Gonzaga vs. Baylor: Best in the Nation
We're about 5 weeks away from the start of the NCAA tournament with the super bowl ending. Basketball and hockey are the only sports on right now. In college basketball, the two (pretty clear) best teams are Gonzaga (19-0) and Baylor (17-0). Both are undefeated and are two of the best basketball teams in recent history.
I wrote a separate article introducing Gonzaga a while ago: Introducing Gonzaga: The Number One Team in College Basketball — La Tonique
According to Kenpom, an awesome college basketball advanced analytics website, Gonzaga has the 2nd best AdjEM (Adjusted efficiency margin) which measures how much better a team is than average in Kenpom’s database which goes back to 2002. Baylor is the 3rd highest. Both teams have a really good chance to be the first team to finish the regular season undefeated since Kentucky in 2015.
Updated KenPom:
— Josh (@TheZagaholic) February 9, 2021
1. 2015 Kentucky 36.91
2. 2021 Gonzaga 35.47
3. 2021 Baylor 35.29
4. 2008 Kansas 35.21
5. 2019 Virginia 34.22
Zags #2 all time. #ZagUp
Let’s take a look at the Zags:
Gonzaga has the 2nd best offense in the country and is 6th in defense. They normally play 8 guys and are led by their three-headed monster in Corey Kispert, Drew Timmie and Jalen Suggs. All three players have a good chance to end up as All Americans. Kispert, who’s averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting a ridiculous 56.5/ 88/5/48.3 line, is the best shooter in America. Timmie, who contributes 18.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, is a tremendous low post scorer and Jalen Suggs, averaging 14.4 points per game and figures to be a top 5 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, is an awesome athlete who is great at absorbing contact and finishing around the rim.
Joel Ayayi averages 11.3 points per game and is the team's leading rebounder as a guard, averaging 7.3 rebounds per game. He’s greatly improved his defense this year and is a high IQ player. Andrew Nembhard, averaging 9.3 points per game and 4.4 assists, is a transfer from Florida who became eligible just before the season started. He has a nice mid-range pull-up and is a great pick a roll passer. Nembhard has done a really good job taking care of the ball this year with over a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio.
Anton Watson is a very good defender who is a good finisher around the rim. Aaron Cook, the graduate transfer from Southern Illinois, provides guard depth, and Oumar Ballo, the redshirt freshman from Mali, is a big body that has shown some touch around the rim.
Baylor’s Look:
Just like Gonzaga, Baylor normally plays 8 guys, and they currently have the 3rd best offense and 3rd best defense in the country. The Bears' best player is guard Jared Butler. Butler is the team's leading scorer at 17.0 points per game, and he’s a really solid all-around player. Davion Mitchell, at 13.6 points, is a tremendous three-point shooter at 49.4 percent and is a really good distributor. Macio Teague averages 13.6 points a game and is a really good shot-maker. Adam Flager, at 10.2 points per game, is a nice guard and should have a monster season in 2022.
Matthew Meyer is a 6’9 wing that comes off the bench. He’s a good shooter with elite athleticism. Mark Vital might be the best defender on the team. Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua is a tough physical presence. Flo Thamba does a solid job protecting the rim.
Let’s compare Gonzaga and Baylor:
Gonzaga has a better 1-4 on their roster
Gonzaga is better on offense
Gonzaga has weakness on frontcourt depth and sometimes they aren’t always locked in
Baylor has a better 5-8 on their roster
Baylor is better on defense
Baylor is a very good shooting team but can be streaky from time to time
