BOISE, Idaho – This time around, it means a little bit more.
Ohio State was whacked in its Nov. 23 matchup against Gonzaga by 27 points, but the Buckeyes have a chance at redemption on Saturday night in Boise, Idaho, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga (31-4, 17-1) | Taco Bell Arena | 7:45 p.m. | CBS |
The Buckeyes claim to be a different team now than they were in November, as the team that lost on Thanksgiving night was just five games into the Chris Holtmann era.
"We were kind of trying to find ourselves the first time we played them," senior forward Jae'Sean Tate said Friday. "Now that we have our culture and we know what winning looks like and what things we need to do to win. I think this is going to be a completely different matchup than it was earlier in the season."
Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who had the Bulldogs just minutes from a national title last season, said he has seen Ohio State buy into Holtmann's system and believes the Buckeyes will be a tough out this time around.
"They're a team that looked like they came together more and they certainly have their belief in Chris and the staff and the system and all of that. Certainly has grown exponentially," Few said. "I think they've came into their own and are playing with a lot of confidence, which I think that's probably the biggest difference from November to now."
Opponent Breakdown
The Bulldogs have dropped just four games all season and enter the rematch with Ohio State riding a 15-game winning streak that dates back to late January.
Four of Gonzaga's five starters average double-digit points. Johnathan Williams, however, has proven to be the Bulldogs most efficient player, scoring 13.7 points and pulling down 8.4 points per game.
| Player | Pos | HT | WT | Min | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHNATHAN WILLIAMS | F | 6-9 | 228 | 29.3 | 13.7 | 8.4 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| KILLIAN TILLIE | F | 6-10 | 215 | 26.1 | 13.1 | 5.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| JOSH PERKINS | G | 6-3 | 190 | 32.7 | 12.5 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| ZACH NORVELL, JR. | G | 6-5 | 205 | 26.3 | 12.3 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| SILAS MELSON | G | 6-4 | 195 | 30.6 | 9.4 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
In the first matchup against Ohio State, Williams poured in an efficient and game-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting and pulled down five boards while swatting a pair of Ohio State shots.
Perhaps Gonzaga's most electric player, however, is Josh Perkins, who exploded for 20 points in the first matchup, connecting on 6-of-9 three-point shots, many of which came on isolation plays.
Perkins said Friday that while Ohio State has improved from November, so have the Zags, who are coming off of a closer than expected 68-64 win over UNC Greensboro in the first round.
"The young guys are getting better and better every day. Corey (Kispert) has improved, roles have changed. Guys are more comfortable in the spots they've been in before," Perkins said. "We know how to win now. And hopefully we can do the same thing tomorrow."
Kispert, who started against Ohio State but has played primarily off the bench this season, said he believes Gonzaga is even better defensively than it was when it played the Buckeyes last, when his team held OSU to just 59 points, Ohio State's second-worst output of the season.
"The defense has definitely tightened up. There were definitely holes we left open in November that we definitely tightened up now," he said. "We've been preparing for them, piece by piece."
Buckeye Breakdown
Before Keita Bates-Diop became the Player of the Year in the Big Ten conference, he struggled mightily to find his groove against Gonzaga on Thanksgiving night.
Bates-Diop's seven points on 2-of-7 shooting was his second lowest scoring output of the season, and while he did grab 10 rebounds against the Zags, his offensive presence was not felt for much of the game.
As has been the case all season, Holtmann said usually when Bates-Diop struggles offensively, it is because opponents are playing him physical, something he expects Gonzaga to do again come Saturday night.
"Their bigs are very physical. Their zone bothered us, and their length across the board bothered us," Holtmann said.
Holtmann added that at the beginning of the season, Bates-Diop's confidence might not have been where it is now, and that is a positive factor moving forward for the Normal, Ill. native and for Ohio State collectively.
"I think his confidence has grown to the point he's embraced that role," Holtmann said. "I think he saw that we were going to utilize him as a focal point of what we do. I've had to say it to him less now. Now he's embraced that role. And his assertiveness on the offensive end is not something I've really had to address, as you can tell. He's pretty aggressive most times when he's out there, which is great to see."
Bates-Diop got off to a fast start against South Dakota State on Thursday, hitting four of his first six shots, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds. His hot start opened things up in the second half for Ohio State guards Kam Williams and C.J. Jackson, who combined for 42 points against the Jackrabbits.
Bates-Diop said Friday that the scenario that played out against SDSU could also happen in reverse order, which could be critical if Gonzaga opts to take the Big Ten Player of the Year away from the tip.
"It makes things a lot easier when they are hitting shots. It opens the driving lanes for me because they won't leave their bodies," Bates-Diop said. "When they are hitting shots, that opens stuff up for me and Jae'Sean Tate."
How It Plays Out
The rematch is expected to be much closer than the first meeting, which ended up being Ohio State's worst loss of the regular season.
Holtmann said at the time that he and his coaching staff were still getting to know their players, which they have in the months since the blowout loss.
"You get a new team, you're trying to figure out some things with your group. And I don't know that I always did a great job figuring out our personnel and how they fit," Holtmann said. "It was just such a new group. I think once we got into a little bit of a rhythm and maybe we as a coaching staff understood some more of our guys' strengths, that really helped us."
The Buckeyes have improved drastically since November and will undoubtedly keep the game closer than the first matchup. However, the Zags have national title game experience and a backcourt that will likely give Ohio State a number of problems.
Prediction: Gonzaga 76, Ohio State 72
