KENTUCKY vs GONZAGA: Who You Got?

Three.

Thats how many times Kentucky has played Gonzaga, ever, dating back to 02, but only once have the Wildcats defeated the Bulldogs.

Saturdays matchup at Climate Pledge Arena is a must-see game for college hoops fans: the No.

4 ranked Wildcats are looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season to Clemson; meanwhile, the No.

7 ranked Bulldogs have momentum after having beat Davidson by 25-points back in November.

Its also a battle of the Marks: Kentucky head coach Mark Pope, who is from Washington, revealed to UK Athletics that he knows the Zags head coach, Mark Few, pretty well,: I got to know coach pretty well.

Hes been a great friend, Pope said.

Hes one of the best people in the business.

Hes really special.

What hes done in basketball is almost unfathomable.

He puts together incredible teams every single year.

Hes got a really distinctive style.

But as for what goes down on the court, thats another story.

Despite the loss to the Tigers, Pope is feeling good about his squad after that game because he saw firsthand how theyre able to handle tough moments, even when things arent going their way.

In many ways, theyve stepped up to the plate even before the season began: with a new head coach and all eyes on them in this post-John Calipari era, Pope has been able to bring together a group of standouts that includes only one returner from last year, and mostly transfers (9), freshmen (3) and a walk-on.

The rebuild has been real, but dont sleep, this new-look squad has serious game: as of writing this, the Wildcats are leading the nation in points (92.9) and are fourth in the AP Top 25.

Their roster includes leading scorer Otega Oweh, who is averaging a career-high 16 points per game, as well as 1.3 assists and four rebounds, a smooth guard in graduate student Lamont Butler (3.9 apg) as well as Amari Williams holding it down on the boards with 10.9 per game.

Seasons are hard and thats why theyre great, Pope said.

What really is special is when you answer, when you ring the bell.

I think we have a locker room full of guys who can take on some adversity.

Wins or losses, I think they go into the locker room the same way, hungry to get better.

I think that bodes well for us throughout this season.

Theyll need to keep that same energy against Gonzaga, who boasts a talented roster and the best dime-dropper in the country, Ryan Nembhard, who is averaging 10.8 assists per game.

Are the odds in Kentuckys favor? Forget the parlays, well see what goes down tonight.

And if youre part of BBN, do we have a treat for you just in time for the holidays..

This article has been shared from the original article on slamonline, here is the link to the original article.