Gonzaga vs. Norfolk State/Appalachian State Odds For NCAA Tournament First Round

#1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Norfolk State/Appalachian State Odds

How Gonzaga & Norfolk St. Match Up

How Gonzaga & Appalachian St. Match Up

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What To Know About Gonzaga

Gonzaga metrics are as dominant as any team in recent history. Head coach Mark Few’s Bulldogs are the most efficient offense in the nation, per KenPom. They are first in effective field goal percentage (61.1%) and 2-point efficiency (64.4%). They are strong from beyond the arc, shooting 36.7% as a team. Player of the Year candidate Corey Kispert (19.5 PPG, 46.5% 3P) and guard Joel Ayayi (11.3 PPG, 36.9% 3P) are deadly shooters from deep. Per Shot Quality, the Bulldogs are one of the best-coached teams in the nation with top rank in points per play after a timeout. And they are an absolute terror in transition, led by superstar point guard Jalen Suggs. The Bulldogs lead the nation in percentage of shots in transition and rank second in expected field goal percentage in transition shots, per Hoop Math. Oh, and I didn’t even mention potnetial player of the year candidate Drew Timme in the interior.

Gonzaga is a juggernaut and should be the top-rated team in any set of power ratings. Not only do the Bulldogs have the best offense in the country, the they also actually rank 11th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. Unlike last season, there are no major concerns about the Gonzaga defense. There are really no holes on Mark Few’s squad which plays at warp speed (4th in Adjusted Tempo) and can score in transition as efficiently and quickly as any team I’ve ever seen. And don’t get caught up in their weak conference schedule as the Zags beat Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Iowa and Virginia all on neutral courts in the non-conference. It will take a special effort to take out the Zags this season. I’m not sure anybody can realistically take them out prior to the final four unless someone goes nuclear from 3 while Gonzaga has an off-shooting night. They are the real deal. – Gonzaga

What To Know About Norfolk St.

Norfolk St. boasts one of the deepest and experienced rosters in the entire country. The Spartans offense is extremely efficient in the pick-and-roll, and they have four players that shoot over 40% from 3. Overall, Norfolk ranks 23rd in the nation in 3P% but 297th in 2P%.

The Spartans are very reliant on the 3-ball and getting to the line for their offensive output. Defensively, they press and play a “floppy zone” (combination of a 3-2 matchup zone, 2-3 zone and man-to-man) with the objective of confusing opponents and forcing tough outside shots. On the season, opponents have attempted 3s at the 10th-highest rate in the country and haven’t had much success when firing. Norfolk will be one of the lowest-seeded teams in the tourney and almost certainly be slotted into the 16-seed play-in game. This info is relevant for that game because they have no chance against (likely) Gonzaga if they advance to the main bracket.=

What To Know About Appalachian St.

The Mountainners are undersized and lack depth, but are extremely well coached and rely on a suffocating on their suffocating half-court defense. The offense gets stagnant at times, but can be dangerous if Justin Forrest, Michael Almonacy and Adrian Delph get hot from the perimeter for an offense that relies heavily on the three. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, they project as a 16 seed, which spells doom in this top-heavy season. That said, I could see head coach Dustin Kerns cooking up a gameplan to keep Appalachian State inside a big number in the first round, especially if James Lewis (who got hurt late in the season) is fully healthy. — Stuckey

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