Andre Jackson reveals his impressions of Gonzaga

UConn will take on Gonzaga later this evening for the right to advance to the Final Four, and the Huskies have done their scouting homework on the Bulldogs. Junior guard Andre Jackson broke down his impressions of Gonzaga broadly, then delved into specifics on the Gonzaga roster.

He was pretty blunt.

“They’re the best offense in the country,” Jackson said. “They’re very efficient. They have a lot of different guys, a lot of different weapons.”

First and foremost the weapon you need to be most concerned about is star Drew Timme.

The 6-foot-10 Gonzaga forward is the leading scorer on the team, averaging 21.5 points per game. But he’s capable of having absolutely monster nights, just ask UCLA.

Timme was a terror in that Sweet 16 game, scoring 36 points and posting a double-double with 13 rebounds. He also dished out four assists and hard two blocked shots.

UConn is well aware that things sort of start and end with Timme.

“Definitely Drew Timme has been a very good player every year he’s been in college,” Jackson said. “We know what he brings to the table. Around him, he has a lot of people that can shoot the ball, some good role players.”

But Gonzaga hasn’t gotten where it is today simply being a one-man band. As good as Timme is, he’s had a whole lot of help all year long.

The Bulldogs have four players averaging at least 10 points per game this season, and any impressions of Gonzaga basically have to include how balanced the Zags can be.

Jackson singled out one of the others as a player that UConn will have to really be aware of based on how big a matchup problem he can be. That’s forward Anton Watson, who’s averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

“They’ve got No. 22, he’s a pretty good role player,” Jackson said of Watson. “They’ve got a lot of guys that fit his style of play. They’re a really good offensive team, but we’re a good defensive team as well. Really, we’re just going to go out there, try to disrupt their rhythm of their offense and stick to our script and what we do.”

That’s worked pretty well for UConn in the tournament so far.

UConn and Gonzaga will meet in the late game on Saturday night, tipping off at 8:49 ET with a national broadcast on TBS.