Gonzaga closes daunting nonconference stretch against rising Alabama team

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mark Few has characterized Gonzaga’s nonconference schedule as the most challenging in program history.

In many ways, it’s been more demanding than the Bulldogs coach could’ve imagined when he was at the drawing board this offseason.

The Bulldogs have already faced two opponents that exceeded expectations and have a third waiting in the on-deck circle Saturday. Fourth-ranked Alabama, much like top-ranked Purdue and seventh-ranked Texas, has overachieved relative to its preseason ranking and the Crimson Tide pose another colossal test for a Gonzaga team that’s looking to grab its first top-10 win of the season and position itself for a high seed at the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga (7-3) and Alabama (9-1) tip off at 10 a.m. in the C.M. Newton Classic, played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham – less than 60 miles from Alabama’s campus in Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said the arena sold out for the first time since the 1992 NCAA Tournament and doesn’t expect to spot many Bulldogs logos in the crowd one year after Gonzaga fans rounded up the majority of tickets for a 91-82 loss to Alabama at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

“Hopefully, it’s sold out with about 99.9% Alabama fans, because when we were up there in Seattle, that place was about 99.9% Gonzaga fans when we were in there,” Oats said. “So I’m hoping they get the same road environment we had up in Seattle.”

Voters may have missed the mark on Oats’ team in the preseason Associated Press poll, ranking Alabama No. 20. They’re one of three teams on Gonzaga’s schedule that began the season outside the top 10 before eventually climbing into the top five.

Purdue, which dismantled the Bulldogs 84-66 at the Phil Knight Legacy, has made the most impressive surge of any team in the country, beginning the year unranked before shooting up to No. 1 in this week’s poll. Texas opened at No. 14, rose to No. 2 while receiving No. 1 votes and settled in at No. 7 on Monday after losing to Illinois.

Alabama’s trajectory hasn’t been all that different. The Crimson Tide have more wins against AP No. 1 teams than they do losses on the season, upsetting North Carolina 103-101 in quadruple overtime at the Phil Knight Invitational before holding off Houston 71-65 at the Cougars’ Fertitta Center last Saturday.

“It’s going to take a helluva effort. They’re a really good team,” Gonzaga All-American forward Drew Timme said. “We saw what they did against North Carolina and then I’m pretty sure all of us saw what they went into Houston and did. They’re a great team and those guys (last season) are gone, but they kind of just reloaded. They have the new guys and they have a lot of returners.

“It’s going to be a dog fight. It’s going to take a lot. It might take a little luck. Who know?. But if we play like we’re capable of playing and we take that mature approach I alluded to earlier, I think we’ll do more than hold our own.”

Gonzaga and Alabama bring back central figures from last year’s game, but the Bulldogs reconstructed their lineup without NBA draft picks Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard.

The Tide have made their own adjustments without second-round pick JD Davison and Jaden Shackelford, who had 28 points and six 3-pointers against the Zags.

The Tide are expecting more Timme. The senior forward made 10 of 19 shots for 23 points and 10 rebounds against Alabama in 2021, but the Bulldogs have been more dependent on his production this season. Timme’s delivered in the past three games, averaging 25.6 points against Kent State, Washington and Northern Illinois.

“They’re a little different. They don’t have as many options,” Oats said. “They had Chet last year, so they don’t have as many options in their frontcourt.

“A lot more’s going through Timme. A lot went through him last year, but it seems like even more’s going through him this year.”

While discussing Alabama’s growth as a program, Oats used Timme as an example of a player the Crimson Tide weren’t able to sign before he was hired 3½ years ago. Former Alabama coach Avery Johnson made a recruiting trip to Timme’s home in Texas and the Gonzaga senior took an official visit to Tuscaloosa before signing with the Bulldogs.

“I wasn’t involved in that recruitment, but he chose not to come here and went there,” Oats said. “Hopefully, we can get him twice. Maybe he made the wrong decision.”

Oats immediately backtracked, laughing while acknowledging, “I think he made a pretty good decision, he’s done pretty well at Gonzaga. Don’t take that the wrong way.”

Gonzaga couldn’t limit Alabama’s 3-point shooting and that should be a major component in slowing down the Tide’s offense again. Alabama averages 10.4 3-pointers per game, ranking No. 13 in the country , and Brandon Miller, the nation’s top freshman scorer, is attempting 7.1 3-pointers per game, making them at a 43% clip.

Both teams have been turnover prone. Gonzaga’s averaged 15.1 turnovers in seven games against high-major opposition while Alabama’s averaged 17.4 in those games.

The Tide are shorthanded in the backcourt and will be without starting shooting guard Nimari Burnett for the second consecutive game. Burnett’s place has been filled by Jaden Bradley, a five-star freshman who had Gonzaga as one of five college finalists before choosing Alabama. Bradley scored 10 points with five assists and three turnovers in his first start against Memphis.

“They have incredible talent, length, but then they have some guards that can really make good decisions and kind of manipulate all the right reads with the ball-screen action,” Few said. “They’re good. They’re definitely a top-one, -two or -three team.”