Know Your Opponent: Gonzaga

By Bobby Hundley

Gonzaga (GoZags.com)
Location: Spokane, Wash.
Rankings: No. 6 KenPom, No. 2 AP
NET/SOS: No. 5 NET, No. 282 SOS
Record: 11-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): Carolina leads 3-1 (Carolina 103, Gonzaga 90, Dec. 15, 2018, Smith Center)

After playing just twice prior to the 2017 NCAA final, Carolina and Gonzaga meet for the third time in four seasons Wednesday night in Spokane. This marquee home-and-home series can be chalked up to the friendship and mutual respect of the two head coaches, and the return game from last December's 103-90 Tar Heel victory is among the most anticipated in Gonzaga history.

While the Tar Heels are mired in a three-game losing streak, the Bulldog train keeps rolling. Few has another loaded team that figures to be a threat deep into March and April, and a loss to Michigan in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game is all that separates Gonzaga from a perfect 12-0 start.

The emerging name to know on this year's squad is Filip Petrusev, a 6-11 sophomore from Serbia who leads six Bulldogs in double figures with 15.8 points per game. Few's club is typically well-rounded on offense, ranking in the top 30 nationally in both 2-point and 3-point shooting while ranking third in the country in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency.

Ryan Woolridge, a grad transfer from North Texas, is handling the bulk of the point guard duties so far. He and French sophomore Joel Ayayi are the team's primary creators, while 6-7 junior Corey Kispert is the volume outside shooter (40 percent on 72 attempts).

The X-factor for Gonzaga is Killian Tillie. The senior forward was one of the most dynamic players in college basketball as a sophomore, when he averaged nearly 13 points per game and made almost 48 percent of his 3s. But the 6-10 Frenchman was hounded by injuries to his foot and ankle last season and had a minor knee operation in October that has limited his minutes thus far.

Years of dominance in the West Coast Conference transformed Gonzaga from a plucky underdog to the most consistent power program in the west. Saint Mary's and BYU have been the other annual contenders in the league, and a rapidly improving San Francisco program has helped make the WCC a steady top-10 conference nationally. But it's the Zags who once again will carry the flag on the national stage and are once again a threat to go all the way come tournament time.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

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