The Gonzaga Bulldogs are set to take on the San Francisco Dons in a crucial West Coast Conference matchup, with Gonzaga looking to solidify their position as one of the top teams in the country, boasting a 25-2 record and a 13-1 conference mark, while San Francisco is desperate for a quality win to boost their tournament resume, having gone 15-13 overall and 7-8 in conference play, with a recent trend of averaging 74.2 points per game over their last 5 contests, but also allowing 82.8 points per game and being outscored by 8.6 points per game in that stretch, including a 92-79 win at San Diego and an 87-82 win over Pacific, but also suffering losses to Oregon State and Loyola Marymount, and most recently, a 54-79 blowout loss at Saint Mary's, which has put their tournament hopes in jeopardy, as they are currently ranked 118 in the NET rankings and have a quad record of 0-5 in Quad 1 games, 3-3 in Quad 2 games, 5-2 in Quad 3 games, and 6-3 in Quad 4 games.
Gonzaga, on the other hand, has been on a tear, averaging 82.2 points per game over their last 5 contests, while allowing just 70.4 points per game and outscoring their opponents by 11.8 points per game, with a recent stretch that includes wins over Santa Clara, Washington State, and Saint Mary's, as well as a loss to Portland, and they are looking to continue their dominance against a San Francisco team that has struggled to find consistency, with a 2-3 record over their last 5 games, and a trend of allowing opponents to shoot 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, which could be a major concern against a Gonzaga team that is shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range, and has a number of talented players who can score from both inside and outside the paint, including their leading scorer, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, and has been on a hot streak, scoring 20 or more points in 4 of his last 5 games.
Key Matchups
One of the main matchup problems for San Francisco will be trying to contain Gonzaga's high-powered offense, which features a number of talented players who can score from both inside and outside the paint, including their leading scorer, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, and has been on a hot streak, scoring 20 or more points in 4 of his last 5 games, and also has a strong supporting cast, including a point guard who is averaging 7.5 assists per game and a power forward who is averaging 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, and San Francisco must find a way to slow them down if they want to have any chance of pulling off the upset, which would be a huge boost to their tournament resume, and would also give them a much-needed quality win, as they are currently 0-5 in Quad 1 games, and have struggled against top-level competition, with an average margin of defeat of 12.2 points per game in those contests.
Gonzaga's recent form has been impressive, with a 4-1 record over their last 5 games, and an average margin of victory of 11.8 points per game in that stretch, and they are looking to continue their dominance against a San Francisco team that has struggled to find consistency, with a 2-3 record over their last 5 games, and a trend of allowing opponents to shoot 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, which could be a major concern against a Gonzaga team that is shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range, and has a number of talented players who can score from both inside and outside the paint, and San Francisco must find a way to slow them down if they want to have any chance of pulling off the upset, which would be a huge boost to their tournament resume, and would also give them a much-needed quality win, as they are currently 0-5 in Quad 1 games, and have struggled against top-level competition, with an average margin of defeat of 12.2 points per game in those contests, and a 3-3 record in Quad 2 games, with an average margin of victory of 2.5 points per game in those contests.
CHD Scout Prediction
Gonzaga
85
San Francisco
67
The CHD Scout prediction has Gonzaga winning by 18.1 points, with a 7.3% win probability for San Francisco, and this is largely due to Gonzaga's dominant offense, which is averaging 82.2 points per game over their last 5 contests, while allowing just 70.4 points per game and outscoring their opponents by 11.8 points per game, and San Francisco's struggles on defense, which have seen them allow opponents to shoot 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, and they must find a way to slow down Gonzaga's high-powered offense if they want to have any chance of pulling off the upset, which would be a huge boost to their tournament resume, and would also give them a much-needed quality win, as they are currently 0-5 in Quad 1 games, and have struggled against top-level competition, with an average margin of defeat of 12.2 points per game in those contests, and a 3-3 record in Quad 2 games, with an average margin of victory of 2.5 points per game in those contests, and Gonzaga's recent form has been impressive, with a 4-1 record over their last 5 games, and an average margin of victory of 11.8 points per game in that stretch.
Gonzaga's offense has been nearly unstoppable, with a number of talented players who can score from both inside and outside the paint, and they are shooting 50.5% from the field and 36.2% from three-point range, which is a major concern for a San Francisco team that has struggled to defend against top-level competition, with an average margin of defeat of 12.2 points per game in Quad 1 games, and a 3-3 record in Quad 2 games, with an average margin of victory of 2.5 points per game in those contests, and San Francisco must find a way to slow them down if they want to have any chance of pulling off the upset, which would be a huge boost to their tournament resume, and would also give them a much-needed quality win, as they are currently 0-5 in Quad 1 games, and have struggled against top-level competition, and Gonzaga is looking to continue their dominance against a San Francisco team that has struggled to find consistency, with a 2-3 record over their last 5 games, and a trend of allowing opponents to shoot 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range.
Tournament Stakes
A win for San Francisco would be a huge boost to their tournament resume, as it would give them a much-needed quality win, and would also improve their chances of making the NCAA tournament, as they are currently on the bubble, with a 15-13 overall record and a 7-8 conference mark, and a 0-5 record in Quad 1 games, and a 3-3 record in Quad 2 games, and they need to find a way to beat top-level competition if they want to make a deep run in the tournament, and a loss would be a major setback, as it would drop them to 15-14 overall and 7-9 in conference play, and would make it even harder for them to make the tournament, as they would need to win out and get some help from other teams in order to make it, and Gonzaga is looking to continue their dominance and solidify their position as one of the top teams in the country, with a 25-2 record and a 13-1 conference mark, and a win would give them a 26-2 record and a 14-1 conference mark, and would keep them firmly on the top-16 seed line, and a loss would be a major upset, as San Francisco is a 14.5-point underdog, and would drop Gonzaga to 25-3 overall and 13-2 in conference play, and would give San Francisco a huge boost to their tournament resume, and would also give them a much-needed quality win.
The San Francisco Dons are desperate for a quality win to boost their tournament resume, and a win over Gonzaga would be a huge upset, as Gonzaga is a 14.5-point favorite, and San Francisco is a 14.5-point underdog, and the Dons need to find a way to slow down Gonzaga's high-powered offense, which is averaging 82.2 points per game over their last 5 contests, while allowing just 70.4 points per game and outscoring their opponents by 11.8 points per game, and San Francisco's recent form has been inconsistent, with a 2-3 record over their last 5 games, and a trend of allowing opponents to shoot 47.5% from