Gonzaga players on what makes UConn so tough: 'They've pretty much been smacking everyone'
Las Vegas — After taking down UCLA 79-76 in an epic Sweet 16 showdown on Thursday night, Gonzaga will now face off against UConn in the Elite 8 on Saturday in Las Vegas. The Huskies clobbered Arkansas in their Sweet 16 matchup winning 88-65.
Ahead of the Elite 8 game, Gonzaga's starters were asked what makes UConn such a tough opponent?
Their responses are below.
Anton Watson: "They're a really good team. They kinda play like us I feel like just moving the ball, getting it to the big and then they have a lot of good players. Their guards can shoot. They're just an all-around good team. Watching them in the tournament, they've pretty much been smacking everyone so it's going to be a good game for us for sure. They've got the big guy, he's pretty much unstoppable and then they've got the freshman big that comes off the bench. He comes in and produces. Joey Calcaterra, we know him from the WCC. He's come in and hit some big shots."
Julian Strawther: "They've got a real good group of guys that run their sets really hard and work to get each other open. Obviously Jordan Hawkins is an amazing off-ball player. His ability to make shots is really pro-level...Adama Sanogo is just a force down low. He does great things, just giving himself an angle to score. Everybody on that team seems like they're working together. It's a fluid offense. They're rolling right now. They're playing really good basketball. They're going to be ready tomorrow night and it's on us to be ready as well."
Rasir Bolton: "On film, I see just how hard they play. They're very disciplined. They're going to run their sets and get out in transition and hit their shooters on the wings. Their point guard makes a lot of plays for them. Their bigs are tough in the post, it will be tough stopping them. We've got to gang rebound and then get out and run. We need to make every shot tough for Jordan Hawkins. With Adama Sanogo, we've got to try and push him out of the paint and not let him get too many touches deep under the rim...As long as we rebound and run, I think we'll have a good chance."
Nolan Hickman: "Their aggressiveness on defense, their rebounding ability, makes them tough. They crash the boards really hard. The way they play so fast on offense is tough as well...Their depth will definitely play a factor in the game. But we've got depth as well. It should be a great matchup."
Drew Timme on Adama Sanogo: "He's a hell of a player. He's an All-American-caliber player. He uses his body well. He's strong, he's aggressive, he gets a lot of his misses back, which I think is the underrated part of his game. He presents a lot of challenges and he's a smart player. So I mean he's going to be a handful for sure."
