How No. 17 Kentucky and Gonzaga match up — with a game prediction

How the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats (16-6, 6-4 SEC) and the Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-6, 8-2 West Coast Conference) match up at each position for Saturday’s men’s SEC basketball game at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center — with a game prediction:

Small forward

▪ Kentucky’s Justin Edwards (8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 44.6% FGs, 28.8% treys, 76.7% FTs,) played the best game of his college career to date in UK’s 109-77 win at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-8, 203-pound freshman made 5 of 10 shots, 1 of 3 3-pointers and all six of his free throws en route to a career-high 17 points. It was the first double-figure-scoring effort for the Philadelphia product since he had 13 points vs. Louisville on Dec. 21. Though Edwards had no rebounds at Vandy, he also contributed 3 assists and 2 steals to the win.

▪ Gonzaga’s Anton Watson (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 60.9% FGs, 44.4% treys, 62.5% FTs) leads the Bulldogs in rebounding and steals (37) and is the second-leading scorer. A homegrown, 6-8, 228-pound super-senior from Spokane, Washington, Watson comes to Lexington in the middle of an offensive-efficiency tear. Over the Zags’ last 11 games, Watson has made a robust 68.3 percent (69 of 101) of his shots and is averaging 16.5 ppg. In Gonzaga’s 88-72 win over UK last season in Spokane, Watson hit 5 of 8 shots and had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Advantage: Gonzaga.

Power forward

▪ Kentucky’s Adou Thiero (6.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 48.5% FGs, 33.3% treys, 75% FTs) got the start in place of an injured Tre Mitchell at Vanderbilt and had four points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 18 minutes. After scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds in 13 minutes in UK’s 95-76 win at Louisville on Dec. 21, Thiero, a 6-8, 222-pound product of Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, missed Kentucky’s next seven games because of back problems. Since returning, Thiero has made 6 of 17 shots in four games.

▪ Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg (8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 50.4% FGs, 34.5% treys, 77.6% FTs) had five points, four rebounds and three assists in the Bulldogs’ 96-64 win over Portland on Wednesday night. Since moving into the starting lineup seven games ago, the 6-10, 230-pound junior has averaged 10.3 ppg and 7.6 rpg and has made 50% of his field-goal tries and 34.8% of his 3-point attempts. In last year’s Gonzaga win over Kentucky, Gregg played four minutes and hit two free throws.

Advantage: Gonzaga.

Center

▪ Kentucky sophomore Ugonna Onyenso (3.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 51.3% FGs, 58.8% FTs, team-high 35 blocks) moved into the starting lineup three games back after a strong performance off the bench (six points, four rebounds, three blocks) in UK’s road win at Arkansas. As a starter, the 7-foot, 247-pound sophomore from Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, has averaged 5.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg and 4.0 blocks. Onyenso has not been efficient offensively as a starter, as he has made only 6 of 16 field-goal attempts.

▪ A transfer from Wyoming, Gonzaga’s Graham Ike (team-high 15 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 60.4% FGs, 38.5% treys, 76.3% FTs, 21 assists vs. 40 turnovers) had a quiet performance (seven points, seven rebounds) in the win over Portland on Wednesday night. That was unusual for the 6-9, 240-pound junior, who has scored 20 points or more in seven of Gonzaga’s past 12 games.

Advantage: Gonzaga.

Shooting guard

▪ Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves (team-high 19.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 50% FGs, 44.8% treys, 88.3% free throws) is making a strong case for being an All-America selection. The 6-6, 195-pound super senior has scored in double figures in all 10 of UK’s SEC games to date and has gone over 20 points in six of the 10. Over UK’s previous four games, Reeves is averaging 21.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg and has hit 14 of 27 treys. In last season’s loss to Gonzaga, Reeves came off the bench and scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting, 2-of-7 3-pointers.

