By
Keith Carmona
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Wildcats trying to avoid 2nd consecutive defeat
The UA men's basketball team doesn't know all that much about Gonzaga University, except for its basketball team's tendency to play well in big games.
When asked if he knew where Gonzaga was located, senior forward Michael Wright shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oregon, right?" in a guessing tone.
Gonzaga is actually from Spokane, Wash., but Wright was well aware of the Bulldogs' runs through the last two NCAA Tournaments.
So when No. 5 Arizona (3-1 overall) takes on the Bulldogs (3-0) in McKale Center tonight at 8, the Wildcats will have to avoid falling victim to another "Zag" upset.
"They play very intelligent basketball," UA head coach Lute Olson said. "We need to regain total basketball mentality because everyone around the country has seen that this team can be quite dangerous."
Members of the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga can thank Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton for placing them on the college basketball map in the early 1980s.
But an Elite Eight berth in 1998, a Sweet 16 run last season and a 59-43 upset at UCLA last year has established the Bulldogs as the David to the NCAA's Goliath.
UA junior forward Richard Jefferson isn't all that impressed with the success that Gonzaga has garnered of late.
"They play good in big games, but we're not too shabby in big games ourselves," Jefferson said. "That doesn't really faze us too much that they went into Pauley (Pavillion) and beat (UCLA). We went into Stanford and beat Stanford and we beat UCLA there. So we are just two good teams about to go into battle."
Senior forward Eugene Edgerson isn't so nonchalant.
"We just have to realize that no matter who we play, if they are ranked or not ranked, that Gonzaga is going to give us their best," he said. "If they bring their 'A-game,' we have to bring our 'A-plus-plus-game,' and that's the bottom line."
If Gonzaga is going to make a run at the Wildcats, they will have to rely heavily on the three-point shot.
Last season, the Bulldogs hit 260 three-pointers, which concerns the UA players and coaches - who admit that their perimeter defense against Purdue last week was sub-par.
Arizona allowed the Boilermakers to hit 44 percent of their three-pointers this past Saturday.
"We need to get to the point where defense is at a premium for us," Olson said. "I think in some cases there is a tendency to feel that 'If I'm good offensively, I am going to play.' We have got to get away from that.
"If we are going to be the team that we need to be as the season progresses, guys have to recognize that they need to play at two ends of the court. It doesn't do any good to score at one end and give up a bucket at the other."
To avoid an upset loss to Gonzaga, Arizona - playing without senior center Loren Woods - will have to use its height advantage in the post. The Bulldogs, members of the West Coast Conference, boasts only three regular players taller than 6-foot-4, which forces them to rely on the outside shot.
"They have done a great job in getting guys from (the Pacific Northwest) that fit," Olson said. "They play the style that they need to play, which is (having) good perimeter shooters, not great size. (Gonzaga) is going to get the 6-8 guys, not the 6-10 or 6-11 guys."
Though Gonzaga does carry a lofty reputation as giant-killers, it only returns one starter from last year's 29-9 squad.
Senior forward Casey Calvary, a preseason Wooden Award candidate, scored 13.4 points per game last season and has led the Bulldogs with 21.0 scoring average in their three wins thus far.
"Casey Calvary is a big strong guy inside," Olson said. "Because you have to extend on the perimeter to cover the shot, it opens up the inside. It is a nice balance of inside-outside."
