It was known in advance that it wouldn’t be an easy task to defeat Mark Few’s team, which, despite some ups and downs, had a standout performance throughout the regular season in College Basketball.

This is why, after the game at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Sampson expressed his happiness not only for securing the victory but also for doing so against a worthy opponent like the Bulldogs.

“Let’s stop and congratulate Mark Few and Gonzaga,” Sampson said on the court. “For what they’ve accomplished, and been such a shining light for basketball programs and basketball coaches for a long, long time. There’s nobody I respect more than Mark Few, and there’s not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga. We beat a hell of a program tonight. That makes it even more significant.”

While in the lead-up to the game, the matchup against the Bulldogs was expected to be somewhat even, the reality was that the Cougars lived up to their status as contenders and didn’t give their opponent a chance to find their rhythm, sealing the victory with a narrow final score of 81-76.

Sampson’s gesture towards his opponents

Kelvin Sampson may be one of the most experienced coaches in College Basketball, but what sets him apart even more is his empathy towards his opponents, whether his teams win or lose.

One of the standout moments of the game in which his Cougars finally defeated Gonzaga came when the Houston coach approached Khalif Battle to comfort him, as he couldn’t hold back his sadness after the loss, in a rare, paternal gesture.

What’s next for the Cougars?

The Sweet 16 awaits with open arms for the Houston Cougars, who will next face the Purdue Boilermakers. The game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, March 28.

The Huskies held onto a three-point lead at the half. Then, when the Bulldogs threatened to make things interesting, they went on a 10-run to take care of business.

Hurley’s team wound up winning the game 77-71 in front of a packed arena. Following the win, he talked about this impressive milestone in his head coaching career, praising his players for it.

Dan Hurley sheds light on 300th career win

“To be able to beat a team of that caliber with Alex (Karaban) having a bad shooting game,” Hurley said. “Solo (Ball) being in foul trouble and having a bad shooting game, I think it speaks to the makeup of these players. They’re the magic dust.”

Ball was in early foul trouble and was just 2-of-7 from the floor. Karaban, on the other hand, shot 30% from the floor and missed all of his seven three-pointers. Still, the team rallied together.

Hurley spent eight years at Wagner and Rhode Island before arriving in Connecticut back in 2018. Now, with 149 wins in charge of the Huskies, his overall record sits at 300-166.

We’re talking about two of the strongest programs in all of college basketball, and while the AP Rankings show a big gap between them, it shouldn’t be like that once the ball hits the deck.

Moreover, there will be more at stake than just their record or bragging rights. Dan Hurley knows that he needs to stop Gonzaga star G Ryan Nembhard to honor his brother.

Dan Hurley vows to protect his brother’s record from Ryan Nembhard

Nembhard is currently averaging a whopping 10.7 assists per game. With that in mind, Hurley talked about slowing him down to make sure he doesn’t break his brother’s record:

“His speed and the offense that he generates for his team, and he’s assisting at such an incredibly high rate that I had my people just check to make sure he couldn’t catch my brother [former Duke Blue Devils point guard Bobby Hurley, who owns the NCAA men’s all-time assists record with 1,076 assists],” the coach said.

The coach then broke down Nembhard’s game and numbers, and while he knows his brother’s record might not be within reach, he has to do his part to limit his playmaking opportunities:

“I saw he’s averaging double-figures in assists … but it looks like Bob’s safe, unless [Nembhard]’s got a COVID year or something potentially. But yeah, he’s one of the best point guards in the country,” Hurley added. “He creates all types of problems for you in transition, in the ball-screen game and his ability to put pressure into defense. But overall they have a great, great offense.”

Of course, slowing down a player like Nembhard will be way easier said than done. But if someone can crack down the code, that might definitely be Dan Hurley.

The first-year coach talked about the upcoming matchup with the Gonzaga Bulldogs. While he trusts his team’s ability to get the job done, he knows how big a threat they pose.

That’s particularly true when talking about their star guard, Ryan Nembhard. The senior, who is Indiana Pacers’ star Andrew Nembhard’s younger brother, is one of the prime playmakers in the game.

Mark Pope is worried about Ryan Nembhard

“They’re a dangerous, dangerous team,” Pope said. “I mean Nembhard is, he’s I don’t know, he’s a 10.3 to one right now. 10.3 assists a game. 10 to one assist-turnover ratio, that’s ridiculous, those numbers are crazy and so they’re really potent.”

