The 2011 NCAA basketball tournament Round of 32 is in high gear, and tonight's national primetime matchup features two of the best teams in the conference. This game will be the CBS nightcap at 4:45 PM PT/7:45 PM ET (click here for the full schedule).
#3 BYU Cougars
Ken Pomeroy says ... 8th best offense, 38th best defense, up-pace tempo (23rd fastest in the country); Efficient shooting offense and defense (good at threes and twos). Great at holding onto the ball. Excellent free throw shooting team. Solid at defensive rebounding and forcing other teams into taking jump shots.
The biggest weakness with BYU is their over-reliance on Jimmer Fredette in terms of possessions used. He might be one of the best players in the country, but if a team can lock him down defensively, they could be in trouble. Not sure if it's coming here though. Also not great at offensive rebounding.
#11 Gonzaga Buldogs
Ken Pomeroy says ... 42nd best offense, 28th best defense, slightly average tempo (113th). Great shooting offense (solid on threes, great on twos) and very solid defense (particularly against two pointers). They’re a great free throw shooting team and are generally quite effective on offense, but they can struggle with turnovers at times.
The biggest weakness with Gonzaga is defending the three.
Prediction: Gonzaga with the upset. The Bulldogs are superior at crashing the boards and making shots and defending shots. Unless the Cougars get hot from downtown, Gonzaga could score a huge upset and punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.