Gonzaga won’t look past San Diego
SAN DIEGO – All it takes is a quick glance at San Diego’s game-by-game scores to convince Gonzaga coach Mark Few that his sixth-ranked Bulldogs better bring their best into the Jenny Craig Pavilion for today’s 3 p.m. West Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup against the Toreros.
USD (11-5 overall, 1-2 in the WCC) not only boasts the second-best all-around record in the conference, but also has an impressive 97-78 road win over Eastern Washington on its resume.
“They really took it to Eastern,” said Few, who then quickly recalled the big scare the Eagles threw into his Zags back in mid-December, when the two regional rivals met at the Arena.
GU held off the Eagles 76-65 that night. But Few knows his Bulldogs will need a much better effort to turn back the Toreros, who are 6-1 at home this year, with their sole loss coming to Texas-Arlington, 94-91 in overtime.
“Based on comparative scores and what San Diego’s been able to do so far this season, they’re probably the team we’re going to have to beat to win the league this year,” Few said. “I know a lot of the amateur prognosticators think we should walk through this thing, but that’s just not the case. (The Toreros) have better offensive numbers than we do, and they’ve got a lot of guys back from last year’s team that have played in big games.
“It’s going to a real legitimate test for our guys.”
The crucial factor for the Bulldogs, Few said, will be how well they defend San Diego’s productive front-line tandem of seniors Nick Lewis and Corey Belser.
Lewis, a versatile 6-foot-10, 235-pounder, averages 19.6 points per game and shoots a conference-best 45.8 percent from 3-point range.
Belser, a 6-6, 218-pounder, is considered one of the best defenders in the WCC and will probably draw the assignment of trying to contain GU’s Adam Morrison, the nation’s leading scorer. Belser has greatly improved his offensive game this winter and is averaging 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
In addition, the Toreros boast one of the WCC’s better playmakers in junior point guard Ross DeRogatis, who is averaging 11.4 points and five assists.
“We’ve got to try to slow down their big guns,” Few said. “Hopefully, our defense will be up to that task. They like to get up and down (the floor), like we do, so it seems like it’ll be a high-possession game.”
Normally, that’s the kind of game the Bulldogs prefer. But after junior forward Sean Mallon was sidelined with what appeared to be a mild concussion during the first half of last Saturday night’s high-possession 92-80 win over Loyola Marymount, GU appeared to tire down the stretch. Mallon is expected to play today.