The rumors of Gonzaga’s demise were greatly exaggerated.
The Zags came up short in their quest for the West Coast Conference’s regular-season title for the second year in a row and got swept by rival St. Mary’s for the first time since 2015.
Gonzaga didn’t wither, though. Like a prize fighter defying the odds with a well-timed strike, the Zags reclaimed their spot on top of the league with a 58-51 win over St. Mary’s in the WCC Tournament championship.
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Now, they make their 26th-straight foray into the NCAA Tournament, not counting 2020 when it was canceled because of COVID-19. They’re a No. 8 seed, and they’ll travel to Wichita, Kansas, for the opening round to face a team that finished the regular season with a sub-.500 conference record.
Gonzaga (25-8, 14-4 WCC) will take on No. 9 Georgia (20-12, 8-10 SEC) at Intrust Bank Arena today at 4:35 p.m. ET.
Georgia finished the regular season in 10th place in the 16-team SEC despite winning its final four games. Oklahoma knocked the Bulldogs out of the SEC Tournament in the first round.
Georgia is averaging 75.6 points a game, which ranks No. 12 in the SEC, and it’s holding teams to 69.3 points a night, which ranks No. 4 in the league. It also averages 36.6 rebounds a game, which ranks No. 8 in the conference.
Gonzaga leads the WCC with 86.6 points a game, and the Zags are giving up 69.6 points, which ranks No. 4 in the conference. They also lead the league with a .500 team field goal percentage and a .801 free throw percentage and rank No. 2 in the conference with 38.6 rebounds a night.
Gonzaga vs. Georgia Odds
Gonzaga is a 6.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM vs. Georgia, and the Over/Under is at 150.5.
The Moneyline is at -285 for Gonzaga and +230 for Georgia.
Gonzaga vs. Georgia Channel
The first round NCAA Tournament game featuring Gonzaga and Georgia will be televised on TBS.
Tip-off is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. ET.
Gonzaga vs. Georgia Prediction
I predict Gonzaga wins, 72-65.
Both teams have plenty of star power, but Gonzaga is the more complete team. The Zags also have way more history in the Big Dance. They’ve made the tournament every year it has been held since 1999. Georgia is in the dance for the first time since 2015.
Six-foot-9 forward Graham Ike leads the Zags with 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle is adding 13.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a night, and point guard Ryan Nembhard leads the country with 325 assists.
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In the WCC championship game against St. Mary’s, 6-foot-10 sophomore Braden Huff scored a team-high 18 points – his most since a game against Pepperdine on Dec. 30, 2024 – and Battle racked up five steals as the Zags forced the Gaels into 18 turnovers.
Asa Newell, a 6-foot-11 freshman, leads Georgia with 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. Silas Demary Jr. is adding 13.4 points and four rebounds a night and leads the team with 99 assists.
This game will be decided by which team wins the rebounding battle. Gonzaga has a +5.7 rebounding margin this season. Georgia’s stands at +4.2.
