SPOKANE, WASH: Thursday night, the two biggest powers in mid major basketball will collide to battle for sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference. Both teams have had this game circled since the official schedules were released. The #13th ranked Zags are listed as 7.5 favorites against a very steady Saint Mary’s basketball team. At the beginning of the year, SMC was voted as the preseason favorite in the conference despite the Zags’ run to the National Championship six months prior.
Due to the stigma each team faces, both Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are severely underrated every year. The advanced stats are kind to them, though with Gonzaga ranked 6th overall in Kenpom and Saint Mary’s sitting at 19.
The big storyline of this game is whether Saint Mary‘s offense can continue to be extremely productive while playing in the rowdy environment in the Kennel. The Gaels quietly have produced one of the most efficient offenses in all of college basketball. The Gaels rank 2nd nationally in points per possession (1.24), 3rd in offensive efficiency (122.5), and third in effective field goal percentage. The duo of All American Jock Landale and point guard Emmet Naar have been one of the most consistent duos in all of college basketball.
Jock Landale is one of the best big men in all of college basketball, averaging 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Landale‘s production can be credited to Naar, who ranks second in the country in assists at 9.4 per game.
The one knock on the Gaels is the lack of competition they have faced on their schedule. The Gaels have only played 3 teams who are ranked in the Top 100 and only two contests outside of their home state of California. The Zags will provide the Gaels‘ toughest test in a very rowdy environment.
The Zags will be hosting their first game since the Winter Break, so the Kennell is Spokane should be CRAZY! The Kennel produces one of the rowdiest environments in all of college basketball and the students camped out for the game in 38 degree weather. That is some dedication, people.
National media has been sleeping on Gonzaga despite their National Title game appearance last year. Gonzaga features a powerhouse offense that is averaging 89.8 points per game thanks to unbelievable scoring depth and six different players averaging double figures. The Zags rank 7th in overall offensive efficiency at 119.8 and 17th in overall defensive efficiency. They are lead by big men Jonathan Williams, who is averaging 14.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Redshirt junior Josh Perkins has been the playmaker in the backcourt, averaging 13.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. The matchup between Saint Mary’s two studs and Gonzaga‘s endless amount of talent should be exciting to watch.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have won a combined 18 games in a row heading into Thursday contest. Unfortunately, one of these mid major giants will have to lose tonight. The atmosphere in the Kennell will be electric. The game will be broadcast at 6pm PST and this rivarly will finally get the national coverage it deserves. This matchup is easily the most exciting game of the day and definitely something you will not want to miss.
