Zags Set to Cruse as Gaels, Broncos Seek Hot Start in Dance

 No. 10 Texas A&M vs No. 7 Saint Mary’s

Thursday, March 19
4:35 pm PT, truTV
Oklahoma City, OK

A lot of pundits believe this contest will be a clash of styles, and they’ew sorta right.

Saint Mary’s methodical style is very different from Texas A&M’s “Bucky Ball.”

The Aggies are toward the top of the country in tempo, while the Gaels rank near the bottom.

Adding to the contrasting styles is SMC’s domination on the boards; Saint Mary’s is 11th nationally in rebounding differential, while Texas A&M ranks 227th.

If the Aggies can keep the Gaels off the glass, it’ll give them a good chance to win the game. SMC lacks one-on-one playmakers.

But here’s the truth of what’s really going down in this game: Paulius Murauskas is going to have to play.

Murauskas might be the best player on the court, but he hasn’t proven it against elite competition. He struggled against Gonzaga all three times, including the WCC regular season finale.

Saint Mary’s also got boatraced by Vanderbilt earlier in the season.

But the troubling part is, he looked scared against the Zags. When things went wrong, he looked awkward and lethargic. He’s gotta play better in the tournament.

Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent are sick, but they’re not enough to beat A&M by themselves.

Texas A&M features six players who average ten points or more, which make them difficult to game plan against.

Their fast-paced style will overwhelm the Gaels and send them back to Moraga.

No. 14 Kennesaw State vs No. 3 Gonzaga

Thursday, March 19
7:00 pm PT, TBS
Portland, OR

This matchup is probably a best-case scenario for Gonzaga.

Kennesaw State is only in the dance because they won the Conference USA Tournament. The Owls entered the tourney as the No. 6 seed.

This is the type of game the Bulldogs better win. An upset against KSU would prove humiliating.

Luckily for GU, they have six-foot-nine, 250-pound Graham Ike to enforce the paint. If Ike can hit a few shots early, it should allow the Zags to gain confidence and let their talent win from there.

The Owls will likely try to stop him with Perry Smith Jr., who is comparable to Ike from a size standpoint, but not as capable. Ike has seen it all at the collegiate level.

KSU ranks 239th nationally in points allowed per game against weak competition. Gonzaga should be able to eat them alive.

The Bulldogs also return guard Jalen Warley from injury. Warley’s an elite defender, solid slasher, and a phenomenal hustle player. It feels like he’s the team’s glue at times.

The combination of Tyon Grant-Foster and Warley should cause fits for Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle. Cottle’s a good all-around scorer, but he’ll likely have to hit a number of difficult  shots to keep the game close.

Cottle leads the team averaging 20.2 points per contest.

Three other players average double digits for the Owls. RJ Johnson is second on the team, averaging 14.5 points per game.

Even without Braden Huff the Zags are too much for KSU. GU’s gonna force a bunch of turnovers and Spike Scrappy.

No. 10 Santa Clara vs No. 7 Kentucky

Friday, March 20
9:15 am PT, CBS
St. Louis, MO

This matchup could end up being one of the better First-Round games.

Santa Clara is back in the tournament, and rightfully so, but this contest could alter the perception of the WCC in the future.

If the Broncos play Kentucky close, it will give the WCC a national spotlight. Even though the Wildcats are having a down year, they’re still Kentucky.

CBS didn’t randomly choose this game.

The key to this matchup should be whether SCU can hang with the athleticism of UK.

Santa Clara’s offense is potent, but they may struggle to get easy looks against the Cats, especially in the paint. The Broncos have a lot of shooters but don’t have a true post scorer.

Bukky Oboye is a great defender, but he isn’t a reliable threat on offense. Oboye gets most of his points off of offensive rebounds and alley-oops.

If SCU’s going to come out of St. Louis with a victory, they’ll need at least two of their three leading scorers to go off.

Christian Hammond, Allen Graves, and Elijah Mahi are gonna have to step up because the rest of their team will likely be overwhelmed.

UK’s best player is Otega Oweh, an athletic guard who’s extremely difficult to stop when driving downhill. He’s also a tough defender, which could prove dangerous for SCU.

The Wildcats paid a lot more than the Broncos for their roster and are loaded at every position. This wasn’t the matchup Santa Clara wanted.

Kentucky’s tradition survives.