There will be a huge Thanksgiving Day showdown in the College Basketball landscape as number one Gonzaga takes on number six Kansas. Both of these teams have high hopes coming into the 2020-21 campaign. A lot of oddsmakers have both of these teams ranking high in the National Championship picture. This year, Thanksgiving Day will look different at home and on the court but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a much-anticipated matchup between two top teams.
A Top Ten Showdown On Thanksgiving Day
#1 Gonzaga
Gonzaga has risen to the top in the past few seasons. They made the National Championship Game in 2017 but haven’t been back since despite playing great basketball. The offense has been improving over the course of time by playing with speed and attacking the hoop. Playing transition ball has been one of the best parts of their game. Gonzaga is losing a key piece upfront in the form of Filip Petrusev. He was a big part of the transition game and averaged 17.5 points with just under eight rebounds a game. Even with the loss of Petrusev, head coach Mark Few believe they have a great replacement option with Drew Timme, who has shown great flashes as a freshman. Gonzaga would love to continue being the best offense in the country and it’s trending in that direction.
#6 Kansas
Last season, Kansas had a conference record of 12-1 while going 28-3 overall. They were one of the heavy favorites heading into March Madness until a global pandemic stopped the season. Kansas enters this season on a quest to pick up where they left off last season. Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike are two huge pieces lost to the NBA but they have some players that can step up to the plate. They are getting Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji back for another season while adding some highly thought of freshman to the roster. The Jayhawks defense last season was elite and should remain that way, even with the loss of a guy like Azubuike. Kansas will have a lot of strength up front and head coach Bill Self can shuffle up his gameplan as he sees fit. Don’t take this Kansas team lightly because they will make you pay.
The Outcome
In just day two of the College Basketball season, we’ll already see one of the best games of the season. Both teams will try and establish an identity early. Gonzaga will come into this game with what is projected to be one of the best if not the game offenses in the country. Kansas will come into this game with an elite defense. Each team will try to stick to their identity and play at their own pace. It will be hard to go against Gonzaga in this game but it will be a close one. Thanksgiving Day will feature a lot of good games but none better or bigger than the number one Bulldogs taking on the number six Jayhawks at 1:30 Eastern Time.
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