No. 1-ranked Gonzaga rolls to 102-90 victory over KU in season-opener for both teams
No. 1-ranked Gonzaga’s high-powered offense was as potent as advertised in an 102-90 season-opening victory over No. 6 Kansas Thursday afternoon at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.
The Kansas defense, however, seemed to provide little resistance in allowing the most points in a 40-minute game in coach Bill Self’s 18 seasons at KU.
“From an encouraging standpoint, I think we can score enough points to win games. From a discouraging standpoint we are not going to beat anybody unless we guard better,” Self said in a Zoom call with reporters after the contest.
Before Thursday’s games, the most points any team had scored against KU in a regulation game was Villanova: 95 in the 2018 Final Four. The most points allowed by KU in any game in the Self era was 106 to Oklahoma in January 2016.
The Zags, who were led by Drew Timme (25 points), Jalen Suggs (24) and Corey Kispert (23), hit 77.3% of their two-point shots, the highest percentage ever against a Self-coached team. Temple hit 75% of its two-point shots vs. KU in 2014.
“We’ve got as long a ways to go (defensively) pretty much as any team we’ve had to start the season,” Self said after Gonzaga became the first team to score 100 points versus KU in a 40-minute game since Oklahoma, which totaled 100 on Feb. 27, 1990.
Overall, the Zags hit 65% of their shots to KU’s 53%. The Zags were 6 of 18 from three-point range, KU 8 of 18.
“It’s not the happiest of Thanksgivings so far,” said Self, who always takes pride in his program’s rugged defense. “We played a great team. They’ve got four guards that’ll be the best guards we play all year long. Then they have a 5-man (Timme) who is terrific.
“Us not being able to guard them I don’t think was a huge surprise. Like holding them under 70, I didn’t think we could do that. You can’t let a team like that shoot 64%. The reason they did, they shot so many layups primarily off our mistakes in transition.”
The Zags led by 14 points early, though the Jayhawks had it tied three minutes into the second half. It was a 14-4 spurt that turned a 74-71 lead with 10 minutes left into a 88-75 advantage that put the game away.
“I think their speed and how fast they played definitely surprised us early,” said Self. His Jayhawks were led by Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji, who had 22 and 17 points respectively. Bryce Thompson had 12 points in his college debut and Jalen Wilson 11 points.
KU went with five guards much of the time with five-man David McCormack producing just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting with four turnovers in 20 minutes. He had six rebounds on a day KU was outboarded 33-24.
“Defensively we were never connected today,” Self said. We got discombobulated and could never really get it back.”
Of course, the opponent was the top-ranked team in the land.
“Next to Kentucky, I don’t know we’ve played against a team where the pieces fit better or the talent matched the pieces more so than what they did today,” Self said.
The 2014-15 Kentucky team drilled KU 72-40 in the early-season Champions Classic in Indianapolis.
“It was a heck of a win for the program,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who celebrated the 600th win of his coaching career when his players dumped icy water on his head in the locker room.
“We beat a great team, a great program. We were able to withstand a run we knew KU was going to make. I’ve watched them (rally) 1,000 times. I’m proud of our guys hanging in with that.”
The Jayhawks return to action against Saint Joseph’s at 1 p.m. Friday on FS1, again in Fort Myers. Self obviously is hoping for a better performance from 6-10 junior McCormack.
“He struggled today. He struggled on both ends, off balance, trying too hard, sped up,” Self said. “He’ll get that back. David’s been terrific in preseason workouts. He was a little too amped today. When things didn’t go well early it kind of set him back a bit.
“David is not Doke (Azubuike). We’ve got to figure some ways to help him whenever (their) big guys get the ball. David has to be a better ballscreen defender, has to be a better lane and rim protector. I think he can. He didn’t have one of his better games today.”
THE LINEUP
Self went with a starting lineup of Garrett, Christian Braun, Agbaji, McCormack and Wilson.
Wilson, a 6-8 sophomore, beat out 6-5 freshman Thompson for the opening-game start, coach Self said.
“We figure Gonzaga will start big. That’s why we’ll go with Jalen today,” Self said on the pregame radio show. “It’d be between those two (for fifth starter). Tristan (Enaruna) and Tyon (Grant-Foster) have got to keep coming and need more consistency there.”
ZAGS HAD A POSITIVE TEST
An unidentified person in Gonzaga’s traveling party tested positive for COVID-19, it was announced before the game. After contact tracing was performed, it was determined that the positive test result would not affect the game.
Tourney officials released this statement: “The medical staffs from the four participating institutions of the Fort Myers Tip-Off collaborated diligently to establish agreed upon COVID-19 testing procedures and protocols for the event. Following testing of all team travel parties on Wednesday which included 112 PCR tests, one positive result from a non student-athlete was confirmed from the Gonzaga travel party. Event organizers activated its medical protocols and contacted the Florida Department of Health to independently conduct contact tracing measures. At the conclusion of their investigation, two close, non-student athlete Gonzaga contacts were identified. All three individuals are isolating in their hotel rooms under the supervision of their institution’s medical team. The medical staffs from all programs deemed today’s games can be played as scheduled.”
This story was originally published November 26, 2020 at 3:09 PM.
