NCAAB Game Preview - Florida at Gonzaga

Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:47 PM EST

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The first ranked matchup of the Phil Knight Invitational comes between No. 7 Florida and No. 17 Gonzaga in the second round of the "Motion" bracket of the Phil Knight 80 Invitational on Friday.

The teams couldn't be more evenly match as they enter the game averaging more than 94 points per game and holding opponents to 68 points per game.

Florida (4-0) lit up Stanford on Thursday in the first round, powering to a 108-87 victory. The Gators shot 15 of 22 from beyond the arc, led by leading scorer's Egor Koulechov 5-of-5 performance from 3-point range.

"Honestly, I've been really comfortable with these guys from day one," said Koulechov, a graduate transfer from Rice. "The coaching staff and the players have done a really good job of helping me to adjust after coming from another school to make the transition easier for me. And how we play on the court, it's really unselfish and it's fun to be around that."

Koulechov finished with 26 points Thursday as Florida led from start to finish. Four other Gators notched double-figure point totals in the win.

"If you watched them tonight, they were very, very impressive," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the Gators. "Obviously, the way they shot the ball tonight, the way they got out in transition was incredibly impressive."

Meanwhile, Gonzaga (4-0) cruised in its first-round game, soundly defeating Ohio State 86-59.

Johnathan Williams had a game-high 21 points for the Bulldogs, while Josh Perkins chipped in 20, including a 6-of-9 performance on 3-point attempts. Gonzaga went to a 2-3 zone in the game, limiting Ohio State down low and not allowing the Buckeyes many open shots.

"Like any zone, you're good at it if you're big and long and active -- and they're all of that," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said of Gonzaga.

Where the teams differ is in point production.

Florida has three players -- Koulechov, Jalen Hudson and KeVaughn Allen -- averaging in double figures. As a team, the Gators shoot the 3-ball extremely well, converting over 40 percent of their attempts on the year.

"We have to take away the 3-pointer -- especially after the way they shot it tonight," Perkins said. "We've taken threes away from previous teams, and we hope to do the same tomorrow."

With Gonzaga, six players are averaging double figures, led by Perkins' 13.3 points per game. The Zags really like to spread the ball around, often taking advantage of defenses when they are stretched this across the court. Killian Tillie could give the Gators problem, as the 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Florida will have the slight advantage of getting an extra couple of hours of rest. Gonzaga's game was the last to go final on Thursday, ending around 11:40 p.m. Pacific time.

"In tournaments as great as this, you don't get a lot of time," Few said. "We've got to move on and get ready for a big one tomorrow."

The winner of the Friday game will advance to the championship of the "Motion" bracket where it will face either No. 1 Duke or Texas on Sunday.