Zags Insiders Podcast: Matchups to watch vs. WSU, Seattle U

If your eyes haven’t confirmed how Gonzaga operates offensively, here’s an additional clue.

Graham Ike and Braden Huff both average 17.8 points per game. The frontcourt duo occupies the top line or two on opponents’ scouting reports. This week, that applies to Washington State on Thursday and Seattle U on Saturday.

Former GU center Richard Fox, analyst on Zags’ telecasts on KHQ and SWX, and yours truly went in depth on the upcoming matchups on the latest Zags Insiders Podcast.

Here are some highlights, edited for space considerations. Find the entire podcast at https://www.spokesman.com/podcasts/zags-basketball-insiders/ or https://youtu.be/u8sv7BfbNNg?si=pvDkuenkNo_JHKp2.

Zags, Cougars clash in Pullman

Fox: They’ve got the freshman guard (Ace Glass). He can really score it, he’s solid from 3 at just under 36%. Not a playmaker, just under two assists. He’s looking to score, 11 field-goal attempts per game.

It’s a game Gonzaga should handle. There’s a lot of tape out now. Teams have had some degree of success (against GU) early in league. It’s going to be interesting to see how they defend Ike and Huff. If you’re playing Gonzaga, you have to pick your poison and either let Ike and Huff go one-on-one – what you risk there is they put a lot of foul pressure on you – or you say those two aren’t going to beat us. We’re going to force all the others to be the scorers.

On the flip side of that, you have to rebound out of those possessions. Gonzaga has been a very good rebounding team this year, generally hasn’t been as dominant in league, but that’s where they can really break your back.

Meehan: I love the freshman kid Ace Glass. He’s a pretty efficient scorer, especially for a freshman. You might see those guys be volume-type shooters, he is not that. That might be an Ace-on-Ace matchup: Ace Miller for the Zags guarding Ace Glass.

That stands out as the matchup. (Glass) can be a real difference-maker. It’s harder to shut down or limit a guard who can create, shoot it, has the ball in his hands, as opposed to a big usually operating within eight feet (of the basket).

There was 10,000 down there last year. They forced Nolan Hickman to be the guy. If we can’t cover everything, he’s going to be the guy we leave. He hit a bunch of 3s and at home he had a nice game, too. That’ll be something to watch, if they abandon the 3-point line (and say) you’re not getting 50 paint points.

GU, Seattle U round two

Meehan: That first game (GU 80-72 in overtime) was very interesting to say the least. It looked fairly bleak for a while in the second half.

Their double-teams on Ike, I can’t remember if they doubled Huff as much, the way they brought the double, the way they limited the kick-out damage and the 3-ball and how they recovered – they were really on point and made GU’s possessions look a little clunky. Eventually the Zags solved it and Ike got going, Huff got going.

Where it falls (on the schedule), the Zags have to be totally dialed in on WSU. They’re good enough that you could have real problems if you go in there and you’re looking ahead. The turnaround, the travel and getting implemented for Seattle U is going to require some prep and study. They are just flat out one of the better defensive teams around.

Fox: They’ve got San Diego on Thursday, kind of a get-right game if they’re as good as they looked in Spokane.

You have to think (Seattle U) is going to shoot the ball at a better clip (than they did in Spokane). They outrebounded Gonzaga by one, Michigan was the only other game where GU lost the rebounding battle. That’s going to be critical for Seattle U and can they make more shots than they made here.

Defensively, I was super impressed with their scheme. They changed it up. You saw them in zone, some trapping in the halfcourt, they changed where the double was coming from. Very disciplined in staying on their feet other than a couple instances, but the rebounding is what kept them in it. They just didn’t give up a lot of second-chance opportunities, and they got some of their own.