Bruins enter hostile territory to face Bulldogs
Then-junior forward/center Tony Parker drives on Domantas Sabonis in the Bruins’ last matchup with the Zags – a 74-62 loss in last year’s Sweet Sixteen. Parker is averaging a double-double heading into Saturday’s matchup. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Claire Fahy
Dec. 12, 2015 4:17 p.m.
SPOKANE, Wash. – It’s 30 degrees in Eastern Washington, but over at McCarthey Athletic Center the UCLA men’s basketball season is heating up.
The Bruins are riding a three-game winning streak into their matchup with the No. 20 Gonzaga Bulldogs. The most significant of those wins made headlines nationwide as UCLA upset then-No.1 Kentucky Dec. 3, showcasing glimpses of the team the Bruins promised to be in the preseason.
UCLA shocked itself when it struggled to start the season, dropping its season opener to Monmouth at home Nov. 13. With a highly touted freshman class and battle-tested veteran corps, the Bruins were looking to be competitive from the early onset, but instead found themselves once again struggling to piece together cohesive team play.
“We obviously have a ton of work to do because we’re not very good,” said coach Steve Alford following the Monmouth upset.
The UCLA-Gonzaga matchup will come down to a battle of the bigs. The Bruins have benefitted significantly this season from its big-big lineup, pairing senior forward/center Tony Parker with sophomore center Thomas Welsh in the post.
The duo have posted nine double-doubles in UCLA’s last nine games, while Parker enters Saturday’s matchup averaging 14 points per game to go with 10.9 rebounds with six double-doubles on the season.
Gonzaga also has a formidable post presence anchored by center Przemek Zarnowski, who is questionable for Saturday’s game after sustaining an injury in practice two weeks ago. The Zags are 2-1 without Zarnowski, who averages 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.
“Their front court is as good as it gets,” Alford said. “With or without (Zarnowski) they’ve got an incredible front line.”
That front line consists of Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer and sophomore Domantas Sabonis, who combine for an average of 35 points per game with strong field goal shooting and aggressive rebounding. Wiltjer can shoot from distance too, with 17 threes made so far this season.
“You’re looking at first-round guys, so that’s where it starts,” Alford said. “Our bigs are going to have to be very, very competitive inside and be able to play out on the perimeter as well given what Wiltjer can do inside and out.”
Gonzaga is far from unbeatable, with upsets at the hands of Arizona and Texas A&M making the Bulldogs 6-2 as they take the floor Saturday. The Wildcats stunned the Zags last week 68-63 on a night where Wiltjer struggled mightily, logging 15 points on 16 shots.
Limiting the redshirt senior’s offensive potency is the key to the game for UCLA. If the Bruins can shut Wiltjer down and the UCLA bigs can manage to face off successfully against the Bulldogs, the Bruins could have themselves another upset.
The last time the two teams met was in the 2015 Sweet Sixteen, where UCLA showed up unexpectedly after a haphazard run through the Big Dance but ultimately fell 74-62. Should the Bruins piece together another upset Saturday, they would assert themselves early as worthy of yet another tournament berth.
Compiled by Claire Fahy, Bruin Sports senior staff
