The Gonzaga Bulldogs and head coach Mark Few face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, March 21, in the NCAA tournament, and they’ll want healthy players to advance to the next round.
Even though Gonzaga hasn’t played with a full healthy team in months, they’re the No. 3 seed and have a strong roster of wins behind them. Heading into Saturday’s game, the Bulldogs are have a 31-3 record, according to university research.
The Longhorns are underdogs in this matchup, but that doesn’t meant they shouldn’t be taken seriously. Texas was a play-in 11 seed, but there they are, playing with the best of them. So, what’s the injury situation for Gonzaga heading into Saturday’s game? Here’s the latest on the team and their healthy, and injured, players.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Injury Report Before Texas Longhorns Game
One of Gonzaga’s stars, Braden Huff, won’t be available for the game. He spoke with reporters before Gonzaga’s win over Kennesaw State and said that he won’t be playing in any of the games during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament but that “the rest of the tournament is up in the air.” So, if they win today, there’s hope that he’ll be back.
Jalen Warley was Huff’s replacement, but he’s injured now, too. He’s been playing through injury and pain, and he’s expected to be available for the game against Texas. Warley notched 12 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists against the Owls, according to ESPN research.
So, that’s the status of Gonzaga’s key injured players for Saturday’s game. If they can stay healthy, it will make the world of difference in this tournament.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Chances of Advancing in March Madness Against Texas Longhorns
In a Saturday, March 21 preview feature for CBS Sports, Matt Russell gives his thoughts on the matchup between the Bulldogs and Longhorns. He has Texas winning this one.
“It feels like we see it every year, but rarely is the team in the role of ‘play-in problem’ one that has the talent, and budget, of Texas,” he notes of the Longhorns. He adds that Texas has “taken advantage of a pair of porous defenses in NC State and BYU, and Gonzaga’s top-10 defense, by KenPom, will be more suffocating.”
But, Russell adds that “Matas Vokietaitas has taken a more involved role in the offense and is a tough matchup for the Zags. Plus, Texas has the athleticism and length of Dailyn Swain and Tramon Mark that will match up well with Gonzaga’s guards.”
He sees Texas as being the play-in team that surprises everyone this season, including Gonzaga. ” With a line at THE WINDOW projected tighter than this one, there’s an easy case for why this game could come down to the wire,” he says, “just so long as Texas has any legs left after a busy week with extensive travel.”
It’s worth noting that it does seem like each year, there’s one surprise team that pops out of the play-in round that sticks around longer than expected. If Texas wins, they won’t likely go all the way, but they certainly have the chance to upset Gonzaga in this tournament.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Gonzaga Injury Update Before Longhorns Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.