Preview: Zags host stingy BYU

A rivalry is renewed on Thursday when the BYU Cougars (14-3, 2-0 WCC) bring their stifling defense to take on the high-powered No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (12-2, 1-0 WCC) in Spokane. The heavyweights of the WCC come into the matchup looking for an early edge atop the conference’s standings.

“[BYU] always plays crazy, crazy hard,” GU Head Coach Mark Few said. “They come at you with a multitude of guys and play with great confidence.”

Indeed, the Cougars have had their share of hard-fought victories this season. In games where the offense has struggled, the defense has picked up the slack, evident by last Saturday’s 52-43 win over Saint Mary’s. Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket from the opening tip, including a four-minute scoring drought midway through the first half. But despite shooting 39% from the floor, BYU forced 19 turnovers and held the Gaels to without a field goal for the final five minutes of the ballgame to secure the win.

The Cougars have also slugged out wins over San Diego State and University of South Florida, both games in which the offense failed to shoot over 40% from the field.

But with all due respect, the Aztecs and Bulls aren’t the Zags, who are coming off one of the best offensive showcases in program history last Thursday. With six players scoring in double figures, GU’s 117 points were the second most in a regular season game since 1994. A 10-for-12 start shooting the ball helped put the game away early, as well as a season-high 12 steals on the defensive end.

After not playing for almost two weeks, it was reasonable to question the team’s focus against an inferior WCC opponent; those concerns didn’t last long.

Now, repeating such an offensive showcase is near improbable against a team like BYU, who has held its opponents to less than 62 points on average this season. But if last season’s matchup in Spokane and WCC championship game showed anything, it’s that the team who controls the pace of the game will prevail.

In recent seasons, Mark Few’s teams have been known to push the ball and generate points off fast break opportunities. Whether it’s by amping the defensive pressure or simply making the long outlet pass, keeping up with the Zags is no easy task. The Cougars found that out the hard way last January when they fell behind 23-3 in less than eight minutes due to poor shooting and careless turnovers to start the game. Those mistakes allowed for easy transition baskets for the Zags, who racked up 15 points off turnovers in the first half and outscored BYU 14-0 in fast break points.

By halftime, the game was already decided because the Bulldogs seized control of the tempo early. The WCC championship was a different story, however.

From the opening tip, it was apparent BYU was committed to keeping the Zags in the half court. Starting 4-for-6 from the field, the Cougars chewed up 15 to 18 seconds per possession as they patiently ran through their sets before creating a mismatch in the post or wearing out GU’s guards on the perimeter. The slow pace halted any opportunities for the Bulldogs to get out on the break, and as a result, they trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half.

GU managed to climb back into the game after forcing a few turnovers to start the second half, but for the most part, the offense had its work cut out against BYU. Without Suggs’ heroics in crunch time, who knows how that game ends.

If the Zags want to replicate their performance from the last meeting in Spokane, they’ll need to speed up the game and make BYU uncomfortable. One way to do that is through a half court zone press, which was effective in rattling Pepperdine early on last week. Not only did the Waves struggle advancing the ball, but when they did cross half-court, they were baited into quick and unnecessary shot attempts that gave GU extra possessions. Against an offense that has averaged less than 70 points per game and made 44% of its field goal attempts, giving up a few open looks might be worth the gamble.

Someone the Zags can’t let out of their sights is Alex Barcello, who leads the WCC in 3-pointers made and was a catalyst for BYU early in the season. The senior guard proved he belonged on the Wooden Award watch list after shooting 58.2%, including 46.8% from deep on nearly five attempts a night, in the month of November. And while he’s been held in check recently, GU can’t let him get into a rhythm on Saturday as the main source of BYU’s offense.

Outside of Barcello, Trevin Knell and Gideon George will be a priority on the perimeter as well. Knell was the Cougars’ leading scorer in last year’s WCC title game with 20 points and four 3-pointers, while George has the ability to penetrate the defense and muscle his way through contact if need be. Both create their offense through handoffs and double ball screens outside the arc, in which they look to take advantage of big men who are forced to switch on.

With someone as lengthy as Chet Holmgren, it will be interesting to see how the Cougars attack the freshman.

At home with students back in the stands, the Zags should be able to feed off the energy in The Kennel and seize momentum early. Tempo and turnovers will play a large role in deciding this battle of WCC goliaths.

The pick: Zags 82, Cougars 69