No. 13 Gonzaga (5-0) rolls into Las Vegas on Monday looking for its second big win of the season, taking on No. 11 Alabama in the Players Era Festival. It will be the Bulldogs' second game against a top 25 opponent this season after beating No. 23 Creighton 90-63 earlier in the season.
Gonzaga is coming off a dominant 122-50 win over Southern Utah in a game that looked like a tune-up before Monday’s matchup against the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs had five players in double digits on the night, with Braden Huff leading the way with 22 points in the game. Davis Fogle, off the bench, contributed 19 points in 15 minutes.
On the season, Gonzaga ranks 27th in the nation in scoring, averaging 94.0 points per game. Defensively, Mark Few’s team has been elite, allowing 57.8 points per game, which is 8th best in the nation.
It's "pick your poison" with Gonzaga on who will beat you on any given night.
The Bulldogs have five players averaging double digits on the season, with Graham Ike leading the way with 17.0 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. Right behind him is Braden Huff, who averages 14.8 points per game. It’s the frontcourt duo doing the damage early for Gonzaga. Add in 6-foot-7 guard Tyon Grant-Foster to the mix, and it could be a long night in the paint for Alabama.
The Tide will be up for the challenge, having already had one of the most difficult schedules to begin the season. The matchup Monday against Gonzaga will be their fourth straight against a ranked opponent. Nate Oats’ side began this stretch with a win over No. 5 St. John's, fell to No. 2 Purdue before getting a win Wednesday over No. 8 Illinois by a score of 90-86. The Crimson Tide had five players in double digits on the night, with Labaron Philon Jr. Leading the way with 24 points. Taylor Bol Bowen would add 12 to give the Crimson Tide a win on the road.
Gonzaga is a team that is built on scoring from the inside, but Alabama prefers to spread the floor. The Crimson Tide average 91 points per game, which is tied for 29th in the nation. The Tide is not afraid to push the pace and shoot the three. The Crimson Tide come into the game 6th in the nation in three-point attempts with 35.3 a game.
While the Crimson Tide are not afraid to roll the dice on the three-point shot, they are only knocking down 34 percent of them. Bama is a team that can stretch the floor with their bigs.
Bama on the season is led by 6’4 sophomore Labaron Philon Jr., who is averaging 20.0 points per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field. Beside him is Auburn transfer Aden Holloway, who averages 17.7 points a game and has already scored 20 or more points in two games this season. The guards will have their work cut out for them against a Gonzaga team that is one of the best in the nation defensively.
This game will be a tale of two different teams: one that dominates the paint and one that likes to push the pace and score from the perimeter. It will be a high-stakes game for both teams, with $1 million on the line in NIL incentives for the winner of the Players Era Festival, and it all begins Monday night with two of the best teams in the nation showcasing their talent in Sin City.
Tip-off comes Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
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