Key matchup: Gonzaga hopes to avoid more Tyeree Bryan-induced headaches in second matchup with Santa Clara
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Down the stretch of the West Coast Conference season, we try to take a few data points into consideration when evaluating key matchup options.
A player’s recent production, along with production in previous matchups with Gonzaga, often carry significant weight.
Santa Clara’s Tyeree Bryan checks the first box and certainly the second one heading into Tuesday’s WCC matchup against Gonzaga at the Leavey Center (8 p.m., CBSSN).
Bryan’s name won’t evoke pleasant memories for Gonzaga fans more than one month after he scorched the Zags for a career-high 35 points in Santa Clara’s 103-99 victory at McCarthey Athletic Center.
There haven’t been many notable stat lines for Bryan since, but the senior guard could be getting back on track ahead of a second meeting with Gonzaga – one that could determine where both teams are seeded next week at the West Coast Conference Tournament.
After his 35-point outburst in the Kennel, Bryan scored just 36 total points over his next seven games, going 7 of 25 from the 3-point line after making 7 of 12 in a single game against the Zags.
The guard rediscovered his shooting form, and possibly regained some confidence, when the Broncos returned to the Inland Northwest for Saturday’s game at Washington State. Bryan, who adopted a larger role in the team’s first game without injured wing Adama Bal, made 4 of 6 from the 3-point line to score 12 points in a 109-79 victory. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.
After Santa Clara knocked down 18 3-pointers as a team in the first matchup with Gonzaga and 23 more on Saturday in Pullman, it should go without saying the Zags will devise a game plan centered around keeping Bryan and his teammates off the 3-point line.
Bryan, who shared WCC Player of the Week honors with Oregon State’s Michael Rataj after both players reached career highs against GU last month, was averaging just shy of 11 points per game earlier in the year, but the Orlando native has watched his average dip to 9.6 ppg during conference play.
The 6-foot-5 guard who started his career at Charleston Southern has hovered around 40% from the 3-point line each of the last three seasons, but the 49 total 3’s he’s made this season already represent a career-high.
Bryan’s output in the first matchup wasn’t the only reason Mark Few made lineup tweaks before its ensuing game against Portland, but one of those changes involved Khalif Battle, the primary defender on Santa Clara’s sharpshooting guard. After a three-game stint coming off GU’s bench, Battle recently moved back into the starting lineup and could get another crack at Bryan on Tuesday.
If the Zags struggle with Bryan early, they might not wait long to make changes, potentially bringing Emmanuel Innocenti off the bench to help contain the Santa Clara guard.