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The Report Card: Gonzaga passes its biggest WCC test

Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos celebrates a 3-point basket against BYU (AP)
Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos celebrates a 3-point basket against BYU (AP)

DATE: Saturday, Dec. 27

A — Gonzaga

What should be the toughest challenge it faces in WCC play is now behind Gonzaga before the calendar even turns to January. The Zags rallied for an 87-80 victory at BYU on Saturday evening in a battle between the perennial WCC favorite and probably its biggest challenger this season.

Gonzaga led by 16 in the first half and trailed by six midway through the second half, but the Zags closed out the game with a Kevin Pangos-led surge. The point guard scored 18 points in the second half and hit a trio of huge threes that silenced a roaring BYU crowd and flipped momentum to Gonzaga's side.

It's certainly not a foregone conclusion Gonzaga will go unbeaten in WCC play — winning at Saint Mary's and San Diego will be a challenge and the Zags have a history of dropping an unexpected road game somewhere against an opponent more motivated than they are. Nonetheless, Gonzaga will be a heavy favorite in every game it plays from now until the postseason and will have a good chance to enter March Madness with just one loss at Arizona.

A- — Tyler Ulis

Kentucky coach John Calipari may opt to keep Andrew Harrison in the starting five for the purposes of team chemistry, but it's clear he's not the point guard the unbeaten Wildcats will have on the floor late in the rare close games they play this season. Tyler Ulis earned the right to play in this moments with his performance in Kentucky's 58-50 road victory at Louisville on Saturday.

The smallest player on the court came up huge, providing the offensive spark the Wildcats needed to win a battle between the nation's two best defenses. Ulis stabilized a turnover-prone offense and delivered a team-high 14 points, all but two of which came in the decisive second half when the Wildcats turned a one-possession game into built a fairly comfortable win.

Playing with a gash adjacent to his right eye suffered via a first-half elbow, Ulis hurt Louisville in all facets of the game. He got into the middle of Louisville's aggressive extended zone and made smart choices with the ball. He thrived as a spot-up shooter, sinking two huge second-half threes. And he played excellent defense on shot-happy Louisville point guard Chris Jones, helping hold him to 3 of 15 from the field.

B+ — Josh Smith

Tempting as it had to have been to start foul-plagued Josh Smith in the second half with Georgetown trailing Indiana by 10 points, Hoyas coach John Thompson III made a wise decision not bringing his mammoth center into the game until 14 minutes remained. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera kept Georgetown competitive until that point and then Smith's presence provided the Hoyas the boost they needed to eke out a 91-87 victory in overtime.

Smith had 12 of his 14 points in the second half and changed the complexion of the game, forcing Indiana to double him in the post and opening up opportunities for his teammates on the perimeter. He also grabbed six rebounds and tallied two steals and a block, exactly the type of energetic, active performance Georgetown needs from him.

Foul trouble remains an issue for Smith — he made a terrible decision over-contesting a first-half jump shot and he gets a tough whistle because of his massive size and strength. But if he can play 25 minutes per game for Georgetown and provide an interior complement to Smith-Rivera and the rest of the perimeter corps, the Hoyas could be the biggest threat to Villanova in a deep Big East.

B- — Colorado State

It was tougher than expected for Colorado State to stay unbeaten heading into Mountain West play. The Rams needed a go-ahead layup from J.J. Avila in the final minute of overtime to eke out a 58-57 victory in a game they trailed for much of regulation.

Both Colorado State and New Mexico State were shorthanded as starters Tiel Daniels and Daniel Mullings sat out the game. Avila picked up the slack with 19 points and 9 rebounds to help the Rams win on the road against an opponent whose 5-9 record is more a product of its heavyweight schedule than its shortcomings as a team.

Colorado State is now 13-0 and one of the last seven remaining unbeaten teams in the nation, though the Rams' schedule does not compare to the likes of Duke's or Kentucky's. The best teams Colorado State has beaten are Colorado, UTEP and Georgia State.

NOTES:

• In a battle of top mid-majors, Green Bay avenged a previous loss against Georgia State. The Phoenix pounded the visiting Panthers 78-61 behind 28 points from guard Carrington Love.

• Georgia needed three overtimes to survive against Mercer even though the Bears' best player Ike Nwamu suffered through a 2-for-14 shooting night. The 86-77 win was big for a Bulldogs team that is now 7-3 with decent wins against Seton Hall and Colorado.

• Who's the biggest threat to prevent Gonzaga, BYU and Saint Mary's from sweeping the top three spots in the WCC? Don't count out Portland, which improved to 10-3 with a 61-58 road win at San Diego. Volo Gerun had a big night with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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