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The opening 62 seconds of Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day showdown between No.1 Gonzaga and No.6 Kansas featured 10 runs, two turnovers, a dunk and a technical foul, to name just a few of the early highlights. frantic. The torrent’s pace continued for much of the game as the top-ranked Bulldogs outlasted the Jayhawks 102-90 in the varsity basketball opening weekend scoring game.
Concerns arose ahead of the game after a member of the Gonzaga travel group tested positive for COVID-19. But no player tested positive and the game was able to be played. With a potential game between No.2 Baylor and No.3 Villanova already wiped off the weekend slate by virus-related issues, the fact that Gonzaga-Kansas had started and reached the finish line was a welcome relief.
And the game did not disappoint, as two of the sport’s main programs traded blows and showed why they are among the favorites again to win the national title. Here are the takeaways from the thrilling battle between the teams that finished last season in the No. 1 (Kansas) and No. 2 (Gonzaga) standings.
What about defense?
Kansas finished last season with the second-most effective defense in the country, according to KenPom, with the Jayhawks allowing just 60.7 points per game in a 28-3 season. But Gonzaga scored 54 points in the first half as the Bulldogs hit 68 percent of their shots in the opening frame and racked up 30 points in the paint.
Although Marcus Garrett, reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, is back as a defense anchor, the Jayhawks have desperately missed the massive indoor presence of graduating center Udoka Azubuike. Gonzaga center Drew Timme led all scorers with 25 points, making 11 of 15 shots against a string of outclassed defenders.
Kansas’ most points awarded in a game last season was 84, and that was in an overtime win over a Dayton team that finished No.3 nationally. Opponents reached 70 points just four times against Kansas last season. In fact, Gonzaga’s 102 points were the most marked against Kansas in a non-overtime game during Bill Self’s 18 seasons as Jayhawks coach.
Freshman flashes
Gonzaga goalkeeper Jalen Suggs was ranked No.11 in the 2020 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. The highest rated prospect in Gonzaga history looks the best against Kansas. Suggs soaked an alley-pop pass from Anton Watson on reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Garrett, just 40 seconds into the game. He received a technical foul for his reaction to the highlights game, but that was about the only mistake the 6-foot-5 combo guard made in his debut.
Suggs finished with 24 points and eight assists in just 24 minutes.
Kansas freshman star Bryce Thompson also had a great first outing. The # 21 ranked player in the 2020 class had a pair of jumpers that initially appeared to be 3 pointers led by 2 pointers. Otherwise, his 12-point exit would have been a bit more productive. Still, Thompson seemed quite capable of helping the Jayhawks’ offense this season as the program replaces last year’s team top scorers Azubuike and Devon Dotson.
Allowed to contribute
The Bulldogs learned this week that Florida transfer goalie Andrew Nembhard would be eligible immediately. The former five-star prospect of the 2018 class came off the bench but finished with 11 points and three assists in 32 minutes. Ultimately, Kansas beat Gonzaga 24-13 on bench points, raising concerns about the Bulldogs’ depth. Nembhard and southern Illinois transfer Aaron Cook were the only Gonzaga players to see more than five minutes of action off the bench.
But overall, it was an almost perfect start for a team entering the season with the No.1 ranking for the first time in program history.
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