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

5. Under the radar x-factors on both sides

Backups at center

So I did dismiss the overall impact of Efton Reid for this season but he’s still going to get 10-12 mpg behind Timme at center. He’s a very good defender and started at LSU last year, playing a big role in the team being a nation’s leader on defense. In fact, Tshiebwe produced eight points and 13 rebounds in a loss to LSU last season, an awful performance by his incredible standards.

Tshiebwe did get 17 points and 16 rebounds in a revenge win later on but Reid is a defensive upgrade over Timme and Gonzaga may opt to play him a few more minutes to offset him potentially putting up gaudy numbers.

On the other end, Kentucky did just land top-40 freshman prospect Ugonna Kingsley Onyenso, a raw, but promising long-term prospect that is an elite defender and shot-blocker. As crazy as it sounds, would Coach Calipari throw him into the fire for a few minutes at the end of the first half in case Tshiebwe is in foul trouble to throw a big body at Timme? Returning big man Daimion Collins may not be the greatest for for the WCC star.

Players like Mark Williams (Duke), Charles Bediako (Alabama), and Texas Tech (just the overall system of physicality) can cause him problems and it’s not that Tshiebwe isn’t capable of doing the same, but rather that he’ll likely get into foul trouble trying to.

Lighting up from deep

I haven’t mentioned to this point about another returning double-digit scorer for Gonzaga in Rasir Bolton, who averaged 11.2 ppg on 50% shooting from the field and a career-high 46% from three-point range. The now 5th-year guard had 12 games of at least (3) three-pointers last season, including five clutch ones in a slugfest victory over Texas Tech. If he’s going off from deep, that makes if very difficult to beat the Bulldogs.

One reason why Kentucky struggled from deep last season was due to not having Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick due to a season-long injury. In two years with the Hawkeyes, the 6’3 shooting guard averaged 8.7 ppg on 47% shooting from deep. He had 12 games combined of at least (3) three-pointers as well. Where he fits on the perimeter next to Reeves and Cason Wallace is unknown but the Wildcats need shooting and on paper, Fredrick fits that bill.

Defensive stoppers

Speaking of Wallace, he’s one of the best incoming freshmen in NCAA Basketball. A top-10 overall combo guard, he’s a 6’4 playmaker that can play on and off-ball and is the backup point guard whenever Wheeler goes to the bench. Wallace is a solid scorer and could easily average double figures as a freshman but he’s best known as a quality perimeter defender, capable of guarding positions 1-3 on the court.

Gonzaga has its own defender in Hunter Sallis, a former Kentucky target and five-star prospect out of high school. The 6’6 guard was very raw offensively, especially shooting. But he got into the rotation last season due to his individual defense. If his offense improves, Sallis could be an under-the-radar draft prospect next season.

There will be so much to cover for this matchup and luckily, we’ll have a few games before these teams will play to get a better look at how this one will go. Drew Timme vs Oscar Tshiebwe and Mark Few vs John Calipari is the headliner for this game but there are tons of talented players to watch that could very well decide the outcome of this.