The Final Four is upon us. Here’s a look at the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
With an 83-59 win over the Xavier Musketeers in the West Regional final, the Gonzaga Bulldogs made their first Final Four in school history over the weekend. Now, they’ll face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Saturday’s opening contest before a potential matchup with the Oregon Ducks or the North Carolina Tar Heels in the title game.
Here’s what you need to know about the Bulldogs.
Player to watch
Gonzaga’s leading scorer at 16.7 points per game is point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, but the junior does much more for the team. He is also its leading distributor at 4.6 assists per game, helps out on the boards to the tune of 5.9 rebounds per contest and is efficient from the field, posting a 60.1 true shooting percentage. Only five other players in the country posted similar statistics this season, including National Player of the Year favorite Frank Mason.
Strengths
This is Mark Few’s best defensive team in his time at Gonzaga in large part because of its ability to control the paint. Often times, the best way to limit an offense is to make easy shots difficult and that’s exactly what the Bulldogs do. Gonzaga’s starting lineup is anchored by 7-foot center Przemek Karnowski, a senior with a 4.1 percent block rate. Six-foot-9 junior Johnathan Williams gives the team a switchable power forward who can also protect the rim from the weak side. There’s no drop off when Few goes to his bench either. Freshman Zach Collins is a former McDonald’s All-American who could be a lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft. He has an outstanding 9.1 percent block rate, moves well on the perimeter and hasn’t had many problems adjusting to the tougher level of competition in March.
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Those frontcourt pieces are also a massive strength for the Bulldogs on the offensive end. Karnowski often facilitates the offense from the low block with either his ability to score or whip passes out of double teams. Collins brings a different flavor as more of a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop option while fellow freshman Killian Tillie provides Gonzaga with a floor-spacing power forward when he comes off the bench.
Weaknesses
Gonzaga’s defensive strength — namely it’s ability to follow the fundamentals and challenge shot attempts — is also one of its potential weaknesses. Because the Bulldogs are not particularly aggressive with their defense, opting to often stay at home, they don’t create very many turnovers. Gonzaga ranks 222nd in Division I with a 17.7 percent turnover rate. By not creating turnovers, opponents almost always get to fire up a field goal attempt, which can be a dangerous proposition in March when teams can get hot from the floor.
In a similar vein, the Bulldogs also don’t create a ton of extra possessions on offense by grabbing offensive boards. Gonzaga has retrieved just 30.1 percent (143rd nationally) of its own misses this season despite having a plethora of size in the middle. Getting back in transition is almost never a bad strategy, but not being able to create extra possessions either with offensive boards or by creating turnovers can put teams in a tight spot if their shots aren’t falling.
Biggest key to victory against South Carolina
The Gamecocks’ Sindarius Thornwell has been absolutely on fire during the NCAA Tournament. He’s averaging 26.5 points per contest through four games, turning himself into an incredibly important player for a South Carolina team that has struggled to put points on the board at times this season.
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Thornwell is also a difficult mismatch for most opponents. At 6-foot-5, he consistently plays as a small ball power forward for Frank Martin. Who defends Thornwell and how Gonzaga as a team guards him could make the difference on Saturday night. It seems likely that Few will try to throw several different looks at Thornwell throughout the game, but it’s possible that Williams with his length and versatility will draw the primary assignment.