College Basketball
Maui Invitational Preview: #1 Duke vs #3 Gonzaga
- Matchup: #1 Duke Blue Devils (5-0, 0-0) vs. #3 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0, 0-0)
- Date: Nov. 21, 2018
- Time: 5:00 p.m. (est)
- Network: ESPN
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Venue: Lahaina Civic Center
- Seating Capacity: 2,400
Game of the Year?
It isn’t often that you get a top three matchup in the month of November, but thanks to the Maui Invitational that is exactly what college basketball fans will get. Gonzaga enters the Maui Invitational Championship after knocking off Illinois and Arizona. Duke has tournament wins over San Diego State and #8 Auburn.
The Starters
Gonzaga
- Guard Josh Perkins
- Guard Zach Norvell Jr.
- Small Forward Corey Kispert
- Forward Brandon Clarke
- Forward Rui Hachimura
The best player on Gonzaga’s team is forward Rui Hachimura. Hachimura, a junior, has been receiving NBA looks, and rightfully so. The Japanese born forward has averaged 23.0 points per game, going with 5.6 rebounds.
Aside from Hachimura, the Zags have an extremely well-balanced attack, with three other plays averaging 12 or more points and a total of eight players that contribute each game. Missing from the starting lineup is sophomore Killian Tillie, who averaged 12.9 points per game in his freshman season.
Duke
- Point Guard Tre Jones
- Shooting Guard Cam Reddish
- Small Forward R.J. Barrett
- Forward Zion Williamson
- Center Marques Bolden
Duke is led on offense by freshman point guard Tre Jones. Although he only averages 8.0 points per game, he leads the team in assists with 6.0 per game. The Blue Devils showed yesterday that when Jones is not on the floor, the offense can become chaotic and dull. Duke’s scoring is done primarily by their other freshman: RJ Barrett (22.8), Zion WIlliamson (22.8), and Cam Reddish (16.8).
Yesterday against #8 Auburn, Duke’s best player was not one of the four freshmen, as a matter of fact, it was a junior. Marques Bolden was the biggest reason Duke won yesterday against Auburn. He registered 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 blocks while logging 25 minutes. In a game where your four two leading scorers in RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson struggled, Bolden stepped up and delivered what was the best game of his Blue Devil career.
Team Stats
Gonzaga enters the championship game sporting one of the nations top offenses, scoring 98.6 points per game as a team while shooting .533% from the field. Defensively, the Zags have given up 73.8 points per game.
Duke’s offense has scored 92.8 points per game while shooting at .493% from the field. On defense, they have only given up 67.6 points per game.
Duke’s Key
Duke needs to get it to Zion Williamson early and often. It is likely that Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura will be guarding Williamson, considering he is the closest in size to him than any of his Gonzaga Teammates at 6’8 230 pounds. If Williamson is able to get Hachimura in a few one on one situations early, he will be able to draw foul calls. If Hachimura is on the bench with foul trouble, Duke will be able to run their lead up.
Gonzaga’s Key
For Gonzaga to win this ball game, they have to take smart shots. Early on in the Duke vs Auburn game, the Tigers’ shot selection was horrendous. They were down 17 early on because they were jacking up deep threes. If the Zags want to win this top three showdown in the Maui Invitational championship, they’ll have to work hard for the open and smart shot.
Prediction
Duke shoots it better from beyond the arc and stay out of foul trouble early on and run the score up in the first 12 minutes. Zion Williamson rebounds from a pair of off games and forces Gonzaga’s Hachimura to the bench early with two fouls. Duke maintains a constant lead of 8+ for the remainder of the game.
Duke: 93
Gonzaga: 78
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