Podcast Previews Gonzaga vs. Pacific Basketball Matchup
Gonzaga is set to face the Pacific Tigers on Saturday, with a podcast previewing the analytics behind the game. The analysis highlights Pacific's strength in three-point shooting, where they rank 42nd nationally at 37%. Pacific's Elias Ralph is noted as a key player, averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting 41% from three.
- Gonzaga holds a commanding historical advantage, having won 22 consecutive games against Pacific under coach Mark Few. Since 2016, Gonzaga has a 16-0 record against the Tigers, with an average score of 83.8 to 60.1. - Analytically, Gonzaga boasts a top-tier national profile, ranking 15th in points per game (87.4) and 4th in field goal percentage (51.6%). Their defensive rating of 93.0 is the 2nd best in the nation. - Pacific is in the midst of a turnaround season under second-year coach Dave Smart, improving from a 9-24 record last year to 17-12 this season. Their offensive rating is 111.0 (149th nationally) and their defensive rating is 103.1 (93rd). - A key statistical battle will be turnovers; Pacific is ranked 344th in the country, giving the ball away on 20.2% of their possessions. Conversely, Gonzaga excels at creating turnovers, forcing them at a 20.5% rate, which ranks 9th nationally. - Another crucial matchup will be on the boards, where Pacific is one of the nation's best defensive rebounding teams, allowing offensive rebounds on only 24.2% of opportunities (4th best). This will test Gonzaga's offensive rebounding, which has a success rate of 35.7%. - Beyond his scoring, Elias Ralph is also Pacific's leading rebounder, averaging 7.3 boards per game. He has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, which ranks in the top 40 nationally.
