After a very difficult stretch of games, which has included Wisconsin, Cincinnati, WSU, and Wake Forest, the Zags will finally have the type of game that will allow some guys off the bench to play significant minutes. I don't mean to disrespect Augustana, who happen to be off to a 5-0 start and are ranked #21 in the DIII polls, but the main benefit of this game is to get guys like Bol, Manny, and GJ more action and to rest Matt and Steven. However, this will be a great opportunity for Augustana to play on television and build some confidence as they pursue a terrific season at the DIII level. With that said, neither this game against Augustana or the match up against Davidson have any business being close after the first 10 minutes of the game.
Leading the way for Augustana is Matt Pelton. Pelton happens to be the leading shooter from behind the arc for the Vikings, and is the leading scorer at 14.8 points per game. Both Kyle Nelson and Bryant Voiles average in double-figures for Augustana, with Nelson also being the leading rebounder for the team. At 6'9 Nelson, is also the tallest guy who sees significant playing time for the Vikings. There is actually some decent size on this team, but aside from Nelson and Voiles, it appears that most of the guys with size don't see much action.I don't really think there is anything essential for Gonzaga to do in order to win this game. There is a monumental talent and athleticism gap between these teams, and I fully expect every guy on the team to exploit this when given the opportunity. Meech should be able to run up and down the court and blow by his opposing defender. In the paint, Elias and Rob should completely dominate, and frankly should not allow one offensive rebound throughout the entire game. It's not that I mean to totally dismiss Augustana as a complete and utter walk in the park, but there is truly no excuse for Gonzaga to not dominate every second of this game. I hope that we get to see Bol and Manny used as much as they were against Wake Forest, because both of those guys bring scoring and energy to the table. In fact, I would prefer to see Bol as the first option at the PF position instead of Kelly. Behind a complete team performance, Gonzaga should coast to the 89-55 win.