Despite having a 21-1 record and in first place by itself in WCC play, it’s been a trying couple of weeks for Gonzaga Basketball. Not only are they without Braden Huff for at least another month, but Graham Ike, the other star forward, has missed the last few games with an ankle injury.
During that time, they handled Washington State and Pepperdine but struggled to finish off San Francisco, one of the conference's contenders, last week. Now, the Bulldogs take on their toughest foe of league play, Saint Mary’s (19-3, 8-1). The Gaels have consistently been a thorn in Gonzaga’s side for the last decade, including sweeping them in the regular season a year ago en route to winning the regular season title.
But with a prior loss to Santa Clara, it’s now Gonzaga in the driver’s seat for their last regular-season title. That makes the Gaels' last official trip to Spokane all the more important, with the Bulldogs having either a two-game lead in the standings or tied with their nemesis, with a return trip for Moraga pending.
Here are some keys to watch for as the Bulldogs play.
1. Ike’s return to the lineup
Before he was sidelined with the injury, Ike was putting up All-American numbers, averaging 18.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg on 56% shooting. That included a 34-point effort against Santa Clara. Against Saint Mary’s, the Bulldogs need Ike’s interior presence, especially against the likes of Andrew McKeever, a 7’1 center who leads the WCC with 9.4 rpg. Plus, he’ll have to outscore starting forward Paulis Murauska, who leads the Gaels with 19.3 ppg.
2. Jalen Warley’s projected impact
Arguably, the MVP of Gonzaga’s past three games was Warley, who scored 19 points in the win over San Francisco and added 14 points and six rebounds versus Santa Clara. He also played both the center and de facto point guard roles in various lineups. After playing just eight minutes against the Dons, it’ll be interesting to see if center Ismaila Diagne plays in this game or if Warley gets the backup for five minutes. We’ll see what kind of matchups that presents with the bigger Gaels inside.
3. Freshmen contributions
With Huff out, freshman forward Davis Fogle has been the beneficiary of the extra minutes, averaging 15 ppg in the last three games. He and Mario Saint-Supery (8.5 ppg and 3.9 apg) are the key freshmen for the Bulldogs, while Saint Mary’s key newcomer is Dillan Shaw (7.5 ppg), shooting 43% from three-point range. As Mikey Lewis showed a year ago, Gonzaga can get torched by freshmen. If Shaw and sophomore guard Liam Campbell (54% on 37 attempts) make some shots from beyond the arc, the Gaels will have a shot at the upset.
4. Guarding Mikey Lewis
Speaking of Lewis, he had a great start to the season as their star scorer. But while he does put up 13.2 ppg, the sophomore’s efficiency has been an issue, shooting 38% from the field but 37% from deep. He had a 20-point game against Washington State, but in the loss to Santa Clara, Lewis had just five points on 1/11 FG shooting. He’s capable of going off against the Bulldogs, but if Gonzaga keeps him in check, their odds of winning grow.
5. Gonzaga’s missing 3-point shot
Gonzaga ranks first in the nation in 2-point field goals per game at 27, which makes up for a lack of 3-pointers. But in WCC play, it’s been noticeable that the team has struggled from deep, ranking 11th out of 12 with just six makes per game at 33%. With Steele Venters and Adam Miller struggling on the field, the Bulldogs need the freshmen to make some shots from deep. Because if the Gaels' interior defense makes it tough to get baskets inside, the three-point line could be the biggest x-factor of the game overall.