No. 8 Gonzaga a major hurdle - and opportunity - in A&M's race to maturity
Many of Texas A&M’s youthful basketball players may not know that Gonzaga University is located in Spokane, Washington. That’s understandable. However, it seems incomprehensible if they’re unaware Gonzaga is also perennially found in the NCAA Tournament bracket each March.
Should the Aggies need a quick education in Gonzaga geography or bracketology, A&M coach Buzz Williams can certainly provide it.
“I think there’s a portion of our team who are still unaware of where Gonzaga is,” Williams said. “They don’t know that Gonzaga played in the Elite Eight last year. They don’t know that they played in the Final Four in 2015. They don’t know that they’ve been to the NCAA Tournament 21 years in a row. They kind of have a vibe that Gonzaga is good.”
The Aggies (2-0) will see just how accurate that vibe is on Friday night when they play host to eighth-ranked Gonzaga (3-0) at Reed Arena at 8:00 p.m.
As Williams noted, Gonzaga has been good for more than two decades. This year, Williams thinks coach Mark Few’s Zags (or Bulldogs, officially) could be better than ever.
“They’re good enough to win the national championship,” Williams said.
“They’re rebounding 39 percent of their misses. Through three games, no matter the opponent, that’s a very high number. They’re really fast. I think they’re the third-most efficient team in the country, offensively. They’re the 12th fastest team. When they don’t shoot it fast, they’re playing through a pro.”
That would be 6-foot-11 Serbian sophomore forward Felipe Petrusev, who’s averaging a team-high 19.7 points.
He is by no means the only scoring threat. Several other Gonzaga players are averaging double figures, including forwards Corey Kispert (19.3), Drew Timme (14.0) and Anton Watson (11.3).
Oh, and guard Admon Gilder (12.3).
If that last name seems familiar, it should. Gilder starred for the better part of three seasons at Texas A&M and helped the Aggies twice reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. But after sitting out last year for health reasons, he transferred to Gonzaga for his senior season.
“It’s going to be kind of strange seeing him on the other side, playing against him,” A&M senior post Josh Nebo said. “He’s been with us the past three years. He’s one of our brothers, so it’s going to be an exciting time to see him again.”
The Aggies are even more excited about seeing the 6-foot-9 Nebo on the court again. Slowed by a hamstring injury, he did not make his debut until the second half of a 63-57 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.
However, he changed momentum by providing an inside presence on both ends of the court and sparked the Aggies to rally from a 10-point deficit.
“He gives us a mature body with strength. He gives us great athleticism,” Williams said. “With each passing day, the reps he’s got in practice has been good for him.”
The Aggies will need another strong performance from Nebo as well as their other leaders to threaten the Zags.
Junior guards Jay Jay Chandler and Quenton Jackson and freshman guard Andre Gordon have had consecutive solid outings. However, guard Savion Flagg struggled against ULM, while senior guard Wendell Mitchell hasn’t yet played to his ability.
A high-profile opponent can bring out the best in an underdog. That was evident last Tuesday when Evansville claimed a shocking 67-64 victory over No. 1 Kentucky.
Perhaps the Aggies can similarly rise to the occasion against a high-profile foe.
However, Williams is just as interested as seeing his young team shown signs of maturing.
“I think the elite level competitors in the business world, in the sports world, are excited for any opportunity to compete against anybody,” Williams said. “Do I think Savion and some of those older guys know who Gonzaga is? I think so. Do our freshmen know? No. Not being judgmental toward them.
“So, regardless of who we play, I think we have to have a race to mature that no matter the opponent, no matter the locale, it’s an opportunity for us to get better.”