Preview: Zags travel to the Bay to face hungry Dons

San Francisco is on the cusp of its first NCAA Tournament in over two decades as they play host to Gonzaga on Thursday.

There’s no question that emotions will be riding high at The Hilltop on Thursday night. Mixed in with the heartfelt tributes and fanfare that come with senior night will be an on-edge crowd of 3,000 fans looking ahead at a bigger picture. Because against the nation’s No. 1 team, in the final home game of the season, the Dons have an opportunity to accomplish a feat they haven’t been able to this millennium: punch a ticket the NCAA Tournament.

A quick glance at the resume alone makes a compelling case to dance in March; three Quad 1 victories (tied with UCLA and Saint Mary’s) and five Quad 2 wins (more than Texas and Duke) while coming in at No. 27 in the NET is certainly noteworthy. Heading into the final week of conference play, the Dons earned its highest KenPom ranking (24^th) in program history and are one of 35 teams in the country with 22 or more wins.

On the court, there’s a lot for the selection committee to like as well. Todd Golden’s shoot-at-will offense has potential to catch the best teams off guard, while a stout defense that can throw an offense out of rhythm is essential to surviving in the postseason. The style and tempo of play shifts drastically from the regular season, which can bode well for lesser talented squads if they’re already accustomed to the slower pace. For a team that managed to hold the best scoring offense in the country to below their season average for points and efficiency, the Dons’ identity seems like a good fit for March.

But there’s a reason why they’re considered on the bubble. A bi-product of playing in the WCC, the program’s lone win over a top-50 KenPom team came against UAB in November, a team outside of the current field of 68. Two ugly losses against Grand Canyon and Portland don’t look great on paper either, especially for a team that didn’t boast a difficult nonconference schedule (110^th according to KenPom).

It isn’t necessarily make-or-break for the Dons on Thursday, but ending their 24-year tournament drought against Gonzaga is surely the sweetest of opportunities.

As for the Zags, they locked up the WCC regular season title last Saturday, but there won’t be any coasting down the stretch. Like their opponent, the game serves as a potential resume booster that would stand as a Quad 1 win, the eighth of the season and third-most in the country behind Kansas and Baylor. There’s no question the conference is as talented as it’s ever been, which means for the first time ever, half of Gonzaga’s regular season schedule will benefit the team when the bracket is finalized on Selection Sunday.

More importantly, stiff competition this late in the year is more preparation for what’s to come in March.

If there’s any Kryptonite to the Bulldogs’ up-tempo offense, it’s slowing the game down. Over the last few weeks, teams abandoned the idea of trying to keep pace on the scoreboard and instead have emphasized getting back on defense and draining as much time off the clock as possible. While still efficient in the half-court, it’s a pace that has proven to hinder the offense’s ability to establish a rhythm.

The Dons were the first WCC team to give the Zags fits against this strategy, even if it came in a losing effort. Through patient offense and disciplined defense, San Francisco jumped out to an early advantage on the road before Gonzaga could shake off the initial punch to the mouth. Even then, the first half was dominated by long, drawn-out possessions that saw each team’s big men go at it, matchups that Yauhen Massalski and Patrick Tape welcomed against Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren.

Well, it was an interesting battle for the first half at least. The stud frontcourt combined for over half of Gonzaga’s second half points to put the gassed Dons away late.

Slowing down the game hasn’t been executed to perfection by WCC foes, however, a more talented team could give the Zags a run for their money down the stretch of a close ballgame. Nonetheless, this week will be telling of how Mark Few and his bunch adjust to different styles of play ahead of the tournament.

Throw in a fired up and hostile crowd, and Thursday should be a legitimate test for the Zags.

The pick: Zags 82, Dons 72