In the last two matchups against Portland, a Gonzaga Bulldogs player has had a career night.
Malachi Smith had 27 points, his most in a Bulldogs uniform, while knocking down seven 3-pointers in 25 minutes off the bench in the Zags' 115-75 blowout victory last season in The Kennel. Two weeks later at Portland, Julian Strawther had a career-high 40 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the field to lead his team to an 82-67 victory.
So, could another player have a standout game against the Pilots?
Former Gonzaga All-American Dan Dickau believes that candidate to be none other than the Oregonian himself, Ben Gregg, who grew up just over 11 miles from the University of Portland in Clackamas. The 6-foot-10 junior has come on strong since his insertion into the starting lineup — 10.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting 53.8% from the field. He had 12 points in the matchup against Portland in Spokane last season, though he'll likely play significantly more minutes this time around.
"I’m looking for [Gregg] to have a breakout game," Dickau said on Gonzaga Nation. "And what better game than against your hometown team."
Dickau and Gonzaga Nation reporter Cole Forsman broke down Gonzaga's matchup with Portland and much more on an episode of Gonzaga Nation.
Produced by Christian Pedersen.
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