Texas Southern Game Preview: Time to Bounce Back

#9 Gonzaga (8-1 overall, 5-0 home) is now trying to get back in the win column after a tough loss to the now #4 Michigan Wolverines in the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship, 82-64, and the Zags look to do it against a familiar foe. Texas Southern (2-5 overall, 1-5 away) out of the SWAC has played at the McCarthey Athletic Center three times since 2014. Gonzaga won all three matchups by an average of 35 points. You should be expecting the same outcome for Wednesday’s game.

Texas Southern Tigers

Wins - @ Northern Kentucky, Lamar

Losses - @ San Diego State, @ Wichita State, @ South Dakota, @ Arkansas, @ Montana

KenPom Ranking - #272

Key Numbers:

• 65.9 points per game
• 38.6 rebounds per game
• 10.3 assists per game
• 2.9 blocks per game
• 5.6 steals per game
• 79.9 points allowed per game
• 38.1 field goal percentage

Player to Watch For:

Tyrik Armstrong, Senior - 14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.1 SPG, 2.6 TO

Armstrong leads the team in scoring and assists. He has scored in double digits in all seven games for the Tigers and has become major threat on the floor. Look for him to get his teammates involved early and then start to attack the Bulldogs offensively.

Game Time:

Texas Southern @ #9 Gonzaga - 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, December 4th

Score Prediction: 103-61, Bulldogs over Tigers

Texas Southern is, once again, playing an extremely heavy preseason schedule in preparation for conference play. The Tigers play only two games at home during the entire preseason and still have to get ready to play @ Nevada, @ #13 Oregon, @ Arizona State, and @ Texas A&M. The energy level for Texas Southern is a bit low right now.

Spokane will be too loud for the Tigers in what is the final home game for the Gonzaga student body before the Christmas break. The Zags need to attack early and get in a comfortable lead so the starters (specifically Woolridge, Gilder, Tillie) can get some extra rest before their tough three-game stretch (@ #22 Washington, @ #12 Arizona, vs #7 North Carolina).

No one knows exactly what the timetable for Anton Watson is but on “The Mark Few Show” a couple nights ago, Coach Few said his ankle injury is a fairly serious one. Gonzaga is going to need as full of a roster as they can put out there if they want a chance of beating Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Stewart, Naz Carter, and the rest of the Washington Huskies in the the Evergreen State battle on Sunday.

*Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area... Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho