Cougs Daily

KenPom Predicts BYU Basketball vs No. 8 Gonzaga

The Cougars host the Zags on Thursday night in the Marriott Center

Casey Lundquist

For the final time as a member of the West Coast Conference, the BYU men's basketball team will host Gonzaga on Thursday night in the Marriott Center. The Zags, who are undefeated in WCC play, were ranked no. 8 in the latest AP poll. Below is a recap of the analytical projections for BYU-Gonzaga.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction

KenPom, the industry leader in college basketball analytics, expects a relatively close game between BYU and Gonzaga. Kenpom gives BYU a 34% chance to pull off the upset with an expected final score of 77-72 in favor of the Zags.

In his most recent rankings, KenPom has BYU ranked no. 75 and Gonzaga is ranked just outside the top 10 at no. 13.

BYU's defense will have its hands full on Thursday night. Gonzaga is one of the best offensive teams in college basketball. The Bulldogs score over 85 points per game and average 52% shooting from the field. They are ranked no. 4 in the country in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency. Gonzaga's offense against BYU's defense will be an entertaining matchup. By the same efficiency metric, BYU's defense is one of the best in the country. The Cougars rank 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency.

The game will likely be decided on the other end of the floor where BYU has struggled to consistently score. BYU has scored 75 points per game this season, although that scoring average has dropped to 68 points per game in WCC play. The Cougars will need to score well above their average to upset the Zags on Thursday.

ESPN BPI

BPI is less optimistic about BYU's chances against Gonzaga. BPI gives the Cougars a 25% chance to beat the Zags at home.

BYU-Gonzaga Sold Out

The BYU ticket office announced on Monday that the BYU-Gonzaga basketball game has sold out. This is the first sellout of the season. Tickets are available for sale through the secondary market on Stubhub.

In an interview over the weekend, Gonzaga star Drew Timme described the BYU student section as "awesome" and the Marriott Center as "one of the best places to play." He also joked that the anticipated heckling he will receive on Thursday night won't include include any cuss words.

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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.

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