First Scouting Report: After each took a loss, Gonzaga and UK seeking big-game growth
READ MORE
Game day: No. 4 Kentucky 106, South Carolina State 63
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Thursday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and South Carolina State in Rupp Arena.
Expand All
A look ahead to the Kentucky Wildcats’ next men’s basketball game:
The opponent
No. 4 Kentucky (3-1) will face No. 2 Gonzaga (2-1) on Sunday (Nov. 20) at the Spokane Arena (basketball seating capacity 12,210) in Spokane, Wash.
The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. (EST) and be telecast by ESPN.
Gonzaga dropped its first game of the season Wednesday night, a 93-74 drubbing at No. 11 Texas.
Series history
Kentucky leads the all-time series with Gonzaga 1-0.
Most recent meeting
Keith Bogans had 18 points to lead four UK players in double figures as Tubby Smith and No. 15 Kentucky defeated Mark Few and No. 20 Gonzaga 80-72 in the Maui Invitational consolation game at Lahaina, Hawaii.
Know your foe
1. In Michigan State, Kentucky and Gonzaga share a common opponent. The Zags rallied from 12 behind to beat the Spartans 64-63 in the Armed Forces Classic played on the the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln at North Island Naval Air Station last Friday.
The Zags’ star post player, Drew Timme, dominated MSU with 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
Conversely, UK fell to the Spartans 86-77 in double overtime Tuesday night in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis.
Kentucky’s star big man, Oscar Tshiebwe, also had a big game vs. the Spartans. Tshiewbe went for 22 points, 18 rebounds, two assists and four blocked shots.
2. The big-man battle between the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Timme and the 6-9, 260-pound Tshiebwe may be the most anticipated individual matchup in men’s college hoops in 2022-23.
Last season, Timme averaged 18.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while making 58.6 percent of his field-goal attempts. Through three games this year, Timme is averaging 22 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg and 1.5 blocked shots. He is making 57.6 percent of his field goal tries.
If the game is close, one thing to keep an eye on is that Timme is only six of 13 from the foul line so far in 2022-23.
While earning consensus National Player of the Year honors last season, Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points, 15.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocked shots. The transfer from West Virginia hit 60.6 percent of his field goal tries.
3. Former Kentucky signee Nolan Hickman has started each of Gonzaga’s first three games at guard. The 6-2, 180-pound sophomore is averaging eight points and 2.3 rebounds a game. Hickman has shot fairly well, 10-of-21 field goals, 4-of-9 three-pointers, but has as many turnovers (eight) as assists.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 9:07 PM.
.JPG)
