In-game analysis of Gonzaga vs. Kentucky college basketball showdown

Bulldogs and Wildcats look to get right as they go head-to-head in a top 25 matchup

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) shoots over Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Gonzaga and Kentucky have delivered some epic battles over the years as the two college basketball powerhouses get to know each other on an annual basis thanks to a six-year series the schools agreed to in the summer of 2022.

Friday night's top 25 matchup between the Bulldogs (7-1) and Wildcats (5-3) could very well be shades of last season's overtime thriller in Seattle, or the back-and-forth affair that took place in Rupp Arena two years ago.

But at the forefront of both fanbases' minds heading into the showdown from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena was how their respective teams would move past the setbacks they endured the last time they stepped on the floor.

The Zags probably couldn't wait to get back to competition following their humiliating loss to Michigan, which handed Gonzaga its worst loss under head coach Mark Few in a 101-61 thumping in the Players Era Festival championship game from Nov. 26.

Nothing went right for the Bulldogs that night, as they struggled to generate any sort of offensive rhythm, shooting a paltry 3-of-22 from behind the arc, while their leading scorer, Graham Ike, was held to just one points in 16 minutes of action. Not much went in Gonzaga's favor on the other end of the floor, either, as Michigan drilled 13 3-pointers, went 23-of-33 from inside the arc and got to the free-throw line 25 teams while putting the Zags' frontcourt in foul trouble.

It certainly felt like an anomaly given Gonzaga had smacked Maryland and picked up an impressive win over a top-10 Alabama team over the course of 48 hours leading up to the Players Era finale from MGM Garden Arena. But the only way to completely flush the disheartening loss was by getting back in the win column against a talented Kentucky team, which was in bounce-back mode as well given Mark Pope and company were just a few days removed from enduring their worst night from behind the arc (1-of-13) in a 67-64 defeat at the hands of North Carolina.

The good news for the Wildcats was that they had a chance to get right with junior guard Jaland Lowe back in the fold. The 6-foot-2 transfer from Pitt who missed the last six games with a shoulder injury was ready to go for Friday's bout with the Zags, giving the Wildcats a potential boost in playmaking after they recorded just eight assists against the Tar Heels. Lowe averaged 5.5 assists with the Panthers last season and dished out 10 total in his first two games with Kentucky.

Alabama transfer and 6-foot-7 forward Mouhamed Dioubate was ruled out for the Gonzaga game due to an ankle injury. Dioubate averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds through five games in 2025-26.

Here's the key storylines we're following throughout Friday night's battle between Gonzaga and Kentucky.

Getting back to defense

Gonzaga, which couldn't find an answer against Michigan's blistering pace and athleticism the last time out, was prepared for anything Kentucky ran out of the gate of Friday's matchup.

Neither side came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, but the Wildcats especially looked out of sorts offensively, with a pair of self-inflicted miscues and an 0-for-5 start from the field underscoring the type of start for Pope's team. It wasn't until the 15:38 mark in the first half that Kentucky finally got on the board.

The Zags weren't their sharp selves initially, evidenced by a couple of misses around the rim by Ike and Huff, but managed to create some open looks nonetheless. A fair amount of their looks were created by either turnovers or screen-and-rolls, leading to a 12-for-29 start from the Bulldogs.

Kentucky, meanwhile, couldn't get anything going offensively. The Wildcats didn't break the seal off the hoop until Denzel Aberdeen got a 3-pointer to go at the 11:04 mark in the first half, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive misses out of the gate. According to ESPN, it was the first time in eight seasons that Kentucky started a game 0-for-10.

The Wildcats started to get the Zags moving defensively with some penetration followed by kick outs to shooters, but not even the open looks were going down consistently for Pope's squad. Kentucky was 4-for-24 from the field by the time the 4-minute media timeout hit.

Once again, Gonzaga managed to force more turnovers than its opponent had made field goals at halftime. Kentucky was 5-for-31 in the first half while committing eight turnovers.

Gonzaga attacking the paint

The Zags made it a point of emphasis to attack the Wildcats in the paint from the get-go, with six of their first 10 field goal attempts coming from their standout frontcourt.

Ike, who struggled in the loss to Michigan, was given plenty of opportunities to bounce back against the Wildcats with every mismatch he created in the painted area. Ike wasn't as efficient as he'd probably like but remained Gonzaga's most aggressive player on offense.

After Ike scored on a sweet reverse while curling to the hoop on an off-ball screen near the arc, Gonzaga had a 22-4 advantage in paint points. Ike and Huff (26 points) outscored the Wildcats (20) by themselves in the first half.

It didn't Kentucky that two of its frontcourt players, Brandon Garrison and Kam Williams, picked up three and two fouls, respectively, in the first 20 minutes of play.

Gonzaga looks to keep its foot on the gas

Setting the tone defensively helped the Zags jump out to a double-digit lead by the 14:19 mark in the first half, much to the disdain of the pro-Kentucky crowd making up a majority of the Bridgestone Arena attendance.

The mood from Big Blue Nation continued to sourer as the hole the Wildcats found themselves in got deeper and deeper. Gonzaga led by as many as 25 behind a dominant first half from Ike and Huff.

While Kentucky fans hailed boos, Gonzaga fans kept last season's result in the back of their mind while cheering on their team's hot start. The Wildcats managed to overcome an 18-point deficit at Climate Pledge last December, despite a big night from Ike (28 points, 11 rebounds).

Gonzaga's 6-foot-9 forward helped keep the foot on the gas out of the halftime break, scoring seven of his team's first 11 points to reach a new season-high through the first 5 minutes of the second half. Kentucky essentially gave up trying to double-team the preseason All-West Coast Conference forward, and Ike made the Wildcats pay.

Switch up in starting lineup

The Zags tinkered with their starting lineup once again. Steele Venters made his first start in a Gonzaga uniform while Emmanuel Innocenti was back in the first five for the first time since Nov. 14.

The attention Gonzaga's bigs garnered down low created space for Venters and the Bulldogs' perimeter players to launch some clean looks from behind the arc. Venters and Mario Saint-Supéry took advantage early on, but overall Gonzaga missed six of its first eight looks and was 3-for-11 from downtown in the first half.

Innocenti helped set the table for his teammates, dishing out four assists and grabbing four rebounds in 11 minutes of action in the first half.