Gonzaga vs. Pittsburgh Armed Forces Classic Betting Odds
Carrie Stroup here with your Gonzaga vs. Pittsburgh Armed Forces Classic betting odds. Sportsbook.ag Line: Gonzaga -5.5, Total: 139.5
GONZAGA BULLDOGS(0-0) vs. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (0-0)
No. 9 Gonzaga and Pittsburgh clash for the first time ever when they open the 2015 season as part of the Armed Forces Classic in Okinawa, Japan.
Two coaches with a consistent history of producing top-25 teams will match wits when Mark Few and Jamie Dixon bring their teams to the fourth installment of the Armed Forces Classic. Pittsburgh, ousted in the first round of the NIT last season, finished with a substandard 19-15 record, which is Dixon’s first season below 20 wins, which included finishing with five straight defeats. The Panthers return a good core (four players who averaged over 8.5 PPG) and add experience in the form of three solid graduate transfers as well.
Gonzaga had one of its best seasons in school history in 2014-15, finishing 35-3 and losing to eventual National Champion Duke in the Elite Eight as a No. 2 seed. Gone is the backcourt duo of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell, but coach Few will be able to boast arguably the best frontcourt in the nation.
Gonzaga was very strong in its non-conference schedule last season, going 12-1 SU before the NCAA Tournament with the only loss being by three at Arizona. Overall the Zags were 15-2 SU and 8-5-1 ATS in non-conference play, and at neutral sites, they were 9-1 SU and 4-5-1 ATS. Pittsburgh finished the non-conference season at 11-4 SU, but 3-8 ATS, including 2-2 SU and ATS on neutral courts. It should be noted that Pittsburgh, in general, was putrid ATS last season at 8-21-1 (28%).
Standout sophomore F Domantas Sabonis (9.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 68% FG) is day-to-day for Gonzaga after a hard fall on his back in the Bulldogs’ exhibition win on Nov. 7.
Led by PF Kyle Wiltjer (16.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG), C Przemek Karnowski (10.9 PPG, 62% FG, 5.8 RPG) and F Domantas Sabonis, the Bulldogs have one of the biggest and most skilled frontcourts in the nation. You could make an argument that Wiltjer is the most efficient shooter in the nation, considering his accuracy from the field (54%), from long range (48% threes) and steadiness at the stripe (79% FT). After transferring from Kentucky three years ago, this is the opportunity Wiltjer has been looking for with a starring offensive role. If his 33 points in Gonzaga’s exhibition is any indication, Wiltjer could contend for an Adam Morrison-esque season on offense (if he doesn’t sit out in the later minutes of too many WCC blowouts).
In the 7-foot-1, 290-pound Karnowski and the 6-foot-11, 240-poud Sabonis, the Bulldogs boast size that should own the glass on both ends. Both Sabonis and Karnowski have touch around the rim, and with increased responsibility on offense, both should push for averages that threaten double-double status.
The question for the Zags is who will fill the backcourt with the departures of Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell, and USC transfer Byron Wesley. Gonzaga was one of the top offensive teams in the nation last year, both from efficiency and production standpoints. Bell was one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation and Pangos was a perfect orchestrator on offense. Sophomore G Josh Perkins (5.0 PPG, 3.4 APG) showed lots of promise before a season-ending broken jaw last season. He’ll be given first crack at running the show with G Eric McClellan (1.9 PPG) hoping to produce more like he did when he was a double-figure scorer at Vanderbilt. Senior G Kyle Dranginis (4.1 PPG) has been a solid role player off the bench for Mark Few, but now he needs to produce even more in a starting role.
Returning to the usual 20+ wins norm for Jamie Dixon’s Panthers will be easier if Pittsburgh’s less-heralded emerging frontcourt players take the next step. In F Jamel Artis (13.6 PPG, 4 RPG, 2.3 APG) and F Michael Young (13.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG), Dixon has two juniors that have all-league potential. Artis, in particular, really turned it on in mid-January, where he reeled off a run of 17 straight double-figure scoring outputs and averaged 18.2 PPG (51% FG) and 6.8 RPG in that stretch. Young, who played undersized at center last season, will be able to move over to his natural power forward spot with the addition of graduate transfer C Rafael Maia, who averaged close to a double-double (9.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG) last season at Brown.
Speaking of graduate transfers, the Panthers have two more new contributors of note that will be spending their final year of eligibility in Pittsburgh -- G Sterling Smith (13.9 PPG, 2.5 threes per game), a sharpshooter from Coppin State and F Alonzo Nelson-Ododa (6.6 PPG, 1.7 BPG), a rim protector from Richmond. Nelson-Ododa, Maia and Young hope to bring Dixon’s Panthers back to the smash-mouth physical brand which has defined the Panthers at their best this past decade.
Returning to the backcourt is starting PG James Robinson (8.9 PPG, 5.1 APG) who is steady, but frankly has underwhelmed given the big expectations that came with him as a top-100 recruit two seasons ago. The Panthers could be a much more explosive offense if Robinson’s shot (36.7% FG, 29.8% threes) improves. Junior G Chris Jones (8.5 PPG) has shown flashes of offense in his career and will battle with the aforementioned Smith and highly-touted freshman G Damon Wilson for playing time in the backcourt.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
