No love is lost between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Saint Mary's Gaels heading into their pivotal showdown on Saturday in Spokane.
One of college basketball's best rivalries over the last few seasons has been defined by sheer physicality and grittiness, not leaving much room for finesse and definitely a matchup that's unsuitable for the light-hearted. Both sides struggle to impose their will on the other, as the Bulldogs look to push the pace offensively while the Gaels prefer to grind things out with a stifling defense that doesn't have many holes.
The West Coast Conference's top-scoring offense against the top-ranked scoring defense. The league's best shooting team versus the team that's held its opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the league. The top two teams crash the glass harder than anyone else in a showdown that has plenty of WCC and NCAA Tournament implications.
"It's not going to be a finesse game, it's going to be a war," said Ben Gregg after Gonzaga's 92-58 win over LMU. "The most physical team is going to win."
Watch Gregg break down the Bulldogs' matchup with the Gaels in the video above. Gregg's comments on the Saint Mary's matchup start at the 5:20 mark.
More must-reads: