Our recruit and return series continues with a look at the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who lost in the Sweet 16 to Florida State. Here’s a look at what 2018-19 could hold for Mark Few and the Bulldogs:
Possible 2018-19 starting five:
G: Josh Perkins
G: Zach Norvell
Who is lost: Johnathan Williams recorded a four-year career spanning two seasons each at Missouri and Gonzaga, and, rather incredibly, started every game his teams played over that span except one. Portland native Silas Melson became a Bulldogs starter as a senior and averaged 18.5 points per game against Portland and 7.9 against the rest of the WCC.
Who is added: After sitting out last season, San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke will be eligible. Clarke is a 6-foot-8 post player who’s a bit of a throwback. In two full seasons as a Spartan, he attempted just nine 3-pointers. Yet he was a highly efficient scorer nonetheless, one who connected on 58 percent of his 2s as a sophomore and did so at a high volume. In addition, Few has signed two freshmen: Filip Petrusev, a 6-foot-11 center who is ranked No. 52 in the ESPN 100, and Greg Foster Jr., a 6-foot-6 shooting guard.
What it means for next season: If you’ve seen Gonzaga play this season, you’ve already caught glimpses of what we think we’ll see in 2018-19. There have been a small number of possessions where Williams and Melson have both sat, and the Bulldogs still appear more or less as mighty as ever on those occasions. Assuming Few can hang on to every non-senior from 2017-18, next season has the clear potential to be still another national championship-contending year for the Bulldogs. Start with Tillie, who in the span of just two seasons has blown up into something akin to a lower-shot-volume Jock Landale, who’s additionally a deadly 3-point shooter. Zach Norvell and Corey Kispert took turns starting alongside Melson this season, meaning Few had to choose between the freshman who makes 64 percent of his 2s (Norvell) or the one who shoots “just” 62 percent (Kispert). Perkins is ideally situated to be next season’s rock-solid fifth-year senior point guard blending all this talent together. And Hachimura might just beat all of the above for 2019 WCC player of the year honors.
Trending: Neutral. If you’re at the top of the college basketball mountain, a neutral trend is good news. It means you’re staying where you want to be.