Breaking Down Gonzaga’s Talented Roster
Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Last night, Gonzaga showcased why they are considered as one of Mark Few’s most talented teams ever in their 72-56 dismantling of Larry Brown’s SMU Mustangs, who are ranked 22nd in the nation.
Here’s a breakdown of what makes the Bulldogs so damn good.
Size
SMU, who is playing without all-conference big man Marcus Kennedy for the first semester, simply had no answer for Gonzaga’s size. The Bulldogs started the game pounding the ball inside to 7-foot-1, 290 pound Przemek Karnowski. The Polish big man did a very nice job of keeping plays alive and methodically finishing in traffic at the rim. His early dominance caused the SMU defense to load the box, which opened up shots on the perimeter for Kevin Pangos. Defensively, although he got into foul trouble as a result of some questionable calls, Karnowski did of very nice job of changing shots and staying vertical. He struggles to prevent guys from going around him but he does a nice job of using his massive size to compensate and recover.
Mark Few starts 6-foot-10 sharp shooter Kyle Wiltjer alongside Karnowski. The former McDonald’s All-American has looked good in Gonzaga’s first two games after sitting out last season following his transfer from Kentucky. While his physique still looks wildly pubescent in comparison to many of his chisled peers, he’s moving much more fluidly than he did at Kentucky. His upper body is weak but his base has filled out considerably and he looks much more balanced and athletic as a result. He struggles to finish against size but he’s a good decision maker, an excellent shooter, and shows very good touch on short runners and hooks. Defensively, strength is again an issue but his length and fundamentals are both solid.
The most exciting player of Gonzaga’s talented frontline is 6-foot-10 freshman Domatas Sabonis. (Yes, he’s the son of a basketball legend but more importantly he’s a very good basketball player.) The things that stand out the most about him are his nose for the basketball and his doggedness. Sabonis is an excellent rebounder. Through two games he is averaging 8.5 rebounds in 20 minutes a contest. He simply has great instincts and tenacity when it comes to collecting missed shots and, like his father, he’s good at tipping rebounds to himself. He’s also the most athletic of Gonzaga’s big men, moving very well in transition and showing considerable quickness in terms chasing down rebounds and spinning to the basket.
Defensively, Sabonis is strong enough to hold his own in the paint, and he cares. It’s early but so far his defensive rating is the best on the team. He’s very aggressive and it looks like it’s going to take him a while to figure out how to stay out of foul trouble, but there are worse problems than having an overly active big man. Offensively he hasn’t showed the most complex arsenal but he executes the pick-and-roll very well and his footwork in terms of simple drop steps through and around defenders is excellent. He certainly didn’t look like a guy who was playing in only his second collegiate contest, a lot of which comes from his experience playing (as an amateur) 10 minutes a game last season in the ultra-competitive ACB Spanish pro league.
Leadership
The thing you really have to like about this team is that guys know their roles. They’re led by three starting senior guards in Byron Wesley, Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. The latter two are clearly the leaders of the team. Pangos grew up idolizing fellow Canadian Steve Nash and you can see it in the way he distributes the ball and controls the game. He spent much of last season dealing with turf toe and an ankle injury. This season, a completely healthy and confident Pangos is having a much easier time getting past defenders and creating space for himself. Last night he torched the Mustangs for 17 points, five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Bell Jr. is a guy who plays good defense and does a bunch of the small things that help teams win games. Byron Wesley is probably the team’s most versatile defender. The USC transfer, who is taking advantage of the graduate transfer rule which allows him to play immediately, led the Trojans in scoring last season. Moreover, he’s a very good rebounder for a wing, pulling down 6.5 rebounds a game last season. Most importantly, he endured a lot of terrible basketball at Southern Cal and he’s been extremely open about the fact that he’s willing to step into a new role this season; so long as it helps the team win games.
Shooting
The Bulldogs starting lineup is loaded with excellent three-point shooters. Last season, the starting backcourt of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. combined to shoot 41.7% on 335 three-point attempts. In last night’s game, Pangos connected on 5-for-8 threes. Additionally, starting power forward Kyle Wiltjer is a 39.3 % career three-point shooter on 239 attempts. Off the bench, backup guard Kyle Dranginis shot 39 percent from behind the arc last season, and freshman four-star recruit Josh Perkins is sitting at 42.9% early on.
Depth
Mark Few can easily field a ten-man rotation this season. Sixth man Domantas Sabonis is the team’s third leading scorer so far at 13.9 points a game. Freshman point guard Josh Perkins is still getting his feet wet but the 56-ranked recruit in this season’s ESPN 100 is a good passer and play maker who will improve for the Bulldogs as the season progresses. Experienced backup big man Angel Nunez came in last night with two immediate buckets and a blocked shot in the first half when Sabonis and Karnowski went to the bench with foul trouble.
Finally, 6-foot-4 guard Eric McClellan will join the team once the second semester starts. McClellan led the Vanderbilt Commadores in scoring at 14.3 points per game before he was dismissed from the team for a violation of university policy. This is obviously a red flag but if Mark Few can keep him in line, McClellan will be yet another talented addition to the roster.
Coaching
Managing this much talent is never easy but if anyone is up for the task it’s Mark Few. Coach Few has led the Bulldogs to sixteen straight NCAA appearances. The strategy of pounding the ball inside early, which in turn created open looks on the perimeter, worked to perfection in dismantling the Mustangs.
It’s hard to believe that there are 12 better teams in the country than the Gonzaga Bulldogs. After last night’s romping, SMU coach and basketball legend Larry Brown said, succinctly, of the Bulldogs, “They’re deep. They’ve got great guard play. They’ve got depth and size”. He finished that up with: “I love ’em.”
Overall
It’s a long season ahead but so far the new seems to be meshing quite well with the old. Gonzaga isn’t loaded with NBA talent but they’re absolutely stacked with college players who care about winning.
We’ll be keeping an eye on Sabonis as the season goes on. He turned down a lucrative deal in Spain to enjoy the college basketball experience and develop his individual skill set under the tutelage of Mark Few. So far he’s been better than advertised and his toughness, instincts and athleticism all look very much the part of a quality NBA role player down the road.