Previewing North Alabama

The Bulldogs play their final non league opponent Tuesday

Following a week off for the holidays, the Bulldogs have a late stocking-stuffer for fans when they host North Alabama on Tuesday in the final non-conference game of the regular season.

GU is coming off a 94-59 victory over Northern Arizona on Dec. 20, in which Chet Holmgren led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. The Zags shot 55% from the floor and 45% from deep while forcing 20 turnovers from the Lumberjacks, who were led by Jalen Cone’s 19 points.

Along with being the last tune-up game before WCC play, the Zags are expected to be fully rested ahead of Tuesday’s game. The November slate that featured three games in five days, including top-5 matchups against UCLA and Duke, was a test for this young roster. It’s safe to assume that fatigue could have played a role in the nine-point win over Tarleton State at home and a loss to Alabama in Seattle.

The month of December has featured a lighter load, however, as this is just the fourth game in 20 days for the team.

And after battling some of the nation’s best programs thus far, a game against North Alabama is an opportunity to clean up any weak points that have been exposed this season.

Knocking down 34% of its 3-point attempts this season, GU has seemed to have found its grove from deep over the last few games. The Zags have knocked down more than 10 3-pointers in their last two games at an efficient 43.7% mark, a major turnaround after shooting below 30% in four of its previous six games. For an offense that already ranks eighth in points per game (85.0) and sixth in scoring margin (+22.0), consistency from outside would add another dynamic layer to an already explosive team.

With skilled post players like Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, who continue to make the right reads when faced with double-teams, there is opportunities for wings like Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther to knock down open looks more frequently.

Tuesday’s matchup against the Lions will indicate if GU has the hot hand or if the previous two games have been flukes. North Alabama allows less than five 3-pointers on average to its opponents this season. In their last game, the Lions held UCF to a 3-for-21 shooting performance from deep in a 75-64 loss.

There will also be opportunities for younger and inexperienced players to earn valuable time on the court as well. Whether its highly touted freshman like Chet Holmgren or players at the end of the rotation, Mark Few always finds meaning in nonconference games late in December.