Gonzaga, Alabama set to square off in battle of top-15 teams

The Zags look to avenge last year's loss when they take on the Crimson Tide in Birmingham

The last time Alabama and Gonzaga played each other, Jaden Shackelford and JD Davison were unstoppable as the Crimson Tide shot the lights out inside the newly built Climate Pledge Arena to stun what was supposed to be a showcase event for Gonzaga in the return of the Battle of Seattle event. The tandem combined for 48 points and 10 3-pointers as Nate Oats’ squad pulled off the program’s first road victory over a top-5 ranked opponent in over a decade.

The roles are reversed this year, as the underdog Zags (8-3) travel to Birmingham looking to upset the Crimson Tide (9-1) in the C.M. Newton Classic, named after the legendary Alabama men’s basketball coach.

Even without Davison and Shackelford — both of whom are currently playing in the NBA G League — Gonzaga head coach Mark Few doesn’t doubt the firepower his team is up against. 

“[Alabama] looks great,” Few said after the Zags’ win over Northern Illinois on Monday. “They have incredible talent and length, but then they have some guards that can really make good decisions.”

With three starters at least 6-foot-8 or taller, keeping the Crimson Tide off the boards is no easy task.

Arguably the best rebounding team in college basketball, Alabama outrebounds its opponents by almost 12 boards per game, the widest margin in the country, while attacking the offensive glass better than anyone else.

Protecting the rim has come naturally with the size of the frontcourt. Led by 7-footer Charles Bediako, Alabama is sixth in the country in blocks per game while holding its opponents to less than 50% shooting at the rim. Bediako’s 2.0 blocks per outing is fifth-best in the SEC and a big reason why his squad is the 15th-best defense according to KenPom.

Gonzaga will be Alabama’s third game of the season against a top-10 KenPom offense. Having dispatched UConn (No. 7 offense) and North Carolina (No. 9 offense), the defense has been battle-tested much like the Zags’ offense has this season.

Former 5-star recruit Brandon Miller has been as advertised as a scorer, averaging a team-best 18.5 points per game. Heralded as one of the best recruits in program history, he’s done a little bit of everything as an exceptional rebounder and defender for the Crimson Tide while posting the highest usage percentage among starters.

Joining Miller in the frontcourt is fellow freshman Noah Clowney, who has had a similar impact offensively and defensively. Over the last three games, the former 4-star recruit averaged 16 points and almost 10 rebounds a night after scoring in double-figures just once in the previous seven games. Named SEC Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks, Clowney has solidified this freshman class as one of the best in the country.

For all the size the Crimson Tide have down low, they aren’t afraid to live and die by the 3-pointer, averaging nearly 30 attempts from deep per game while knocking down an average of 10. Miller and Sears both shoot over 40% with over five attempts per game, quite the mark for the sheer volume of shots.

Taking care of the ball has been a problem for Alabama, which averages 16.5 turnovers per game and has only had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in three games this season. Against a much-improved Gonzaga defense, points off turnovers will be a major factor in the outcome of the ballgame, as Few’s squad tends to get careless on offense at times.

With few home games thus far, playing in hostile environments has become normal for the Zags. Three of their four previous matchups against ranked teams have come on the road or in neutral site games (not counting Kentucky in the Spokane Arena or the exhibition against Tennessee). Alabama’s nonconference schedule is nothing to scoff at either, as Saturday’s game shapes up to be a battle of two teams with their eyes set on March.