What Mark Few, Gonzaga players said about NCAA Tournament showdown with Kansas

Two blue bloods take centerstage Saturday when the 5-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the 4-seed Kansas Jayhawks in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Zags (26-7, 14-2 WCC) won their 15th-straight opening-round game on Thursday in an 86-65 victory over 12-seed McNeese State. Five players scored in double-figures, led by Graham Ike’s 16 points and 10 rebounds. Anton Watson nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The Jayhawks (23-10, 10-9 Big 12) endured a little more stress in their first-round matchup against 13-seed Samford, which came back from a 22-point deficit in the second half to make it a one-possession game in the final minutes. Kansas hung on for a 93-89 win behind Hunter Dickinson’s 19 points and 20 rebounds, while KJ Adams Jr. had 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field.

Saturday will be the third head-to-head meeting between Gonzaga and Kansas. The Zags won the latest battle, a 102-90 final, in the Fort Meyers Tip-Off in Florida in the 2020-21 season opener.

Mark Few, Graham Ike, Nolan Hickman and Ben Gregg addressed the media before Saturday’s 12:15 pm PST tip-off:

Thoughts on Kansas’ strengths from the players:

Ike: “This is something you dream about as a kid, playing against a great opponent like this. They’re a good team. We’ve got a good plan for them. It’s going to be a great match-up. It’s a great opportunity for us.”

Hickman: “Great all-around opportunity, like Graham just said. It’s something I’ve dreamed of, something I look forward to, growing up playing basketball, watching March Madness. These games are what it’s about. My squad’s ready for it.”

Gregg: “The history of Kansas speaks for itself with their great history. So being able to play against an opponent like that with such a rich history, what they’re doing this year, they’ve got a talented team.

To be able to step on the floor for them, it’s an honor for us. We’ve got a good game plan. Ready to get after it.”

Ike on approaching the matchup with Dickinson:

“Listen to our coaching staff, stick with the plan they’ve got for me, watch some film. Ultimately, just be prepared mentally and physically for the game. He’s a great player. Biggest difference is he’s left-handed from those other guys. He can stretch it out a little bit. He has a good touch around the rim. Good passer, great feel. Just stick to the game plan, listen to our staff, and we’ll be fine. We’ll be ready.”

Few on the turning point this season for the Zags:

“I think it was more a gradual process through kind of late January and February, where it started to kind of happen. We just started playing much, much better together. The guys have always had great chemistry and really liked each other. It’s been a very enjoyable team along those lines. I think it was just kind of figuring each other out, whether it was Graham and Ryan getting used to playing together more and more and the pick and roll and really understanding each other, Anton being able to -- again, figuring out he needs to assert himself more than he ever had to when we had Drew, Julian and guys like that. And then, also, obviously putting Ben in the starting lineup, playing the three bigs together, it took us a while to adjust to that. Once we did, we kind of ran with it.”