5 keys to victory for Gonzaga Bulldogs in high-stakes showdown against Kentucky Wildcats

Gonzaga and Kentucky are both looking to rebound from tough losses

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Warley (8). | Photo by Erik Smith

For the fourth year in a row, Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the non-conference slate. The game is set for 4:00 PM PT on Friday, Dec. 5, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, and will be broadcast on ESPN2

Gonzaga is up 2-1 in the series, although Kentucky coach Mark Pope is 1-0, having pulled off a remarkable 18 point comeback last year in Seattle.

Both teams are coming off ugly losses: Gonzaga to Michigan in the Players Era championship, while Kentucky lost at home to North Carolina on Tuesday as part of the ACC-SEC challenge.

Kentucky (5-3) has beaten up on bad teams this season, with all five wins coming against programs ranked 193 or lower at KenPom - while their three losses have been against top 20 teams in Louisville, Michigan State, and North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga has two ranked wins, over Creighton and Alabama, while also defeating Oklahoma, Arizona State, and Maryland. Still, this game against Kentucky is the lone ranked opponent on Gonzaga's schedule and one of just four Quad 1 opportunities as of right now - with the others all coming in conference play.

Both teams need a win in a bad way, which will make Friday's tilt all the more exciting. Here is a look at five things Gonzaga needs to do to leave Nashville with a W:

1. Crash the Offensive Glass

Kentucky has been excellent at limiting second chance opportunities this season, giving up offensive rebounds just 24.4% of the time according to KenPom - good for 26th best in the country.

However, a lot of that has to do with the quality of their opponents. Both Michigan State and North Carolina significantly outrebounded Kentucky, with the Tar Heels grabbing 17(!) offensive boards and earning a huge 22-5 advantage in second chance points.

Meanwhile Gonzaga has been one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, posting a 37.7% clip. They struggled against the size and physicality of Michigan last week in Las Vegas, and while Kentucky does have talented bigs they are shorthanded at the moment - which should allow Gonzaga to procure plenty of second chance opportunities.

2. Force Feed the Post

Kentucky will rely heavily on true freshman Malachi Moreno down on the block, with Jayden Quaintance out and Mo Dioubate potentially not playing as well. Moreno may be a freshman but he is a load defensively, averaging 1.4 blocks and just 0.6 fouls in 21.6 minutes per game.

At 7'0 and 250 pounds, Moreno is a monster down on the block who plays above his age.

However, Gonzaga cannot be afraid to run their offense through Graham Ike and Braden Huff, especially with Kentucky lacking depth up front. After Moreno the team will rely on returner Brandon Garrison, a 6'10 245 pound forward who is far less impactful defensively.

One of Ike and Huff will have an advantage, and coach Few and the Zags will be wise to keep pounding the paint and giving themselves opportunities to score at the rim.

3. Generate Turnovers, Get Out in Transition

Kentucky has allowed four of its eight opponents to generate 8+ steals against them this year, the product of not having their primary ball-handler - Jaland Lowe - due to a shoulder injury.

Gonzaga routinely generates 8+ steals per game, having done so in six of the team's eight games - while getting seven against Alabama.

Kentucky will attempt to slow Gonzaga down in this game, and the best way for the Zags to counter that is by trapping at halfcourt and making Kentucky uncomfortable getting into their offense. If it leads to steals and easy points in transition, even better.

4. Find Outside Shot, but Don't Settle

Opponents are shooting just 27.9% from three against Kentucky this year, while taking a very high 27.3 per game on average. That's weighed heavily by Louisville going 13-40 (32.5%) while Michigan State (11-22) found plenty of success in the Champions Classic.

Gonzaga has never been overly reliant on the outside shot, and Friday's game should be no different. However, coach Few always says offense is about taking what the defense gives you, and Kentucky is very willing to allow outside shots over easy shots at the rim.

If Moreno is able to slow down Ike, Gonzaga cannot just settle for every three point shot they find - but they will need to knock a healthy amount of them down in order to win this game in Nashville. Look for Steele Venters and Adam Miller to get going early in this one, as that would be a huge momentum swing in favor of the Zags.

5. Take Care of the Basketball

Kentucky is a good defensive team, but one thing they don't do very well is generate turnovers. On the year opponents are averaging 11.3 turnovers per game, which puts the 'Cats just 288th in the country.

Gonzaga has done a great job of taking care of the basketball this year, although it has had its struggles away from Spokane. While Kentucky likely won't force a bunch of turnovers themselves, it's critical the Zags don't help them out.

Avoiding errant passes, trying to do too much, committing unnecessary offensive fouls, and other mental mistakes will be crucial in getting a much-needed ranked win away from Spokane and re-establishing themselves as true contenders this college basketball season.