College Basketball Game of the Week: No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 Texas

Story posted November 15, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Christian Holtzapple

One of the biggest early-season college basketball games tips off Wednesday night at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

The No. 11 Texas Longhorns host the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs in a high-profile matchup between programs expected to make long runs in the March Madness tournament.

This is a big test for both historical programs early on in their season.

The Zags and Longhorn both have started the season with a record of 2-0, but one of these teams will come away with their first loss of the season at the end of the night.

The Bulldogs are coming off one of basketball’s most unique experiences in college basketball, playing on an aircraft carrier’s deck in the 2022 Armed Forces Classic.

They topped Michigan State 64-63 on Nov. 11, playing on the USS Abraham Lincoln at the North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego.

This was a very tough-fought win for the Zags over a very good Michigan team, who plans to make a run in the March Madness tournament as well.

The Zags still prevailed over the Michigan State Spartans even though they trailed by a large 12-point margin going into the half.

Gonzaga's senior forward Drew Timme led all scorers with 22 points and 13 rebounds as he put the Bulldogs on his back going down the stretch. Drew Timme was named the Player of the Game with his huge second half performance.

The Longhorns beat Houston Christian 82-31 on Nov. 10 at Moody Center in their last game in dominant fashion.

Longhorns Senior Gaurd Marcus Carr led the way and scored 11 points and had four steals in their victory.

The key to the Longhorn's win was that they were very good in transition and moved the ball very quickly up the court throughout the whole game.

The Longhorns would like to continue their gritty and fast style of play against the Zags to keep the pressure on them

This game will mean a lot to Drew Timme, who returns to his home state of Texas. The Richardson native is a surprise returnee after a dominant season last year.

He will have a lot of his family and friends in the crowd and looks to put on a show in front of them.

The Longhorns need to protect the paint and that means keeping an eye on Drew Timme at all times.

If Drew Timme beats Texas with jump shots and long hook shots, that is something the Longhorns can live with.

The Longhorns post players must build a wall around the paint and not allow Timme to get to the basket with ease and make it as difficult as possible.

Senior forward Brock Cunningham needs to be a big factor in this game for the Longhorns. He is a very hard-working player constantly on the court and If Texas can win the hustle plays, they have a better chance to win.

The Longhorns need to get their talented freshman Dillon Mitchell more involved with easy baskets around the rim and hard-working baskets because they are not a very good three-point shooting team.

Christian Holtzapple is a third-year majoring in Journalism. To contact him, email @cmh7064@psu.edu.