Arizona, UCLA or Oregon?

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

Which PAC-12 team would you most like to see Zags play in NCAA Tourney?
Hopefully in the Elite Eight (assuming Zags get #1 with one of these three three the #2 or #3)...

[strikenowhere]

Which PAC-12 team would you most like to see Zags play in NCAA Tourney?
Hopefully in the Elite Eight (assuming Zags get #1 with one of these three three the #2 or #3)...

UCLA - Zags would be able to keep up offensively, but UCLA's defense wouldn't be able to keep pace.

[TexasZagFan]

Which PAC-12 team would you most like to see Zags play in NCAA Tourney?
Hopefully in the Elite Eight (assuming Zags get #1 with one of these three three the #2 or #3)...

Why not all 3? Elite 8, FF, and title game? That would really frost the Blue Bloods East of the Rockies.

[maynard g krebs]

Why not all 3? Elite 8, FF, and title game? That would really frost the Blue Bloods East of the Rockies.

CBS would never allow it.

Little to choose between the 3 really, but as of now I'd prefer Zona the way they're struggling. UCLA can go off on any night and outscore you. Arizona, all you have to do is score over 65 and you win if you defend decently.

[BayAreaZagFan]

UCLA. Purely for personal reasons. I live and work among Pac 12 fans and all I ever hear about is UCLA. I really, really hope we get a chance to play them and beat their a... Next up would be Oregon, just because I thinking beating them would look better on paper than beating Arizona. Again. Bottom line is, though, it doesn't really matter. Just as long as the Zags beat whatever team they're playing.

[amaronizag]

I'd choose AZ for the same reason as Maynard, worst offense of the three. GU is a lot better now than when we played them without Trier. Bill Walton (sorry) thinks AZ was a better team before Trier returned. Could be, but it isn't tournament time yet. I'd least like to face UCLA because they can shoot lights out and outscore anyone on a given night. When they're on one of their top scoring runs, nobody can keep up with that pace. GU is really efficient, but we'd need to put up 70+ shots to out score them. OR would be my #2 choice. They can score and rebound. OR plays defense better than UCLA, but on a given night, the OR offense disappears so I think the GU defense can slow them down -- GU wins a close one.

[gonzagafan62]

Don't really care. Anyone anytime

[Goshzagit]

Definitely UCLA.

Overall, best matchup from a bigs perspective.

We'd struggle guarding Ball on the ball, & would love to see us vs TJ Leaf down low.

For me, I'd rather play Oregon than Arizona.

When Arizona's guards get aggressive, no one can slow them down. Biggest strongest collection of guards. They got back in our game with penetration & Kobi Simmons handling the ball. With PJC at point & Rawle & Simmons & Trier driving puts way more pressure on our guards & bigs to defend the rim.

Oregon is a terrific shooting & slashing team, yet Gonzaga defends this scheme much better.

Not saying AZ is better than O, yet I feel Oregon offers better match up from top to bottom.

[gonzagafan62]

So some hater posted onFB that zags are garbage and it's because our SOS is 75 and that we are not from a power conference

I said look at UCLA they are 104.....

He hasn't responded

[TexasZagFan]

So some hater posted onFB that zags are garbage and it's because our SOS is 75 and that we are not from a power conference

I said look at UCLA they are 104.....

He hasn't responded

Probably doesn't know how to respond to "alternative facts."

[TexasZagFan]

Definitely UCLA.

Overall, best matchup from a bigs perspective.

We'd struggle guarding Ball on the ball, & would love to see us vs TJ Leaf down low.

For me, I'd rather play Oregon than Arizona.

When Arizona's guards get aggressive, no one can slow them down. Biggest strongest collection of guards. They got back in our game with penetration & Kobi Simmons handling the ball. With PJC at point & Rawle & Simmons & Trier driving puts way more pressure on our guards & bigs to defend the rim.

Oregon is a terrific shooting & slashing team, yet Gonzaga defends this scheme much better.

Not saying AZ is better than O, yet I feel Oregon offers better match up from top to bottom.

Ball's a heckuva player, and we might "struggle". OTOH, Silas would hound him to Kingdom Come.

As to Arizona, all I can offer is this: it was impossible not to notice how hard the Zags were playing on defense Saturday night. I'll be watching this over the next few games, to see if our guys keep moving their feet like they did on defense. Sure, there'd be more pressure on our guards than what SMC gave us, but I'm convinced they'd be effective enough to force them to drive to a spot where our bigs can contest the shot, or force them to pass the ball back out. I'm sure J3 can hound Markaanen enough to give him troubles beyond the arc.

The Zags defense is designed to limit the shots you prefer.

[MDABE80]

We've played UCLA before and AZ too. The quiet issue has been Orefon. We've not played them probably due to something Few's history with them. Like he went there. Still it never has added up to me. Wonder if the Nike connect to Phil Knight has something to do with it. For me, I'd like to play Oregon. AZ is kinda old hat. UCLA has decided to play defense in the last couple of games so they're looking better. Oregon looks dangerous. Somehow, somewhere, we'll meet up with Oregon.

[Zagger]

Oregon ..... We haven't played them ... in how long?
I think they're the more challenging of the three. I'd just as soon the Zags play NW teams too if given the chance. Love the rivalry games.

[TexasZagFan]

Oregon ..... We haven't played them ... in how long?
I think they're the more challenging of the three. I'd just as soon the Zags play NW teams too if given the chance. Love the rivalry games.

Now that I think about it, Arizona would be my third choice, only because we've played them recently. Oregon or UCLA? Either one's fine.

[ConnZag3]

UCLA would be the best of the options I think. Their defense is like swiss cheese and NWG and Perkins would be able to carve up Alford on drives and dishes to the bigs. We might score 100 on UCLA but we'd be nowhere near giving up 100 given how good the Zags defense is this year. Oregon would be the most concerning I think as they seem to be scalding hot when they're hot. Arizona knows us well and we weren't exactly impressive against them in LA and they were without Trier and PJC. AZ would grind us and I think that's the most scary game flow for this Zags team.