This is not your typical Gonzaga team. Or at least, not what has become the new typical for Few’s program the last decade or so. The Zags are still 16-6 and ranked inside the Top 30 at both KenPom and in the NET, but they have yet to pick up anything resembling a marquee victory and currently sit with an 0-5 record in Quad 1 games, having lost to Purdue, UConn, San Diego State, Washington, and most recently WCC foe St. Mary’s on Saturday at The Kennel.
Those losses resulted in Gonzaga falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2016(!) a streak that is currently the 10th longest in the AP er
The loss of Drew Timme, the school’s all-time leading scorer, as well as wing Julian Strawther and veteran guards Rasir Bolton and Malachi Smith has taken a toll on this program, not to mention the departure of Hunter Sallis who is having an All-ACC caliber season for Wake Fores
Gonzaga is 28th in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom, and while they are struggling as a team to shoot from the perimeter – in part because of a preseason ACL injury to sharpshooter Steele Venters – they can gash teams up in the pick and roll and are very good at getting Ike and veteran Anton Watson the ball in positions to score
Additionally, the defense – which was once an achilles heel for Few – is now ranked 35th at KenPom, and if they can find ways to keep Dillingham and Reeves in front of them they could certainly make this a tough contest for Calipari and the ‘Cat
