Arizona Basketball: Arizona vs. Gonzaga, Game of the Year!

We don’t typically do this and we know it’s last minute, but tonight’s matchup between Arizona Basketball and Gonzaga is potentially the game of the year and we wanted to remind fans why.

Game of the Year. Whenever these two teams battle it always has the making of one of the biggest games of the year, for both programs. This time around, more so for Arizona Basketball considering they need that big marquee win for seeding purposes. They also need this win to remind everyone that this team is real and a contender come March. Two top-ranked teams in December, playing on ESPN2 at 8pm MST with much on the line…that’s what I call a Game of the Year candidate.

Overall, the Wildcats lead the head to head matchup 6-3, but the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings include the last one during the Maui Invitational. In that game, the Wildcats were up, but not able to close things out as Gonzaga went on to win 91-74. That was a tough loss considering how close that one really was.

There were several players on last year’s team, including Chase Jeter, Ira Lee, Dylan Smith and Brandon Williams (who is out this season due to injury), who will certainly want to revenge that loss. No one like’s to lose, but especially in a game in which they had a chance to win. Fast forward to the present day and the Wildcats find themselves in another matchup with their west coast counterpart in a Top 15 matchup on national television.

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The stakes are high on this one. The Bulldogs confidence is an all-time high, being ranked No.6 in the country and coming off a win against Washington. On the other hand, the Wildcats are still looking for that big-time win against an opponent…tonight they have their chance! Both teams will likely have a chance to win their respective conferences and a favorite to get high seeds and make a deep run during March Madness.

As of this morning, ESPN still has the Wildcats as a 69.1% favorite to win over Gonzaga. Whether they are factoring basing it on having the home-court advantage or something else, you can throw those odds out the window as this game will come down to the final few minutes, hopefully.

On paper, the Bulldogs have the size, strength, versatility, and depth to be the huge favorites, but if the Wildcats can make their shots and defend well they have a legit chance in this one. Besides their last road games against Washington, the Bulldogs haven’t really had a road game in an environment like McKale Center. It will be sold out and will be loud and will be a huge factor in this matchup.

Since the non-conference schedule came out for Arizona Basketball, many Wildcat fans have had this game circled. Wherever you may be tonight, whether in McKale Center, at a bar or at home watching this one, make sure you Get Up and Bear Down!