▪ A former UK signee, Gonzaga’s Nolan Hickman (13 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 58 assists vs. 36 turnovers, 44.6% FGs, 38.1% treys, 82.9% FTs) is having his best collegiate season to date in his junior year. The 6-2, 183-pound Seattle product did not have a good game in Gonzaga’s 64-62 home loss to West Coast Conference leader Saint Mary’s last Saturday, making only 3 of 12 shots, missing all five of his 3-point tries and finishing with seven points, zero rebounds and two assists. In last season’s Gonzaga win over Kentucky, Hickman took only three shots, hitting one, and had four points, zero rebounds, two assists, a steal and two turnovers in 28 minutes.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Point guard

▪ Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard (12 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team-highs of 92 assists and 53 steals, 52.7% FGs, 53.7% treys, 78.7% FTs) has been UK’s starting lead guard over the past three games in place of an injured D.J. Wagner. In those three games, the 6-3, 187-pound North Laurel High School product has averaged 15.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 assists and has compiled six steals and five blocked shots. On the debit side, Sheppard has turned the ball over 10 times in those three starts.

▪ A transfer from Creighton, Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard (12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 133 assists vs. 50 turnovers, 43.3% FGs, 31.6% treys, 73.9% FTS) has scored in double figures in five of Gonzaga’s prior six games. The 6-foot, 175-pound junior, the younger brother of former Florida and Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, had 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the loss to Saint Mary’s. In the win over Portland, Nembhard scored 10 points and had four rebounds, six assists and no turnovers.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Bench

▪ Kentucky freshmen guard Rob Dillingham (15.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 86 assists vs. 38 turnovers, 48.8% FGs, 43.3% treys, 75% FTs) is on an absolute offensive heater. Over UK’s past three games, the 6-3, 176-pound freshman from Hickory, North Carolina, has averaged 25 points and 5.7 assists and has made 29 of 49 shots and 13 of 21 treys. ... In the win at Vanderbilt, UK got strong play off the bench from big men Zvonimir Ivisic (5.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 61% FGs, 66.7% treys, 50% FTs) and Aaron Bradshaw (6.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 54.4% FGs, 27.3% treys, 59.3% FTs) as well as freshman forward Jordan Burks (2.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 68.2% FGs, 50% treys, 42.9% FTs). ... Before fouling out in 12 minutes, the 7-2, 234-pound Ivisic contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. ... The 7-1, 226-pound Bradshaw went for 12 points and seven boards in 18 minutes. ... A 6-8, 202-pound product of Decatur, Alabama, Burks hit 6 of 6 shots, including a 3-pointer, and had a career-high 13 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes. ... The playing status of injured starters D.J. Wagner (12 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 67 assists vs. 28 turnovers) and Tre Mitchell (12.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 66 assists vs. 28 turnovers 50% FGs, 34.2% treys, 72.7% FTs) is unclear. Point guard Wagner has missed the past three games with an ankle injury; power forward Mitchell missed the Vandy game due to back issues.

▪ Gonzaga sixth man Braden Huff (10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 61.6% FGs, 34.7% treys, 45.5% FTs) had a massive game in the win over Portland. The 6-10, 242-pound redshirt freshman hit 11 of 16 shots, 3 of 5 treys, and scored 25 points in 24 minutes. ... Freshman guard Dusty Stromer (5.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 33.3% FGs, 32.9% treys, 86.2% FTs) has started 15 games. The 6-6, 192-pound product of Sherman Oaks, California, had eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in the win over Portland. ... Luka Krajnovic (4.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 50% FGs, 33.3 % treys, 70% FTs) has played only eight games this season after suffering a broken hand. The 6-5, 188-pound freshman from Zagreb, Croatia, had seven points, five rebounds and an assist vs. Portland.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Intangibles and history

▪ The all-time series between Kentucky and Gonzaga is tied 1-1.

▪ John Calipari is 0-1 vs. Gonzaga as UK head man.

▪ Gonzaga coach Mark Few is 1-1 vs. Kentucky.

▪ UK has lost two straight home games and is 10-3 this season at Rupp Arena.

▪ Gonzaga will be playing at Rupp Arena for the first time. The Zags are 3-2 this season in true road games.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Prediction

Kentucky 96, Gonzaga 93.

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