Gonzaga basketball: Starting lineup options for next season

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Killian Tillie #33 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs tries to maintain possession of the ball against Brandon Powell #10 of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights during the first half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Gonzaga Bulldogs won 87-49. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 28: Gonzaga guard Zach Norvell Jr. (23) celebrates a three pointer during the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Sweet Sixteen round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 28, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Best-case scenario

Point Guard: Admon Gilder
Shooting Guard: Zach Norvell Jr
Small Forward: Corey Kispert
Power Forward: Killian Tillie
Center: Drew Timme

There’s no point in wasting anyone’s time and assuming that either Clarke or Hachimura will return to school, so that’s a pointless scenario. The Bulldogs do have a reasonable expectation that both Zach Norvell Jr and Killian Tillie will return to campus, so having them both back will add some big time experience to the starting lineup.

Tillie didn’t end up starting a year ago because an injury sidelined him for most of the year, but he was a starter for the Bulldogs two years ago. Gonzaga will be losing a lot up front with both Clarke and Hachimura gone, but Tillie’s return to form will help fill some of the scoring load.

The other frontcourt spot should go to incoming freshman Drew Timme, who is the highest rated recruit in a strong class for Gonzaga. Timme, a 6-foot-9 big man from Richardson, Texas, should be able to team with Tillie to fill the void up front.

The other spot that still needs to be filled is at the point, where Josh Perkins graduated, and that should go to Texas A&M transfer Admon Gilder who sat out last season due to injury, averaged 12.3 points per game for an Aggies squad that reached the Sweet 16 two years ago.

The Bulldogs would love to pair Gilder with Norvell, who was their third-leading scorer last season, for an explosive backcourt.