Gonzaga’s season is over, so who will be back next season?
It wasn’t pretty, but the North Carolina Tar Heels knocked off the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 71-65, to win the sixth national championship in program history just one year after Kris Jenkins denied them with a buzzer beating 3-pointer.
The loss will have interesting ramifications for a Gonzaga team that is one of the most talented squads that head coach Mark Few has had during his tenure in Spokane. While seniors Przemek Karnowski and Jordan Mathews have definitively played their last college basketball game, two other players might opt to leave school early for the NBA.
- Zach Collins, freshman – The 7-foot big man has been climbing up draft boards late in the season despite playing fewer than 20 minutes per game this season. As the first McDonald’s All American to play for Gonzaga directly out of high school, Collins is one of the most talented prospects to come through Spokane in recent seasons. His game is also tailor-made for the modern day NBA. Collins is an excellent athlete who plays well in space and is explosive enough off of two feet to get above the rim. He plays well in pick-and-roll, has flashed a pick-and-pop jumper and can punish switches in the post as well. At this stage, Collins may also be the best rim protector available in the draft. If he decides to pursue the one-and-done route, he should be a first round pick with a potential to go in the late lottery.
- Nigel Williams-Goss, junior – Williams-Goss is a more difficult test. The 6-foot-3 point guard is already 22-years old after transferring to Gonzaga from Washington after his sophomore season. He’s a steady handed guard who can shoot it a bit from behind the arc, but his likely ceiling is the second round with a high chance that he would go undrafted. If Williams-Goss instead opts to return to school, he would figure to be one of the preseason favorites for the National Player of the Year award.
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The decisions of these two players, and Collins specifically, will dictate how well-regarded the Bulldogs will be in preseason polls next season. We’ll likely find out soon about their decisions.