Gonzaga Basketball: 3 keys to NCAA Tournament matchup with Grand Canyon

Experience Wins Out

Outside of the Freshman, every player on the roster has played in the NCAA tournament. Those players know what to expect, they know the routines to follow, and they are familiar with the grind. That pays off tenfold especially when it comes to playing a team like Grand Canyon which does not have near the experience playing in the NCAA tournament.

If you ask former players or coaches, they will tell you that the NCAA tournament and the schedule are like nothing you have ever experienced before the schedule is a grind. You are consistently playing one of the best teams in the country every night on minimal rest, the games are usually emotional, and everyone is tired and banged up.

The regular season is the opposite in that you have time to gameplan for your opponent because you will always know who you are going to be playing. The tournament is opposite, every team has a short preparation period for every team they play outside of the first round. It is hard because no one is familiar with the other and there is only so much tape you can watch. Bulldog players and their coaches are going to have a leg up on Grand Canyon today not only in talent but in experience. The Bulldogs know what to expect and they know how to win games in March.

The stage is not going to be too big for Gonzaga, especially considering that they have made the second weekend seven consecutive years, and have played in two national finals over that time. I don’t know of many people picking the upset but most of that is likely due to the overall strength of the team that Gonzaga has and the experience they have in this event. The more games you have played in March the longer the run in March goes. When this Gonzaga team is locked in and focused they have the potential to be National Champions.