3. Good game from Khalif Battle
Battle's impact has been very positive for Gonzaga. He’s second on the team with 13.5 ppg, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three-point range, along with a perfect 28/28 from the free-throw line. Those shooting numbers are consistent with his career averages, showing how explosive and yet volatile his scoring outputs can be.
Battle had 19 points in the win over Arizona State and 16 against both West Virginia and Indiana in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. But he’s also had a couple of rough outings as well. He scored five points on 1/5 FG shooting at San Diego State and four points on 1/7 FG in 21 minutes against Davidson.
Against Kentucky, the Bulldogs will need a double-digit scoring effort from Battle. This will be even more important if Lamont Butler can play and force the ball out of Nembhard’s hands, making both Battle and Nolan Hickman take more of a playmaking role.
When Battle is on, the Bulldogs will be close to unbeatable. But based on his career, off-nights are inevitable as well. Which one will we get in this matchup? It could decide the outcome.