The Gonzaga Bulldogs will open their 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance Thursday night when they face the No. 14 seed Kennesaw State Owls in the first round of the West Region. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, with the game airing on TBS. The matchup marks the first meeting in program history between Gonzaga and Kennesaw State.
Gonzaga enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed after finishing 30–3 and winning the West Coast Conference Tournament, defeating Santa Clara 79-68 in the championship game. Kennesaw State earned its tournament berth after a surprising run through the Conference USA Tournament, where the sixth-seeded Owls defeated Louisiana Tech 71-60 to claim the program’s first CUSA tournament championship. The Owls finished the season 21–13 and are making just their second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Gonzaga will try to win its 17th consecutive NCAA Tournament opener. Kennesaw State, meanwhile, is looking to win its first-ever NCAA Tournament game.
Gonzaga will play without forward Braden Huff, who will miss at least the first two games of the tournament. Huff was one of Gonzaga’s top players before suffering a knee injury, averaging 17.8 points per game while leading the team in field goal percentage at 66 percent. The Bulldogs have managed Huff’s absence well, winning 11 of their final 13 games since his injury.
Kennesaw State plays at a very fast pace, which allows the Owls to generate extra possessions and force opponents into physical, hectic games. They rank among the national leaders in offensive rebounds and free throw attempts. Their fast style of play should not worry the Bulldogs, who have already defeated several up-tempo opponents this season, including a notable win over Alabama, one of the fastest teams in the country.
Gonzaga’s top-10-rated defense allows the Bulldogs to string together stops and control the pace of the game. Offensively, Gonzaga will lean on center Graham Ike, as it has all year. Ike’s scoring ability inside has helped Gonzaga average 44.7 points in the paint, the highest mark among Division I teams.
Because of Gonzaga’s ability to control the pace, combined with its experience in the NCAA Tournament and familiarity with the Moda Center, this game should not be close from the start. Gonzaga is 4–0 in NCAA Tournament games played in Portland, including victories over Georgia State and Memphis in 2022. Gonzaga also defeated Oregon 91-82 at the Moda Center earlier this season.
Barring an upset, Gonzaga will advance to face the winner of No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 Texas/NC State in the Round of 32. For Gonzaga, the goal remains another deep March run. The Bulldogs have reached the second weekend nine times since 2014, and another first-round win would put them one step closer to a 10th Sweet Sixteen in the past 12 years.
Be the first to comment