There is just one top-10 matchup on Saturday’s schedule — a non-league showdown in Seattle between two massive manufacturers. On one facet, Kentucky. On the opposite, Gonzaga.
Tip is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
The recreation is offering a Q1 alternative for each applications. Making it much more compelling is the truth that it is a matchup between two coaches who’ve develop into associates over time; UK’s Mark Pope advised a pleasant story earlier this week when discussing Saturday’s counterpart.
“I’ve bought to know Coach [Few] fairly nicely,” Pope mentioned. “He’s been an amazing good friend. He’s top-of-the-line folks within the enterprise. Special individual. I’ll always remember, my first head-coaching job at Utah Valley, we did a purchase recreation at Gonzaga [in November 2016], and I had recognized Coach as an assistant, and so we went up there to play. It bought away from us such as you would count on it could on the finish. So we’re there, you are early in your teaching profession, you are attempting to gather your self within the locker room after the media and every thing. I lastly stroll out of the locker room, and Coach Few is … there’s no one left within the constructing, and Coach Few is simply ready there to speak.
“That’s simply who he’s, man,” Pope continued. “He’s simply actually particular — and what he is completed in basketball has been nearly unfathomable. And I really like him. He places collectively distinctive groups, a singular product each single yr. He’s so good. He’s bought a very distinctive fashion. They know precisely who they’re. You can nearly take the names off the jerseys and you’d [still] know you are watching a Gonzaga recreation by the best way they play.”
That’s clearly excessive reward for Few, who actually has completed unfathomable issues at Gonzaga — a personal, small, Jesuit faculty in Washington that had received precisely one recreation within the NCAA Tournament earlier than Few changed Dan Monson after the 1998-99 season. Since then, Few has accomplished 25 seasons at Gonzaga, by no means missed the NCAA Tournament and superior to 2 nationwide title video games whereas showing in 9 straight Sweet 16s. This is all stuff which may by no means be duplicated as soon as Few, now 61, decides to conclude a profession that may sometime be acknowledged by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Kentucky is No. 6 in Saturday morning’s up to date CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 each day faculty basketball rankings. Gonzaga is No. 8. The Zags are listed as 6.5-point favorites towards UK, in keeping with FanDuel Sportsbook.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