Nembhard hasn’t been as explosive on offense as he’s been in previous seasons, but he’s become a much more consistent three-point shooter, knocking down 45% of his shots from beyond the arc.

On top of that, he’s leading all of college basketball with a whopping 10.8 assists per game, logging a 6.14 assist-to-turnover ratio and averaging 1.9 steals per game as well.

Kentucky cannot overlook Gonzaga

The Wildcats are once again expected to be one of the marquee teams in college basketball, but Mark Few’s Gonzaga is fresh off a 90-65 route of the Davidson Wildcats.

Even so, Kentucky can afford to go all-in in their next matchup, as they have Colgate on deck after this game. Gonzaga, on the other hand, can be caught looking ahead, as they will meet UConn next.

In the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Gonzaga started with victories over Grand Canyon (82-70) and TCU (84-81). Then, in the famous Sweet 16, the Bulldogs sent a strong message to the entire nation by beating favorite UCLA in a thrilling 79-76 contest.

Drew Timme was spectacular with 36 points and 13 rebounds and, as a consequence, thousands of fans started wondering if he will go to the NBA after March Madness 2023. Read here to find out what’s the future for the star of Gonzaga.

Is Drew Timme going to the NBA?

Drew Timme already announced that he will go to the NBA in 2023. “I’ve done my four years. I’m a senior and I’m moving on.” A few weeks ago, Timme made that statement toSeth Davis of The Athletic.

There was a lot of uncertainty around Drew Timme, because he had another year of elegibility at Gonzaga due to the adjustments in college basketball after the pandemic. In 2022, Timme was really close of entering the NBA Draft, but, in the last minute, he withdrew to play his senior year with the Bulldogs.

Now, regardless of what happens in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, Drew Timme will not return to Gonzaga for a fifth and final year. Timme is a three-time All-American and won twice Player of the Year in the West Coast Conference. Again, as it happened prior to his decision in 2022, the scouts don’t favor him.

The 2023 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22nd at Barclays Center in New York. Even with his extraordinary performances in March Madness with Gonzaga, many experts predict Drew Timme might not be selected in the first round. According to their projections, he could be taken in the second round.

[Watch UCLA vs Gonzaga online free in the US on Fubo]

UCLA want the glory days back. After being a powehourse during the 60s and the 70s, the Bruins haven’t won a national title since 1995. Furthermore, that’s their only NCAA championship in almost five decades. Now, following a 31-5 record, they are big candidates in the tournament. So far in March Madness, UCLA defeated UNC Asheville (86-53) and Northwestern (68-63).

Gonzaga have never won a national championship, but, in the last few years, they’ve been really close. The Bulldogs were runners-up twice (2017, 2021) and this is the last chance for great players in the program such as Drew Timme. In the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Gonzaga have victories over Grand Canyon (82-70) and TCU (84-81). They’re two-point underdogs against UCLA.

When will UCLA vs Gonzaga be played?

The UCLA Bruins face off against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday, March 23at 9:45 PM (ET). The game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of Sweet 16 in theNCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

UCLA vs Gonzaga: Time by State in the US

ET: 9:45PM
CT: 8:45PM
MT: 7:45 PM
PT: 6:45 PM

How to watch UCLAvs Gonzagain the US

The game between UCLA and Gonzaga in March Madness 2023will be available to watch or live stream on Fubo (7-day free trial)for the US. Another optionif you don’t want to miss this West Region matchupin the United States is CBS.

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The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues with eight more games, but Gonzaga vs UCLA might be at the center stage. These two teams will be fighting for a place in the final of the West region, so this Sweet 16 clash could be huge. The winner will face either Arkansas or UConn in the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga currently posses the best streak of all the remaining teams, having 11 wins in a row. Their offense has been unstoppable, being ranked first as the most efficient in the nation with 123 points per 100 possessions. They have scored at least 77 points in their last 11 games, averaging 90.6 points scored per match during that span.

UCLA have emerged as a big rival, having won 14 of their last 15 matchups. Their defense has been their best side, ranking as the second most efficient with a stat line of 87.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. In their last 15 games, they conceded an average of 59.4 points, and only two teams were able to top the 70-point mark against them in that period.

This game appears as a very close one with two great teams, but UCLA might have the edge. Bet On Gonzaga vs UCLA & Get Up To $1,000 Paid Back In Bonus Bets If Your First Bet Loses.