$1250 Free with Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code HANDLEFULL for Gonzaga vs. Texas

Styles make fights, and we should have an absolute war in Austin when the Longhorns try to take down the Bulldogs of Gonzaga. We have a high-flying Gonzaga squad going up against a rock-fighting Texas team that wants to play at a snail’s pace. 

Despite falling short on the biggest stage, Gonzaga has been arguably the most dominant program in college basketball the last few seasons. But they looked quite vulnerable in the Armed Forces Classic, where they needed a late comeback to squeak past Michigan State.

On the other side, Texas has not been battle-tested just yet as they’ve cruised by UTEP and Houston Christian. Despite losing Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey in the backcourt from last year’s team, the Longhorns should be better this year. The Longhorns are led by a pair of transfers in Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice, as well as a pair of five-star freshmen in Dillon Mitchell and Arterio Morris. 

Although each team has only played in two games, Texas is currently ranked #2 in KenPom ratings, while Gonzaga is at #3. Furthermore, Gonzaga is slated as the #1 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, while the Longhorns are #1 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Where this game will be really interesting: who can dictate the pace? The Zags are a staggering #12 in adjusted tempo, playing some of the fastest basketball in terms of pace in the entire country, while UT is at #321 (out of 363 Division I teams).

Both of these teams are very effective in their playing styles, but they could not be more different. Let’s dive into what some of the personnel to expect from each side in this one.

Gonzaga Bulldogs +2

Under Mark Few, Gonzaga has formed its identity around pushing the tempo, spacing the floor, and scoring the ball at a high clip. 

2x All-American and College Player of the Year frontrunner Drew Timme is the centerpiece of this team once again as he’s back for another campaign, trying to right the ship towards Gonzaga’s first-ever national title. He chipped in 22 points in their win over the Spartans, but the supporting cast still has its questions.

After losing Chet Holmgren, the interior defense is not nearly as strong as it was a year ago. This could certainly be an issue against a Texas team that builds its identity from the inside out and will be strong on the glass.

In addition, guard Andrew Nembhard’s absence was felt against Michigan State as the Bulldogs committed 18 turnovers, which would’ve been a season-high a year ago.

Don’t overlook these Zags because they still have plenty of scoring juice, including Julian Strawther and transfer Malachi Smith, who was the 2022 Lou Henson award winner at Chattanooga, which goes to the mid-major player of the year.

If Gonzaga is going to come out on top here, they will need to take care of the basketball and limit the Longhorns’ second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass. But this Gonzaga team undoubtedly is not the same dominant team we witnessed a year ago.

Texas Longhorns -2

Texas has experienced plenty of turnover as they rely on a handful of players via the transfer portal and highly touted freshmen.

However, the moment should not be too big for Texas as plenty of guys have logged big-time minutes in other places. As it goes with a Chris Beard-coached team, the foundation starts on the defensive end of the court. Texas is long, feisty, dominant on the boards, and will wreak havoc on the Bulldog ball handlers.

On the offensive side, it’s certainly more of a struggle, as the Longhorns aren’t going to shoot the lights out. Despite scoring 72 and 82 points in their first two games, respectively, they shot a combined 7 for 36 (19.4%) from 3-point range. If Texas is going to do any damage on the offensive end, it’ll be inside the arc.

For Texas to pull off this upset, that means they will have completely stifled the Zags’ frenetic tempo while taking good care of the basketball.

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