Zags are Comfortable in Road Blues

Tonight at 6:45pm the 10th-seeded Zags will tip off their 9th consecutive NCAA Tournament against 7th-seeded Indiana. Zag faithful from all around Seattle are set to gather at Spitfire and other quality drinking establishments to witness the start of yet another tournament run.

Earlier this week the Gonzaga equipment manager was likely instructed to pack both the white uniforms and the road blues for the Zags trip to Sacramento. In the tournament, the lower seeded team always wears their dark uniforms so it's probably safe to say that the Zags will only need the road blues this weekend.

Wearing the blues has come to suit these guys just fine and we actually prefer to see the Zags cast as the hardwood underdog from SpO-cAne. Over their 10 total tournament appearances the Zags have made a name for the school by thriving in the underdog role. Their record as a lower seed is 8-5, while their record as the higher seed is merely 4-4. Upset wins over Stanford, Florida, St Johns, and Virginia have contributed to establishing the Zags among the nations elite college basketball programs.

Here are a few things to watch for on Thurday:
1. Savvy and Scrappy Guard Play: neither the Zags or the Hoosiers rely on getting big points from big guys inside, so whichever team can get hot from three point range and defend the three the best will have an immediate advantage. The Zags experience gives them the edge.

2. Game tempo: Indiana likes to slow the game down and keep the scoring in the 60's. The Zags like to get out and run and score somewhere in the high 70's. The team that can dictate the tempo will gain an advantage.

3. Heart: this Gonzaga team has really come a long way since the suspension of Josh Heytvelt. They have shown the desire to play even harder than their competition. NCAA games are often decided by only a couple of points, and the determination to dive for a loose ball or stretch that extra inch on a rebound can get an extra possession the Zags might need to get a second-round rematch vs. UCLA.