Men’s college basketball opening night winners and losers: Gonzaga makes early statement

Khalif Battle couldn’t believe how open he was.

He’d just hit step-back and catch-and-shoot 3-pointers on Gonzaga’s previous two possessions, yet here he was alone in the corner with no defender within 15 feet of him after Baylor lost him in transition.

The 3-pointer that Battle celebrated with a smile and a shoulder shimmy epitomized a Gonzaga victory that turned out to be a lot easier than expected. The Zags stormed to their largest-ever victory over a top-10 opponent, a 101-63 season-opening shellacking of eighth-ranked Baylor on Monday night at Spokane Arena.

Gonzaga’s lead was already double digits midway through the first half and 19 by halftime. The gap continued to grow during the second half as the sixth-ranked Zags defended with maximum effort, shared the ball willingly and generated open look after open look.

The top-10 clash between Gonzaga and Baylor was a rematch of the 2021 national title game won convincingly by the Bears. This win does little to avenge that bitter loss for the Zags, but it does raise the question whether 2024-25 could finally be Gonzaga’s year.

With six rotation players returning and high-scoring transfers Battle and Michael Ajayi and Khalif Battle now aboard, Gonzaga should pile up points even more effortlessly than it did a year ago. Guard Nolan Hickman (17 points) and forward Graham Ike (15 points) were two of five Gonzaga players in double figures on Monday night. The Zags shot 57.1% from the field and over 40% from behind the arc.

For Gonzaga, the biggest question is whether its defense will improve. Gonzaga’s defensive efficiency slipped outside the top 50 nationally the past two seasons, but way the Zags stayed in front of the ball against Baylor was a big step forward.

Gonzaga’s dominant victory makes the Zags the big winner from the opening night of men’s college basketball. Here’s a look at some of the other winners and losers from a night when 19 of 25 AP Top 25 teams were in action:

Loser: SEC

For a conference hailed…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mens-college-basketball-opening-night-winners-and-losers-gonzaga-makes-early-statement-072419744.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-05 07:24:00

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