Gonzaga basketball: Starting lineup options for next season

Worst-case scenario

• Point Guard: Brock Ravet
• Shooting Guard: Admon Gilder
• Small Forward: Corey Kispert
• Power Forward: Filip Petrusev
• Center: Drew Timme

This would be the nightmare scenario for Gonzaga, which not only loses Clarke and Hachimura but also watches both Norvell Jr. and Tillie remain in the NBA Draft. Watching all of those experience players leave would sting for Mark Few, but he has prepared well for that scenario with all of their additions.

The big change from Plan B to here is the loss of Tillie, who probably should come back since injuries wrecked his junior year but it may be hard for him to turn down the opportunity to make money overseas. Fortunately for Few, they have a solid in-house alternative to take Tillie’s spot in rising sophomore Filip Petrusev.

Petrusev, a 6-foot-11 big man, saw spot duty throughout his freshman year and didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament outside of Gonzaga’s blowout win over Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round. A year of college experience should also be beneficial for Petrusev, who could be poised for a huge leap forward in his second year in Spokane.

The Bulldogs also have a few talented freshman who could push Petrusev for a spot in the starting lineup. Anton Watson and Pavel Zakharov, who are both four star big men, should at least be in the rotation as freshmen and could earn their way into the starting five with strong performances in the non-conference part of the schedule.

Losing all of that high-end talent would damage a lot of programs, but Few has Gonzaga well prepared to withstand the worst case scenario. No one would expect Gonzaga to win the national championship if they lose all of their most experienced guys, but a WCC title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament wouldn’t be out of the question.