Gonzaga Round of 64 Preview

Another March Madness has arrived, and our Gonzaga Bulldogs have a 3‑seed, tipping off tonight at 7 p.m. local time (West Coast) against the Conference USA champs, the 14‑seeded Kennesaw State Owls (21–13). Here’s what to expect and how we can move on to the Round of 32.

Kennesaw State Preview

The Owls are a tough‑minded team that loves to hit the boards, though they aren’t super big, with only two rotation players reaching 6’9”. What this means is: be prepared for a physical, scrappy squad. They’re also in a similar situation as us, losing a top scorer midway through the season and needing to adjust.

The scoring punch from the outside comes mainly from G RJ Johnson, who hits 43% from deep. He needs to be the number one containment. The rest of the guys aren’t bad either, but the Owls feed off him. Keeping him out of a groove can go a long way in keeping our stress level low. With a team that averages 83 points a game, we want to avoid getting into a scoring contest.

Gonzaga Preview

As for our Zags, the key is simple: attack the paint with Graham Ike, Tyon Grant‑Foster, and Jalen Warley. If Ike and Grant‑Foster can get it going inside, the Owls will have to start sending multiple defenders, which leads to low‑pressure shots for Mario Saint‑Supery, Adam Miller, and company.

The Keys

1. Out‑rebound the Owls. Offensive rebounds by KSU mean open 3s.

2. Mario & Adam combine for at least four made 3s.

3. Defense, defense, defense. Flex the nationally top‑10 defense.

Impact Players

We all know about Graham and his immense importance, so who else needs to be on top of their game?

THE FRESHMAN!

Mario Saint‑Supery

He’s coming off the game of his career, and now he’ll need to continue the rise. All successful Gonzaga tournament runs are tied to elite guards, from Kevin Pangos to Nigel Williams‑Goss to Andrew Nembhard. Mario is only a freshman, so we can’t expect him to be at their level yet, but he does need to command the offense and hit timely shots to keep the doubles inside honest.

Davis Fogle

The freshman could be the key to a potential tourney run. His ability to do a little of everything is a game‑changer. He can run the offense if we need size, get his own shot, and even help on the boards. Fogle having a good tournament gives us another gear that teams will struggle to handle.

Well, here we go, Zags fans. For the 27th time in a row, we get to watch our Bulldogs chase a championship. Whatever happens today, and hopefully beyond let’s not take any of it for granted. We’re lucky to get this every year. But of course, let’s still go out there, shock the world, and take this thing!