Q&A: Gonzaga will have hands full again in Saturday’s rematch with No. 4 Alabama
Alabama turned out to be one of Gonzaga’s toughest matchups last season.
The 16th-ranked Crimson Tide hit 13 3-pointers, built an 18-point lead early in the second half and held off No. 3 Gonzaga 91-82 at Climate Pledge Arena last December in the Battle in Seattle.
Many of the names have changed, but Alabama (9-1) still presents numerous challenges for the Zags (8-3) in the return game Saturday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
The rankings are nearly reversed from a year ago. Gonzaga has dropped from AP preseason No. 2 to No. 15. Alabama, which was 20th in the preseason poll, has soared to No. 4 on the strength of a pair of wins over top-ranked foes – Houston last Saturday and North Carolina at the PK85 in Portland.
Alabama guards Jaden Shackelford, JD Davison and Jahvon Quinerly combined for 11 3-pointers and 65 points a year ago. Quinerly is the only returner of the three and he’s been coming off the bench after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson Tide reloaded with the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class, according to 247sports. Brandon Miller, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, hits 43.7% on 3-pointers and averages 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Ohio transfer guard Mark Sears averages 14.5 points on 43.9% shooting behind the arc.
We reached out to Michael Casagrande, Alabama beat reporter for Al.com, for his insights on Miller, the Crimson Tide’s blending of freshmen and experienced players and a few things to watch for in Saturday’s showdown.
Q: Alabama has climbed to No. 4 with four freshmen, paced by leading scorer Brandon Miller, starting or in the rotation. The results have been impressive. Have there been any growing pains? Has it come together as smoothly as it appears on the court?
MC: There have been hiccups along the way, but the ride has been smoother than expected. The UConn game was a reality check, but they have been sharp since then. All of the freshmen have had their ups and downs but Brandon Miller’s second half (21 points) against Memphis shows the potential of a possible lottery pick.
Q: What is the impact of losing guard Nimari Burnett (wrist surgery) for 6-8 weeks and which player will take on a bigger role?
MC: He was the fifth-leading scorer, but his biggest contribution came on the defensive end. He was tasked with guarding Houston All-American Marcus Sasser in the 71-65 win over the then-No. 1 Cougars. Alabama tried a few different players against Memphis and it was an adventure. Kendric Davis scored 30 points in Alabama’s 91-88 win Tuesday with players like Darius Miles, Rylan Griffen and Jaden Bradley taking a swing.
Q: Miller seems to play with a lot of poise and he’s a matchup nightmare with his size and shooting stroke. How would you describe his game at both ends of the floor?
MC: He has good length and a quick release. There were a few 3-pointers against Memphis that went up with little breathing room in positions most wouldn’t consider letting it rip. Miller also has impressive vision with five assists against Memphis. He can also get into the lane, but that might not be his first option.
Q: What are a couple of key factors for Alabama against Gonzaga?
MC: Alabama has struggled with turnovers, and veteran point guard Jahvon Quinerly has struggled the last few games. That meant a bigger role for the freshmen Bradley and Mark Sears. Alabama’s length has been a factor on both ends as it leads the nation in rebounding and is sixth in blocks. Gonzaga clearly has size in the paint, so that will be an interesting battle to watch.