Mark Pope was right when he said this week that the Kentucky Wildcats are everybody’s Super Bowl. At No. 4 in the country, the Wildcats have established themselves as one of the best teams in College Basketball through the first month of the season.
On Tuesday night, though, we saw how the Wildcats being every team’s Super Bowl creates pressure for them. Kentucky fell 70-66 at Clemson, their first loss of the season. Now, we see how they respond.
Saturday night, though, is a giant challenge. Kentucky will be facing No. 7 Gonzaga in the Battle in Seattle. This is a big game, against a really good Gonzaga team with Kentucky looking to bounce back.
Gonzaga has been arguably the most consistent college basketball program in the last 25+ years by developing players over four or more years. Gonzaga is 2-1 all-time against Kentucky. The last matchup came in Lexington last year when the Bulldogs beat Kentucky 89-85. That was actually the second straight season Kentucky fell to Gonzaga, with the Wildcats’ only win over the Bulldogs in program history coming in November 2002 at the Maui Invitational.
This Gonzaga team is a lot like previous Gonzaga teams: High-scoring and efficient. Gonzaga is perennially one of the most fundamentally sound and prolific teams in college basketball, and this team is no different.
With that, here are the Players to Watch on the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday night.
Players to Watch
1. #99 Khalif Battle 6’5” 185 lbs. Gr. Guard Hillside, N.J. Arkansas Transfer
13.5 pts, 4.8 rebs, 41.3 FG%, 34.1 3-PT FG%, 28-28 FT, 28.1 mpg
Battle is Gonzaga’s second-leading scorer, a player who entered this season with more than 1,300 points across three previous schools. He’s currently in a bit of a slump, though, shooting just 12-34 from the field, including 2-15 from three-point range. But Battle is still dangerous, especially considering he started this season 11-18 from three-point range through Gonzaga’s first three games. Battle is Gonzaga’s second-leading scorer, so he must be watched on Saturday night.
2. #13 Graham Ike 6’9” 250 lbs. R-Sr. Forward Aurora, Colo. Wyoming Transfer
13.8 pts, 6.5 rebs, 52.8 FG%, 1-5 3-PT FG, 76.7 FT%, 17.6 mpg
He only plays 17.6 minutes per game, but he is a handful when he is on the court. Ike is Gonzaga’s leading scorer for a second straight season, embodying Gonzaga’s style of being efficient and prolific on offense.
3. #34 Braden Huff 6’10” 250 lbs. R-So. Forward Glen Ellyn, Ill.
13.5 pts, 3.6 rebs, 58.3 FG%, 4-13 3-PT FG, 6-7 FT, 18.8 mpg
Despite not starting a game yet this season, Huff is tied for second in scoring on this year’s Gonzaga team. As a freshman last year, Huff led the West Coast Conference, shooting 70% from two-point range. That led to him being named to the All-Conference Freshman Team after playing in all 35 games the Bulldogs played. This season, Huff has just one game where he hasn’t hit double-digit points and just two games where he has shot under 50 percent from the field.
4. #11 Nolan Hickman 6’2” 190 lbs. Sr. Guard Seattle
11.5 pts, 2.9 rebs, 50.7 FG%, 46.2 3-PT FG%, 4-4 FT, 30.4 mpg
A former McDonald’s All-American and Kentucky commit, Hickman is an efficient scorer and shooter who is also durable. Hickman led the West Coast Conference playing 36.2 minutes per conference game last year. He also shot 41.3 percent from three-point range in conference games last year. Hickman is on a four-game streak with multiple made three-point shots, with six overall this season.
5. #0 Ryan Nembhard 6’0” 180 lbs. Sr. Guard Aurora, ON Creighton Transfer
10.6 pts, 2.6 rebs, 39.7 FG%, 9-20 3-PT FG, 85.7 FT%, 86 ast.-14 TO, 15 stl, 34.6 mpg
Perhaps the most recognizable player on this Gonzaga team, Nembhard is coming off a single-season assist record with 243 last year. Nembhard led the West Coast Conference with 6.8 assists per game and a 4.6 assist-to-turnover ratio en route to being named West Coast Conference-First Team. Six times this season, including each of his last three games, Nembahrd has dished out double-digit assists. In his last three games, Nembhard has 39 combined assists. His lowest total assists in a game this season is seven.
6. #33 Ben Gregg 6’10” 230 lbs. Sr. Forward Clackamas, Ore.
9.5 pts, 4.1 rebs, 55.6 FG%, 2-14 3-PT FG, 82.8 FT%, 18.4 mpg
Gregg has gotten better through each of his five seasons with the Bulldogs, beginning as a freshman the year Gonzaga was one win away from an undefeated season. He started the last 19 games in 2023-24 and averaged 23.6. minutes per game. Over his last two games, Gregg has 13 and 24 points and is 13-19 from the field. He also has 15 rebounds over that stretch. He can’t get lost in the shuffle on Saturday night on a deep Gonzaga team.
Head Coach: Mark Few (26th season) Besides a national championship, what didn’t Mark Few accomplish in his first 25 seasons as the head coach of Gonzaga? Twenty-two either shared or outright West Coast Conference regular season championships, 19 conference tournament championships, 13 Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, two Final Fours, and two National Championship appearances.
Few has built Gonzaga into an empire. They’re not a mid-major by any means. Few is the active leader among head coaches with an 83.4% winning percentage and has 25 consecutive 20-win seasons. At Gonzaga, Few has coached 22 All-Americans, 102 all-conference selections, 17 WCC Players of the Year, 10 WCC Newcomers of the Year, and nine WCC Defensive Players of the Year.
Keys to the Game
1. Improve shooting: Gonzaga is going to put up points, so Kentucky has to be ready to win a shootout. Problem is the Cats have struggled shooting lately. Over Kentucky’s last three games, the Wildcats have struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.8% on 22-82 attempts. That’s not going to cut it against the Zags. Kentucky must also improve on free-throw shooting after shooting just 61% from the line at Clemson.
2. Rebounding: This is a must. Kentucky has shown a great ability on the glass through its first eight games. Gonzaga averages 41.4 rebounds per game. Not only can the Bulldogs score, but they can give themselves second chances by rebounding the ball. Kentucky needs to win the battle on the boards on both sides of the ball.
3. Limit the turnovers: This is another must, even on a neutral floor. Especially against an efficient and prolific team like Gonzaga, this, and all the keys to the game, are simple, yet they can’t be overstated for Kentucky on Saturday night.
Score Prediction: Gonzaga 88 – Kentucky 82