MBB Heads to Music City for Matchup with Tennessee
12/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2016
TELEVISION: ESPN2
RADIO: Gonzaga IMG Radio Network (Tunein app, Sirius - Channel 84)
LIVE VIDEO: WatchESPN
LIVE STATS:
#8/8 Gonzaga (10-0) vs. Tennessee (6-4)
SUNDAY, DEC. 18, 2016 | 1 PM PT | NASHVILLE, TN | BRIDGESTONE ARENA
TELEVISION: ESPN2
RADIO: Gonzaga IMG Radio Network (Tunein app, Sirius - Channel 84)
LIVE VIDEO: WatchESPN
LIVE STATS:
ABOUT THE SERIES
- This is the fifth all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Tennessee.
- This the fourth meeting between the programs on a neutral court.
- The teams have met twice in the Battle in Seattle, including GU's 86-79 win last season.
- Domantas Sabonis led the Zags with 36 points and 16 rebounds. Kyle Wiltjer added 24 points for Gonzaga.
- There are five current Vols that played against GU last season in Seattle, including Detrick Mostella, who scored 13 points versus the Zags, and is averaging 7.4 points currently.
- There are four current Bulldogs that played Tennessee last season, and they combined for 10 points in that meeting.
- Gonzaga has won the last three meetings between the programs, including an 89-79 win at Tennessee in 2009.
- The Volunteers won the first matchup between the teams, 82-72, in the 2007 Battle in Seattle.
- The Bulldogs are 11-7 all-time versus current members from the Southeastern Conference. GU defeated Florida this season in the AdvoCare Invitational semifinals, 77-72.
ABOUT TENNESSEE
- The Volunteers roll into Nashville off of a 92-77 win over Lipscomb Thursday. Grant Williams led UT with 30 points.
- Robert Hubbs III added 22 points and 10 rebounds. Detrick Mostella also had 11 points.
- The Vols have seven players averaging between 7.8 and 16.5 points per game.
- Hubbs III leads the team with an average of 16.5 points per outing at 56 percent shooting from the field. He is pulling down a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game.
- Grant Williams and Lamonte Turner are averaging 10.7 and 10.9 points per game.
- The Vols are in the midst of an eight-day stretch in which they play four games, including two against AP top-10 teams away from home. Tennessee was edged at No. 7 North Carolina Sunday, 73-71.
- The Vols lead the SEC and rank in the Top-20 nationally with a team free-throw percentage of .769.
THE HOT START
- This is the first time that the Zags have started the season 10-0 since joining the NCAA in 1958.
- The previous best start was in 2012-13, when the Bulldogs started the season 9-0 before falling to Illinois.
THREE-FENSE
- Gonzaga is limiting opponents to 26.3 percent shooting from behind-the-arc, which ranks fifth in the country.
- Over the past four games, Zag opponents are 14-of-71 (19.7 percent) from three-point range.
- Using kenpom.com data, only Toledo and GU have an average ranking better than 20th in the country in defensive three-point percentage and in ratio of threes allowed to overall field-goal attempts.
- Washington's 5-of-20 (25 percent) three-point shooting was the best outing for a GU opponent over the last four games.
- Bryant (7-of-15, 46.7 percent) has had the best three-point outing by percentage against the Bulldogs this season, while Utah Valley's nine made three-pointers are the most by a Gonzaga opponent this season.
- Arizona was 1-of-8 from three-point range against GU, and Florida was 2-of-19.
- Tennessee is shooting 34.3 percent from behind-the-perimeter, making 6.2 threes per game.
ZAGS WITH DEFENSIVE SWAG
- Gonzaga ranks 12th in the country holding opponents to 36.7 percent shooting from the field so far this season.
- The Bulldogs held Akron to 26.7 percent (16-of-60) from the field. The Zips entered the game at 49 percent from the field.
- It was Akron's lowest field goal percentage in the game since shooting 25 percent (14-of-56) versus Dayton on Dec. 6, 2008.
MORE HIGH NATIONAL RANKINGS
- The Zags are 13th in the nation beating opponents by an average of 19.6 points.
- Gonzaga ranks second in the conference and 36th in the country in scoring offense (82.7) and scoring defense (63.1).
- The Bulldogs are 31st in the nation in total rebounds per game (40.9) and 23rd in defense rebounds per game (29.2).
OUT OF THE GATES
- Gonzaga has got off to great starts in recent games, jumping out to leads early in some recent victories.
- The Zags have outscored their opponent, 206-127, an average of 41.2-25.4, in the first half over the last five games.
- GU has shot 51.3 percent in the first half over the past five games, while opponents shot 31.9 percent.
- In the same span, from three-point range, the Bulldogs are 49.2 percent (29-of-59), and opponents are 15.9 percent (7-of-44).
- Gonzaga has 49 assists on its 78 made field goals in the first half over the past five games, opponents have 13 assists.
HOME SWEET HOME
- The Zags have dominated the six opponents they have faced inside the McCarthey Athletic Center so far this season.
- Gonzaga is averaging a 88-61 victory over its opponent through the first six home games.
- The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, 250-158 (41.7-26.3), in the first half over the same six-game span.
- GU is shooting 48.9 percent from the field and holding its opposition to 34.5 percent in the six home games.
- In their six home games so far this season, the Zags have trailed for a total of five minutes and 14 seconds.
DOWN TO SIX ...
- Gonzaga is one of just six teams that remain unbeaten this season in NCAA Div. I.
- The Zags are one of three teams on the West Coast that are still undefeated (USC 9-0 and UCLA 11-0).
- GU's 10-game win streak is tied for third in the country, behind Villanova's 17 straight victories and UCLA's 11.
- Four of the remaining unbeatens play Saturday, including UCLA versus Ohio State in Las Vegas at noon Pacific.
Players Mentioned
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