[1:32 PM] #21 Iowa State v. #11 Gonzaga

Who will WIN this matchup?

#21 Iowa State Cyclones (5-0)

#11 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0)

• Despite its Pacific Northwest roots, Gonzaga appears to be right at home every time it makes the trip to the AdvoCare Invitational at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The 11th-ranked Bulldogs attempt to win this event for the third time in as many tries Sunday when they face No. 22 Iowa State in the first meeting between the schools.

• Following an opening-round 20-point win over Quinnipiac on Thursday, the Bulldogs improved to 8-0 in Lake Buena Vista after overcoming an early 11-point deficit to defeat Florida 77-72 on Friday. The Cyclones have enjoyed similar recent success in regular-season tournaments regardless of venue, winning two of the last three such events they have entered and finishing second in the other. Iowa State rebounded from a poor shooting performance (season-low 34.2 percent) in Thursday’s two-point win over Indiana State and had a much easier time Friday, collecting its 12th in-season tournament victory in 13 tries with Friday’s 73-56 triumph over Miami (Fla.).

• Deonte Burton (11 points, 7.8 rebounds), who struggled as much as any Iowa State player Thursday (4-for-15 from the field, 0-for-4 beyond the arc), bounced back by going 8-for-16 and hitting both of his 3-pointers en route to a team-high 21 points. Leading scorer Monte Morris (16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, six assists per game) was limited to six points and 22 minutes against Miami due to foul trouble, but backup point guard Donovan Jackson came through with eight points in 18 minutes.

• The Bulldogs overcame their fair share of adversity and displayed their depth Friday, getting a combined 14-of-18 effort from the field and 34 points from Josh Perkins and Johnathan Williams to compensate for the losses of starters Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski as well as freshman reserve Killian Tillie to fouls. Williams (11.8 points), 7-foot freshman Zach Collins (11.8) and Karnowski (11.6) are three of five players scoring at least 11 points per game, all three of whom are doing so averaging less than 22 minutes. Silas Melson (8.6) aided Gonzaga’s rally against the Gators by scoring 10 of his 12 points in the second half, although the junior guard is one of three Bulldog regulars shooting 42.5 percent or worse from the field.

• Five players average at least 5.2 boards for Gonzaga, which enjoys a plus-10.2 rebounding margin.
 

StreakSmarts Pick: #11 Gonzaga Bulldogs

Confidence: 5/10