-seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region – defeated the #9-seeded Memphis Tigers on Saturday, in a gritty match-up of two teams who refused to yield throughout. This victory propelled the Zags past the Round of 32, leading to a date with the West Region’s #4-seeded, No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks (27–8), of the SEC.
Sure, the Bulldogs were tested by a rigid and talented Memphis team in the Round of 32; Even then, however, the Zags managed 82 points, limiting Tigers’ star Jalen Duren to only seven points, ultimately pulling away by a difference of four (82–78).
As per usual, Gonzaga has been mostly dominant over the duration of the 2021-22 season: The Zags rocketed through conference play with a stellar 13–1 record (the lone loss coming to a tough Saint Mary’s team, on the road in Moraga); and run a star-studded, highly explosive offense that leads the nation in points scored per game (87), as well as percentage of field goals made per game (52.6%) (Each member of their starting rotation contributes at least eleven points a game).
By comparison, Arkansas posted a 13–5 record in SEC play, and despite mid-season struggles, have gained some momentum in winning seventeen of their last twenty games. The Razorbacks are led in scoring by senior guard JD Notae, who averages nearly nineteen points and five rebounds per game; Notae leads a dangerous rotation that includes four seniors in its starting lineup.
Save for this experience factor, Gonzaga maintains an advantage in nearly every facet of play; The Zags are currently nine-point favorites over the Razorbacks, though it would be safe to perhaps expect another tight battle, come Thursday.
Now, the purpose of this piece is to take a glance at what Gonzaga has to do to ensure victory over the Razorbacks and advancement to the Elite Eight: In factoring Gonzaga’s advantages over Arkansas, I’m going to start by focusing in on the one key area where Arkansas arguably holds an edge over the Zags – The free throw line.