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The #4 Alabama Crimson Tide and #15 Gonzaga Bulldogs are squaring off in one of college basketball's top non-conference games of the season this weekend. The 9-1 Crimson Tide have won four straight, including two wins over teams (North Carolina and Houston) who were ranked #1. The 8-3 Zags have won three straight since falling to #6 Baylor.
Both teams have played Michigan State this season. Gonzaga narrowly edged the Spartans in San Diego on Nov. 11th, while Alabama beat a short-handed Spartans team without Malik Hall and Jaden Akins in the Phil Knight Invitational on Nov. 25.
The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will tip off at 1:00 p.m. at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Bulldogs have solid wins over Michigan State, Kentucky, and Xavier but missed opportunities to boost their strength of schedule against Texas, Purdue, and Baylor. Beating the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide would help compensate for those losses, giving Alabama four wins over top-40 teams, according to KenPom's ranking system. This could very well be Gonzaga's final game against a ranked opponent in the regular season.
The Zags defeated Northern Illinois 88-67 in their last outing, shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 18-for-21 from the foul line. Senior forward Drew Timme once again paced the Bulldogs, scoring 26 points with six rebounds and three blocks. The Zags also benefitted from solid performances from its reserves, as sophomore forward Ben Gregg contributed 18 points and seven rebounds, and junior guard Malachi Smith poured in 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep.
Monday night highlights ?? pic.twitter.com/a8BuxwhpKK
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 14, 2022
Gonzaga is scoring 80.6 points on 49.2 percent shooting from the field, including 36.6 percent from long range. Its adjusted offensive efficiency rating is fifth-best in the NCAA, per KenPom. The Zags' assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.18 (69th in the nation). The Bulldogs surrender 72.2 points per game, and their opponents shoot 42.7 percent from the floor, including 31.3 percent from three-point range. Their adjusted defensive efficiency is 40th overall in the nation.
To beat a team as talented as the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs must prove they're the team with the most mettle. Alabama gives four freshmen considerable playing time while primarily juniors and seniors lead the Zags. This isn't a true road game, but the Bulldogs are clearly the visitors in this neutral setting in Birmingham. That shouldn't matter to Gonzaga, though, given its experience playing in these types of atmospheres.