Gonzaga's Mark Few After Win Over Kentucky: 'I Thought We Were the Toughest Team Tonight'

There’s no question that Gonzaga was the tougher team in Kentucky’s 94-59 loss to the Zags. That wasn’t a surprise for Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. It was a priority.

“We just wanted to get back to trying to be the toughest team,” Few told the Field of 68 postgame. “I thought we were the toughest team tonight.”

Gonzaga dominated Friday’s game in nearly every statistic. The Zags outrebounded Kentucky 43-31, shot 57 percent from the field compared to 27 percent from Kentucky, forced more turnovers, and dished out double the assists.

Joined NOW by @ZagMBB head coach Mark Few! 👀

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— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) December 6, 2025

Mark Pope: ‘We Were Really Physical, and We Were Tentative’

Kentucky coach Mark Pope saw that contrast between his team and Gonzaga’s on Friday. The Zags set the tone early.

“It felt like we came out, and I think they were really trying to be physical. They were really trying to get in contact,” Pope said. “I felt like we were really physical and we were really tentative. That’s something we have to figure out.”

Kentucky’s early issues with tentativeness and physicality were a reason for Gonzaga being able to climb out to a 19-2 lead in the first half. They were off and running from there.

“It’s almost like we got ourselves into a space where we were a little bit paralyzed offensively,” Pope said. “I don’t have a lot more than that right now. I felt like we struggled to get downhill, struggled to turn the corner, and struggled to be on our toes on the offensive end. We’ll figure it out.”

Kentucky Prioritized Toughness This Offseason

Kentucky built its 2025-26 roster with an emphasis on physicality. When KSR+ talked to several anonymous SEC head coaches this offseason, physicality was mentioned as a focus for Kentucky.

“I felt like they swung the pendulum way the other way and prioritized toughness over everything in this cycle because that’s what they were lacking last year,” one coach said.

One coach thought that Mark Pope would be able to adjust to Kentucky’s change in player personnel. Even if they prioritized toughness, that doesn’t mean it can’t work.

“He’s not dumb. He’s a good coach,” one coach said. “I’m sure he’s working on that. Will they simplify it? Will they make it a bit more smash mouth to play to players’ strengths? That’s the feeling I get. They better be tough. When you pay the amount of money they paid to put that roster together, they better win at a high level.”