Busting Brackets
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UConn Basketball: 3 keys to beating Gonzaga Bulldogs in Elite 8 matchup

By Brian Emory

ALBANY, NEW YORK - MARCH 17: Adama Sanogo #21 of the Connecticut Huskies handles the ball against Sadiku Ibine Ayo #2 of the Iona Gaels in the second half during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
ALBANY, NEW YORK - MARCH 17: Adama Sanogo #21 of the Connecticut Huskies handles the ball against Sadiku Ibine Ayo #2 of the Iona Gaels in the second half during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Tournament Jordan Hawkins #24 of the Connecticut Huskies (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
NCAA Tournament Jordan Hawkins #24 of the Connecticut Huskies (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

Avoid turnovers

When sorting UConn’s data this group looks all the more impressive. Hurley’s group is in the green in nearly every Kenpom metric except one, and this outlier sticks out like a sore thumb.

Per Kenpom, UConn turns the ball over on 19% of its possessions. This ranks 241st in all of college basketball. While the Huskies are able to gain extra possessions thanks to being the second best offensive rebounding team in college basketball, there are other data points that suggest the Bulldogs have the potential to make the turnover battle a lopsided one tomorrow.

Taking care of the ball is officially a strand of the Gonzaga DNA at this point. While the Huskies are one of the more reckless teams in college hoops with the ball, the Bulldogs are one of the safest. Gonzaga is only turning the ball over on 14.9% of possessions, good for the 20th best clip in the nation.

While it may not be the team’s greatest strength, the Bulldogs are capable of forcing steals defensively. Gonzaga manufactures a steal on 9.8% of defensive possessions. Again, this isn’t exactly the best mark across the college basketball landscape but it does nearly rank in the top third.

None of this is to predict Gonzaga winning the turnover margin by a double digit disparity, but in a game projected to be this close just a minor difference could make a decisive difference in the end. We’re getting back to basketball 101 with this one, but it would be wise for UConn to be a bit more careful with the ball than usual in this matchup.

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