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College basketball's top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs are on the road for another WCC conference matchup with the BYU Cougars.
Gonzaga took a 17-point victory in these teams' first meeting on January 7th, remaining undefeated and holding the top spot in the WCC since. The BYU Cougars have won six of their last seven since the loss to Gonzaga, claiming an impressive 15-4 overall record this year. With the top two teams in the WCC going at it, this game is sure to be entertaining.
Match Details
Fixture: Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. BYU Cougars - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Monday, February 8th, 2021, 11 PM ET
Venue: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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Gonzaga Bulldogs Preview
The unbeaten Gonzaga Bulldogs have been successfully defending the top spot in college hoops with excellent offensive output and huge margains of victory.
The Bulldogs had their most recent game against the Santa Clara Broncos postponed due to COVID precautions, thus bringing their 18-game win streak on the road to Provo this Monday. The Gonzaga Bulldogs' offense is scoring an NCAA-leading 93.2 points per game, outscoring their opponents by 23.5 points on average.
Key Player - Corey Kispert
The key factor for the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Monday is star forward Corey Kispert. The 6'7" senior will be tasked with quite the assignment; winning the paint battle against BYU big-man Matt Haarms. Kispert will be at an 8-inch height disadvantage, but has the scoring ability to create space and get open looks.
Kispert leads all Gonzaga Bulldogs' scorers this season with 19.9 points per game on 57.3% shooting. The projected 1st-round pick is also shooting a ridiculous 49% from three point range, averaging over 6 attempts per game. If Corey Kispert can deliver more quality offensive output on Monday night, the Gonzaga Bulldogs should be looking at a 19th straight victory.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Predicted Lineup
F Corey Kispert, F Drew Timme, F Anton Watson, G Joel Ayayi, G Jalen Suggs
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BYU Cougars Preview
The BYU Cougars have quietly put together a very good season thus far, holding sole posession of 2nd place in the WCC behind the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
With 15 wins thus far, the Cougars have won ten of their last twelve. When they traveled to Spokane to face Gonzaga earlier in the season, BYU held strong for the first half but could not keep pace with the Bulldogs' offense.
BYU is led offensively by guard Alex Barcello, who averages a team-high 15.2 points per game. As a team, the Cougars are averaging just under 80 points per game on offense, but will need to keep pace with the talented Bulldogs.
Key Player - Matt Haarms
BYU Cougars' forward Matt Haarms could play a huge role in Monday's matchup with Gonzaga. The 7'3" senior from Amsterdam, Netherlands has been patrolling the paint and scoring with efficiency.
Haarms is averaging a career-high 11.5 points on 55% shooting thus far, but his role on Monday will have more emphasis on the defensive end. The lengthy Matt Haarms has collected a team-leading 30 blocks this season and will hope to lock down the talented Gonzaga forwards.
BYU Cougars Predicted Lineup
F Kolby Lee, F Matt Haarms, G Connor Harding, G Alex Barcello, G Brandon Averette
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Gonzaga vs. BYU Prediction
The Gonzaga Bulldogs will once again be heavily favored heading into their 10th conference game against the BYU Cougars. The Bulldogs will not have the size advantage in this matchup, but can still outpace the BYU Cougars defenders with their quickness and well-designed playcalling. The advantage goes to Gonzaga in this matchup, but if anyone in the WCC conference is going to pull off an upset of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, it would be the BYU Cougars.
Where to watch Gonzaga vs. BYU
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
