Score Predictions for No. 11 West Virginia vs No. 1 Gonzaga
Schuyler Callihan: Gonzaga 81, West Virginia 68
I have the Mountaineers leaving Indianapolis with their first loss of the season, but to an outstanding team - one that could make the Final Four.
West Virginia just hasn't shown me yet that they can knock down shots consistently and then, on the defensive end, be able to close out on shooters on the perimeter and rotate fast enough.
Gonzaga does an excellent job moving the ball around and has great floor spacing. The other problem I see West Virginia having is being able to shut down the backdoor cuts and defend ball screens. They were able to get away with that stuff vs. South Dakota State, VCU, and Western Kentucky but won't be able to against Gonzaga.
Christopher Hall: Gonzaga 67 West Virginia 64
This Gonzaga Bulldog team does not have a deep bench. Most of their minutes come from their starting five, which is not uncommon, and like West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said, "They're very, very skilled."
On the other side, West Virginia can make platoon substitutions, and this is where the Mountaineers have the advantage. However, West Virginia did not play well defensively in the first three games, something that is a staple under a Huggins led program. They gave up easy buckets on back door cuts enabled with screens.
Offensively, West Virginia did play better despite some rough edges. They will have to shoot the ball better if they want to pull off the win; shooting just over 40% won't get it done unless they dominate the offensive glass.
Gonzaga is too good offensively, and for West Virginia to have a chance, they will need to consistently make shots, something they have not shown they can do.
Bulldogs survive 67-64.
Jonathan Martin: Gonzaga 72, West Virginia 65
West Virginia is set to face the No. 1 team in the country tonight – the 7th time since 2015 – squaring off against Gonzaga in the Jimmy V Classic.
Fresh off three consecutive wins to begin the season and winning the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic, the Mountaineers face their toughest test of the early season.
The formula is simple. Dominate the paint, win the rebounding battle, and get another solid effort from Deuce McBride. It appears, though, as if West Virginia needs one more thing to go their way. I would emphasize Taz Sherman or Sean McNeil. It is imperative to get scoring from one of those two.
Many believe West Virginia is a Final Four caliber team. We’ll find out tonight.
Zach Campbell: Gonzaga 92 West Virginia 85
West Virginia is perfect thus far this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s been pretty. While the Mountaineers' three wins will likely look better and better as the season stretches on, it has yet to face a premier program like Gonzaga. Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs can drop a heap of points on you and they have the size to swallow up the paint.
For West Virginia to have a shot, transition defense will be paramount. No sluggish starts allowed. Additionally, Oscar Tshiebwe needs to play resurgently after a couple of contests where he faded into the background. I love this Mountaineers team, but I feel like they’ve got a few holes to patch.
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