A massive College Basketball showdown will take place Friday night, as the Connecticut Huskies take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Huskies come into the game ranked 5th in the latest Associated Press Poll. The Huskies are 9-1 on the season, and coming off a 38 point win at home over Arkansas Pine Bluff. UConn has just one loss this season, which came on the road at the Kansas Jayhawks.
For the Gonzaga Bulldogs, they come into the game ranked 10th in the nation. The Bulldogs are coming off a 38 point win over Mississippi Valley State on Monday. The Bulldogs two losses this season came to Purdue and Washington.
The Bulldogs come into this game as small favorites. The spread for this game is Gonzaga -4.5, while the total sits at 149.5
Well Rounded Huskies
Coach Hurley and his UConn Huskies come into the game scoring more than 87 points per game. The offense ranks in the Top 13 in all of COllege Basketball. Tristen Newton is the top scorer for the Huskies. Newton is scoring 17 points per game, in more than 31 minutes played per game.
Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban are also putting together nice seasons for the Huskies. Spencer is second with 15.8 points per game, while Karaban is at 15.6. Donovan Clingan has been solid for the Huskies as well, as he is scoring 13.2 points per game, and making nearly 63% of his shots.
The best wins on the Huskies slate so far this season have come over Indiana, Texas and North Carolina. UConn has a road game at Seton Hall coming up on December 20th, and then a home game against St. John’s on the 23rd to finish the 2023 portion of their schedule.
Bulldogs Continue Impressive Program
Mark Few has built quite the impressive program in the great Northwest. The Bulldogs are coming off a blowout win where Braden Huff led the way with 17 points, and Graham Ike added 13. Ike is scoring 14.2 points per game for the Bulldogs, which leads the team. He is also second in rebounds, with just shy of 8 per game.
Anton Watson is second in scoring, and leads in rebounds. Watson is scoring 13.9 points per game, and 8.2 rebounds. Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard are next for the bulldogs. Hickman is at 12.6 points per game, while Nembhard is at 11.8.
Gonzaga will take on Jackson State on Wednesday, and then San Diego State on December 29th. After the New Year, the Bulldogs play two more home games against Pepperdine and San Diego, before going on the road for three straight.
Thriller in the Great Northwest
This should be a great College Basketball game. These two teams could both be playing in the Final Four once March arrives. The Gonzaga Bulldogs would love a home win to add to their resume. For Connecticut, they continue to show they will be battle tested once conference season, and then the NCAA tournament arrives. This is going to be a great game. Our final betting pick for this game is the UConn Huskies keeping this within a possession and covering the spread. Take UConn +4.5!
