NCAA Basketball: Early preview of 2022 matchup between Gonzaga and Kentucky

4. Lot of options for both teams at small and power forward

There are two clear matchups to watch in this game in Timme vs Tshiebwe and Hickman vs Wheeler but another one will be junior forward Julian Strawther from Gonzaga and freshman forward Chris Livingston from Kentucky. The question is what position will these two play?

Strawther is the known commodity of the two, coming off of averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg as a starter for the Bulldogs on 50% shooting from the field and 37% from deep. The 6’7 forward was inconsistent in his scoring production at times but he was the 4th option on offense. He also had a pair of 20-point games, including 20 points and 10 rebounds at Duke.

After playing exclusively at the three-spot last season, look for Strawther to move around and play more at the four, now that Holmgren is gone. That maximizes the spacing for Timme down low and potentially creates some advantageous matchups for Gonzaga next season.

Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats try the same move at the power forward position too. Last season’s starter, Keion Brooks, transferred to Washington this offseason. He was a double-digit scorer last season but didn’t space the floor at all, which made for some clunky offense for the SEC program.

The team does return Jacob Toppin, a solid role player (6.2 ppg in 18 mpg) but Livington has more upside. He’s a 6’6 forward that plays more on the wing but has the skillset and physicality to play as an undersized “four”. Plus, having the nation’s rebounding leader in Tshiebwe automatically eliminates that particular concern. While Livington isn’t an elite shooter from deep right now, he can create his own offense and break down opponents.

Besides Toppin, Kentucky also has Lance Ware, a solid rotational piece. And on the other end, Gonzaga could start Anton Watson, a senior forward and quality defender. There are multiple options both sides could use in the frontcourt and expect a chess match of sorts to go on inside.