Since 2017, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have consistently been one of the best teams in college hoops. Rolling into an offseason that featured the departures of Drew Timme, Julian Strawther, Malachi Smith, Rasir Bolton, Dominick Harris, Efton Reid, and Hunter Sallis, there is reason to be skeptical about how well the Zags can compete in 2023-24.
However, none of that really matters. If there is one thing that Mark Few has shown time and time again over the past two decades, and especially as of late–the Zags are always ready to compete with the best of the best.
Gonzaga ruled the transfer portal
With as much as Gonzaga lost to greener pastures, everyone knew they were going to hit the transfer portal as hard as the rest of them. The Zags lost three starters in Timme, Strawther, and Bolton, and they found three new ones in Steele Venters, Ryan Nembhard, and Graham Ike.
That is by no means to say that the three incoming transfers are better than the three starting departures, but they all fit the needs of the Zags incredibly nicely.
Venters is a career 40.3 percent shooter from long range. Ike was one of the premier big men in 2021-2022 (he sat out last season due to injury), and Nembhard provides a consistent ability to help supplement Nolan Hickman in the backcourt.
Gonzaga isn’t going to open the preseason ranked in the top five, but on paper, this is a team that should be able to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament if it all comes together.
The supplemental pieces are also there
A team doesn’t need to have a 13-man rotation to win the NCAA Tournament. With a strong starting five and a few pieces to plug in as needed from the bench, a small core can power a team to the very end.
Little Ben Gregg could and should win WCC Sixth Man of the Year, following in Smith’s footsteps. The splashy three-point bombing forward plays basketball like the Energizer Bunny. He ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds last season behind Timme and Anton Watson, despite averaging just 11.9 minutes per game.
Timme had only kind words to say about Braden Huff, who should be able to slot in and take the time he needs to excel as the fourth forward off the bench.
Dusty Stromer looks like a dude with vintage Gonzaga locks who can shoot the ball like the Guard U greats.
As for Jun Seok Yeo? Well, he put up 25 points and 10 rebounds in the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup. He also has the additional advantage of having arrived at Gonzaga midway through last season. Don’t be too surprised to see him hit the ground running.
The Zags finally got Hickman some help
There is no denying that the Zags struggled with consistency from their sophomore point guard last season. We also don’t have to look back that far to note the similarities to Hickman’s season with another one of the all-time great Zag guards: Josh Perkins.
After losing his freshman year to injury, Perkins had the unceremonious task of taking over for Kevin Pangos, and did so on a lineup featuring plenty of guards (Silas Melson, Kyle Dranginis, Eric McClellan), but not another true point guard. Some great moments commenced, and plenty of ones to forget.
The next year, Perkins moved off the ball and was joined by Nigel Williams-Goss. The improvement was immediate, and Perkins was able to parlay that growth year into the all-time Gonzaga assists record.
The fire is on Hickman to improve, but now he will have some help in the backcourt to do so. Confidence is a real thing in sports. When it starts to get down, it can be hard to boost it back up. Hickman has shown he has potential. Now he has a chance to demonstrate it consistently on his own timeline. With Nembhard at his side, it should be a bit easier to accomplish.
Under the radar can be a good thing
March Madness is called March Madness for a reason. You have to go back to the Psycho T days of the 2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels to find the last team to be the AP Preseason #1 squad and cut down the championship nets.
Since then, the AP Preseason #1 squad has made the Final Four just three times (2014 Kentucky, 2015 Kentucky, 2021 Gonzaga). That 2014 UK squad also did so as a No. 8 seed!
The spotlight has been burning like the fire of 1,000 suns on Gonzaga. This season, it won’t be. That isn’t a bad thing. Gonzaga’s first NCAA Tournament doesn’t need to come with an undefeated season attached. Nor does it need to come from a No. 1 rated recruit.
It just needs to come from a group of dudes playing the best basketball possible for six games. Will it be this year? Probably not. But we can’t ignore it as if crazier things have not happened.
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