Special Contributor // Ian Harmand
THE MATCHUP:
This is one of the toughest first-round games to gauge. The Bulldogs have turned it on lately, but the rejuvenation of the Red Storm may be the story of the college basketball season at this point. Keep an eye on how Gonzaga’s offense fares against the pressure defense of St. John’s.
ST. John’s
The Johnnies are dancing for the first time in nearly a decade, thanks to a strong senior class and first-year head coach Steve Lavin. The wins against tournament teams are impressive, knocking off the likes of Notre Dame, Connecticut, Pitt and Duke over the span of one month. While Dwight Hardy and Justin Brownlee lead the way on offense, the loss of D.J. Kennedy (the team’s leading rebounder) to a knee injury could quiet the Red Storm.
Gonzaga
After starting off at #11 in the AP top 25 and falling out of the poll just two weeks later, head coach Mark Few and the ‘Zags are back in a familiar spot. The West Coast champs are riding a nine-game winning streak into their thirteenth-straight tournament appearance. Gonzaga turns to a balanced scoring attack from Steven Gray, Robert Sacre and Elias Harris to fuel the offense, which lays claim to one of the best shooting marks in the country at around forty-eight percent from the field.
In [FIVE] words or less
Thursday’s forecast: Red Storm warning
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