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Villanova, Gonzaga clash at MSG on Tuesday
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 11/30/2017  at  3:17:00 PM
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VILLANOVA WILDCATS vs. GONZAGA BULLDOGS

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:00 pm ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

A pair of elite college basketball programs will be meeting at Madison Square Garden, where Villanova takes on Gonzaga on Tuesday.

Both Villanova and Gonzaga are off to some impressive starts this season, but that should really just be expected at this point. Both teams have been powerhouses over the years, with Villanova winning the national championship two years ago and Gonzaga barely losing against North Carolina in last year’s championship. Both of these teams have star head coaches in Jay Wright (Villanova) and Mark Few (Gonzaga), so you can always count on them to execute their game plans at a high level. Villanova already has some solid signature wins this year, as the Wildcats won the Battle 4 Atlantis a few weeks ago. They had to beat Western Kentucky, Tennessee and Northern Iowa on the way to winning, which really isn’t an easy thing to do. Gonzaga, meanwhile, has wins over Ohio State and Texas thus far. The Bulldogs also lost an overtime game against Florida, which seems like one of the best teams in the nation already. Whoever wins this matchup on Tuesday will be boosting their tournament resume, so don’t expect this game to be taken lightly. The fact that they’ll be clashing at the Garden makes it all the more exciting, as these players will want to put on a show.

Villanova has been hot to start the year and this is yet another year that this team is expecting to be in the hunt for a national title. The Wildcats are loaded all over the floor, but the guys that really make this team go are in the backcourt. Villanova is absolutely stacked at guard, as Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges and Phil Booth are all incredible players. Brunson and Bridges are the two best that the Wildcats have to offer, as they just might be the two best guards in what is an incredible Big East this year. Brunson manages the game in a remarkable way, as he gets this Villanova team into its sets and rarely turns the ball over. He does, however, possess the ability to score in a number of different ways. He also hits clutch shots when the team needs him. It wouldn’t be surprising if he were to go off against Gonzaga here. Bridges, meanwhile, is the best NBA prospect on this team. It’d be surprising if he didn’t go in the top-20 in next year’s NBA Draft, as he’s a big guard that can use both his athleticism and shooting ability to take over games. He’ll be the most talented player on the floor on Tuesday and that will be clear early on. DiVincenzo and Booth, however, should have their chances to contribute here. On the inside, both Fs Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman will have their work cut out for them against a very good Gonzaga frontcourt. If they don’t bring some toughness then the Wildcats are in danger of losing this one.

Gonzaga has had some impressive showings this year, and this team will be eager to show what it can do against Villanova on Tuesday. The Bulldogs lost a tough game to Florida earlier in the year, so they’ll want to show that they can get over the hump and beat an elite team. If that is going to happen on Tuesday then Gs Josh Perkins and Silas Melson will need to play well here. Both guys can really hit some big shots from the outside, but Perkins is the team’s best perimeter scorer. In a game against a backcourt like this one, he’ll need to show up in a big way. Gonzaga should, however, have an edge inside. That is where F Johnathan Williams, F Rui Hachimura and C Killian Tillie will need to make a difference for the Zags. All three guys have played well early on, but Williams and Hachimura are the ones that are worth bringing some attention to. Hachimura was great against Texas on Nov. 26, finishing the game with 20 points and nine boards in 28 minutes of action. Williams, meanwhile, is the best player on this Gonzaga team. He is on every NBA team’s radar heading into this year’s draft, and it is for good reason. He is very long and extremely athletic, but he also has some skill. He has good touch around the basket and can even step out and hit some threes. If he can dominate this game the way he is capable of then the Bulldogs just might pull off an upset.


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