Gonzaga Takes on Stout Kansas State Defense in Wichita
By Josh Horton
Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Shane Southwell (1) reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Oklahoma State in the second half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Kansas State defeated Oklahoma State 68-57. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Gonzaga vs. Kansas State (Wichita)
Game Time: 12:30 p.m. PST
TV: ESPN2
Radio: http://www.gozags.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=26400
LiveStats: ESPN.com, CBSSports.com etc.
Team Records: GU – 10-1 – KSU – 7-3
Leading Scorers: GU – Pangos 18.7 – KSU – Foster 14.4
Leading Rebounders: GU – Karnowski 8.1 – KSU – Gipson
Leading Distributors: GU – Stockton 4.9 – KSU – Southwell 3.2
Projected Starters
Gonzaga
Kevin Pangos
Gary Bell Jr.
David Stockton
Samuel Dower Jr.
Przemek Karnowski
Kansas State
Marcus Foster
Will Spaulding
Shane Southwell
Wesley Iwundu
Thomas Gipson
One of the best offensive teams in the country (Gonzaga) will take on one of the best defensive teams in the country (Kansas State) in a rematch of last year’s “Battle in Seattle.”
In last season’s matchup, the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Wildcats and took down the Bruce Weber coached squad by a score of 68 to 52. The Bulldogs went on an 8-1 run to end the first half to take the lead, and then extended it to double-digits in the second half.
Kelly Olynyk led the Bulldogs in the contest with 20 points off 10-13 shooting. Elias Harris led the team with 7 rebounds. The Wildcats lost 46.2% of their scoring and 21.7% of its rebounding from last years tilt. The Bulldogs lost 54.4% of its scoring from last year’s game, along with a whopping 70.0% of their rebounding.
Each team has a host of new faces in this game compared to last year, especially Gonzaga. In fact, the Zags are debuting 6-8 forward Angel Nunez (Louisville transfer), who becomes eligible against Kansas State after sitting out a year due to the NCAA transfer rules.
The Opponent
AP Poll: NR
Coaches Poll: NR
RPI: 172
KenPom: 86
A good portion of the Kansas State squad from last season is intact, but the losses of Angel Rodriguez (transfer) and Rodney McGruder (graduation) hurt significantly. The backcourt duo was the Wildcats only double-digit scorers last season. However, a freshman has stepped up to the table and helped fill the scoring void that left Manhattan in the offseason. 6-2 guard Marcus Foster is averaging 14.4 points this season for the Wildcats, which leads the team. Foster also leads Kansas State in minutes per game with 30.3.
Junior forward Thomas Gipson has also stepped up his game this season. His 11.8 points per contest is second on the Wildcats, and he is shooting an efficient 58.1% from the field. Gipson is also Kansas States best rebounder, averaging 5.8 rebounds this season. His emergence as a reliable post scorer has been big for Kansas State, and was something the Wildcats didn’t have last season.
Another player to look out for is Shane Southwell, a 6-7 senior guard. Southwell acts as the teams point forward; the senior guard is averaging 3.2 assists this season, a team high. On top of that, Southwell is third on the team in scoring with 9.8 points per game and second on the team in rebounding with 5.6 per game.
As alluded to before, Kansas State is one of the best defensive basketball teams in the NCAA. The Wildcats have forced 7 of its 10 opponents into a season low in scoring against them. Kansas State is third in the country in three-point field goal percentage, only allowing opponents to shoot 24.9 percent from downtown. The Wildcats are also ninth in the nation in defensive points per game, only allowing opponents to score 59.4 points each contest.
Keys to the Game
Something has to give
This is a matchup that pits one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country against one of the best teams in the country at defending the three. Something is going to give here. The Wildcats have likely not seen a team with as many shooters as the Bulldogs, and their defensive reputation will be put on the line in this matchup. It will be Gonzaga’s job to tarnish that reputation.
Breakout game for the Polish Hammer
The tallest eligible player on the Kansas State roster is 6-7 (Thomas Gipson, Shane Southwell, and Wesley Iwundu), 6 inches smaller than the 7-1 Przemek Karnowski. Karnowski has had some very productive games this season, but at the same time struggled with consistency game in and game out. If Karnowski records a double-double today – which is entirely possible – the Bulldogs will be in great shape for putting another W in the win column.
Prediction
In the end, the Bulldogs have too many options on offense, which will overwhelm Kansas State. The first half will be a close battle, but a long Bulldog run will build Gonzaga a lead.
Gonzaga 87, Kansas State 72