Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to victory over Arkansas in Sweet 16 matchup

Gonzaga must limit the Hogs at the line

Arkansas excels in getting to the free-throw line: The Razorbacks rank third in the nation in free-throw attempts per game, converting 75% of their foul line opportunities into points (per Sports Reference). Gonzaga is stingy with the fouls they give, limiting their opponents’ free-throw opportunities to around fourteen points per game. In looking to negate any advantage Arkansas may play to, the Zags must take care to limit the Razorbacks’ chances of getting to the line.

By forcing Arkansas to truly earn its points, Gonzaga can key in on the Razorback’s star players, and their respective styles of play. As mentioned previously, guard JD Notae is a highly efficient player who can score in volumes; However, he is not the only playmaker that the Zags need to consider. I

t is well known that Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman has a knack for running “position-less” schemes, but sophomore Jaylin Williams is the big man for the Hogs; Williams averages a near double-double each game, with an efficiency of ten points and nine rebounds per game. Neutralizing Williams’ effectiveness will count heavily on the play of Gonzaga bigs Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren – the latter of which averages nearly four blocks per game.

The rest of Arkansas’ rotation relies heavily on experience. Guards Stanley Umude, Au’Diese Toney, and forward Trey Wade are each senior, and the former two lend scoring and rebounding power for the Razorbacks often, combining for twenty-two points and nine rebounds on average. Off the bench, sophomore guard Davonte Davis played thirty-four minutes in the Hogs’ game against New Mexico State on Saturday, and senior Chris Lykes (pictured above) sees the court often – Both are reliable options for help on the offensive side of the ball.

All in all, the Razorbacks are not a strong shooting team, ranking 215th in field-goal efficiency, and 323rd in three-point efficiency: They manage around seventy-six points a game, but taking away opportunities at the foul line and in the paint works to the favor of a Gonzaga defense that limits opponents to less than seventy points on average.

There is a popular sentiment in sports – It is difficult to defeat teams who do not defeat themselves. In examining the Zags, it’s hard to find any real area of weakness. They are tough, talented, play wisely, and share the ball amongst a number of capable playmakers who are as selfless as they are dangerous. How is such a team beaten? Of course, the games are played for a reason. This leads to my next key for a Gonzaga win…