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“Blue blood” is a term that is often used in college basketball, one that describes the most elite and prestigious programs in the sport. The blue blood schools are considered to be Kansas, UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana and UCLA. Fans think highly of these programs because they have done so much winning throughout their histories. Two teams that have staked claims to earn that distinction over the last couple of decades are UConn and Gonzaga. They've emerged as two of the best programs in the country during the 21st century, both dominant in multiple recent seasons.
After winning the NCAA title last season, UConn moved into fourth place all-time in national championships with five. All five of those have come since 1999, easily the most in college basketball over that span. The Huskies have proven they warrant blue blood status just as much as any other program. Gonzaga doesn't have the rings to match UConn, and are a ways away from actually being a blue blood. But year in and year out the Zags are among the top teams in the nation, regularly getting the upper hand on established traditional powers.
Neither program plays in a power-five conference, and some people think lesser of them because of it, but UConn and Gonzaga do a lot of winning regardless. The schools are set to face off in an intriguing regular season matchup, and below, we will explain how you can watch the battle between the Huskies and Bulldogs.
When and where is UConn vs. Gonzaga?
UConn and Gonzaga will play each other on Friday, December 15th, at 7:00 p.m. (PT). The game will be in a neutral location, taking place at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
How to watch UConn vs. Gonzaga
The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, and you can catch a live stream on fuboTV.
Date: Friday, Dec. 15 | Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Climate Pledge Arena — Seattle, Washington
TV channel: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
UConn storylines
The defending champion UConn Huskies have come out of the gates hot this year. With a 9-1 record, they rank fifth in the AP Poll. Gonzaga is the number 10 ranked team in the nation.
So far, UConn is 1-1 against top-10 teams. They lost to Kansas but bounced back in the following game against North Carolina. Most recently, UConn had arguably their best game of the season, blowing out Arkansas-Pine Bluff 101-63. Their last victory was by a score of 101-63 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Huskies lost a lot of their stars from last season to the NBA, but still have plenty of players with a championship pedigree. Donovan Clingan was a bench player for the Huskies last year, but he is anchoring the defense with the starters now. The big man is one of the best rim protectors in country and has also increased his scoring production, up to 13.2 points per game. Tristen Newton was also on last year's squad. After averaging 10.1 points per game a year ago, he's UConn's leading scorer at at 17.0 points per game this season.
UConn also has plenty of reinforcements who have filled the void of their departed players nicely. Cam Spencer played for Loyola and Rutgers before joining the Huskies this year, and now he is UConn's second-leading scorer (15.8 points per game). Solomon Ball is also a star freshman on the team. Ball has started eight games this season and is playing 25.3 minutes per game.
Gonzaga storylines
Gonzaga might not have as much NBA-level talent at the top of their roster as they usually do, but still have a deep team and are capable of winning any time they take the floor.
Five players are averaging double figures on Mark Few's team. Graham Ike scores 14.2 points per game, while Anton Watson is scoring 13.9 points per game. The duo combine for 16.1 rebounds per game and form one of the best rebounding front courts in the nation.
Ryan Nembhard is also on the team and playing well. The brother of former Gonzaga star and current Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard is scoring 11.8 points per game.
Gonzaga was a three seed for March Madness last year, while UConn was a four-seed. They played each other in the Elite Eight, and Gonzaga was embarrassed by the Huskies. UConn beat the Zags 82-54 in one of the most disappointing games in Gonzaga history. Memories of that game will surely motivate Gonzaga this year, but they are still the underdogs as the lower-ranked team.
Who do you think will win between UConn and Gonzaga?
