The Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-1) and the Kentucky Wildcats (5-3) will face each other at Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday. Both the Bulldogs and the Wildcats are among the top-20 college basketball teams this season, who are looking to rebound from some of their recent losses so far. So, how will these two teams fare against each other? Let’s find out.
Music City Madness.
Zags 🆚 Wildcats
🕓4 pm PT
📍Nashville, TN
🏟️ @BrdgstoneArena
📺ESPN2
💻Video: https://t.co/Eyxr97eWxN
📻Radio: 590 AM and 96.1 FM | SiriusXM – 162https://t.co/Gwtht2svuC
📊Stats: https://t.co/kxRy0qjct3 pic.twitter.com/wGjc4zGEcv— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 5, 2025
Prediction
Gonzaga dropped from first to fifth in KenPom ratings after a 40-point blowout loss to Michigan, despite dominating its other seven games by double digits. The Bulldogs have built their identity around defense, ranking eighth nationally in defensive efficiency.
Their length and communication makes them a disruptive unit, forcing turnovers on 21% of possessions while holding opponents to just 47% shooting on 2s and 27% on 3s. With every starter standing at least 6-foot-3, and defensive specialists like Jalen Warley and Emmanuel Innocenti coming off the bench, Gonzaga’s size and athleticism make scoring against it a challenge.
Offensively, Gonzaga relies heavily on interior play through Graham Ike and Braden Huff, who average 15.0 and 15.8 points per game, respectively. Huff has been efficient at 62% shooting, while Ike’s 48% reflects an increased volume of jumpers.
However, the team’s biggest limitation is inconsistent perimeter shooting, where the Zags are hitting just 32% from 3, with only Mario Saint-Supery (45%) providing steady spacing. Adam Miller’s performance could be the X-factor, as his streaky shooting can swing games if he finds rhythm from beyond the arc.
Kentucky entered the season with big expectations and NIL-fueled buzz, but injuries, Mark Pope’s worrying comments, and poor showings against three top-25 opponents have raised serious doubts about a quick turnaround.
The Wildcats may again be shorthanded, with point guard Jaland Lowe battling a shoulder issue, defensive anchor Jayden Quaintance coming off an Achilles tear, and Mo Dioubate also banged up, forcing Pope to lean on Collin Chandler, Otega Oweh, and Denzel Aberdeen to run the offense.
Even if Lowe plays after reportedly practicing in full, his true health and effectiveness against Gonzaga’s intense ball pressure and ball-screen blitzes remain unclear.
On the perimeter, Gonzaga’s elite defender Tyon Grant-Foster is expected to hound Oweh. This could limit Kentucky’s top scoring option, further squeezing a Wildcats offense that has already gone through alarming droughts, including a 1-of-13 night from 3 and an 11-minute scoreless stretch against North Carolina, whose defense rates worse than Gonzaga’s in KenPom.
While Kentucky’s identity is supposed to be defense, ranking 13th in efficiency, it has still allowed at least 1.05 points per possession to Michigan State, Louisville and UNC, making it hard to see how this version of the Wildcats consistently scores on the Zags or strings together enough stops to truly “bounce back” in this spot.
ESPN’s matchup predictor favors a 53.2% chance for Gonzaga to clinch this matchup.
Lineup
Gonzaga Lineup
PG: Mario Saint-Supery
SG: Adam Miller
SF: Tyon Grant-Foster
PF: Braden Huff
C: Graham Ike
Kentucky Lineup
PG: Jaland Lowe
SG: Otega Oweh
SF: Denzel Aberdeen
PF: Kam Williams
C: Jayden Quaintance
Injuries
For the Gonzaga Bulldogs, there are no injuries to report and the team is expected to field its roster in full strength. However, for Kentucky, there might be some injury concerns that might limit the minutes of some of its players or see them sit out entirely for this game.
Kentucky has struggled with injury and is without key players such as Mouhamed Dioubate, Jaland Lowe, and Jayden Quiantance. Dioubate, who has been the starting choice for forward, is sidelined due to a high ankle sprain, which coach Mark Pope described as a “a torn ligament.” He is set to sit out Friday and perhaps could be fielded next week.
Jaland Lowe could be a game-time decision as he is still recovering from a shoulder injury. He has done some live practice and coach Pope suggests that he has been showing signs of practice in live practice.
Quaintance, on the other hand, is also recovering nine months post-ACL surgery and has been ‘killing it’ in key strength tests. Coach Pope plans to bring him back ‘slowly’ which could mean his availability could also be a game-time decision.
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