Introducing Gonzaga: The Number One Team in College Basketball
By Jacob Stevenson
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are currently (11-0) and the number one team in the country. They have held the top spot in college basketball the entire season so far while the Bulldogs are outscoring opponents by 22.6 points per game and lead college basketball in scoring with 94.2 points per game. They are also ranked second in adjusted offensive efficiency according to Kenpom.
There’s been talk of the Bulldogs potentially finishing undefeated and after getting through a difficult non-conference part of their schedule where the Zags defeated teams like Kansas, West Virginia, Iowa and Virginia. They will look to finish their season on a high note, playing the remainder of their season in the West Coast Conference.
One of the things that makes Gonzaga so dangerous is their offensive efficiency. As a team, the Bulldogs rank third in the country in effective field goal percentage and fourth in two-point percentage. Also, they look to get up and down the court in a hurry, playing the seventh fastest tempo in the country, according to Kenpom. Since Gonzaga plays at such a fast pace, they’ve had some pretty high-scoring games but they do a good job defensively as well ranking 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency according to Kenpom.
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The Zags are led by their three-headed monster in Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert and Drew Timme. Suggs boasts 14.1 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game and 5.3 assists per game. He is an excellent point guard who figures to be a top-5 pick in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft. Suggs has a great burst in the open floor, is a tremendous passer and also plays quality defense. Suggs has also improved his jump shot since coming to college and has shown the ability to create his own.
Kispert is averaging 21.7 points per game as a small forward and may be the best shooter in college basketball. Kispert is shooting 50 percent from beyond the three-point line and made nine of them against Virginia. Kispert is a high IQ player who is a great cutter as well. He also does a very good job of spotting up in transition and getting his baskets in the flow of the Zag’s fast-paced offense.
Drew Timme, Gonzaga’s starting center, averages 17.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. He is an incredible low post scorer who is very good at finishing with either hand. Timme also is a great ball-handler who can push the ball in transition and score by putting it on the deck. He is great in ball screens as well and shows the ability to pass out of the short roll.
Other key contributors are Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard. Ayayi is averaging 11.8 points per game as an off guard who is actually leading the team in rebounding with 7.6 rebounds per game. Ayayi is known as a really smart player who just does everything well. He is a capable shooter and passer and does a great job picking up defensive boards to lead transitions and is also a smart cutter on the offensive end.
Nembhard, a transfer from Florida, is a former five-star recruit who comes off the bench for the Zags. When he comes into the game, he replaces Anton Watson, and Gonzaga’s “death lineup” is on the court. The lineup of Suggs, Nembhard, Ayayi, Kispert and Timme has outscored opponents going into the recent BYU game 141-92 this season, according to Gonzaga Guru on Twitter. Nembhard is another quality ball-handler who is great in the pick and roll. He is also very efficient with his mid-range pull-up jumper off-ball screens.
Gonzaga should run the table in the West Coast Conference to close out the season. They have significantly more talent than anyone in the conference. Last year, the Zags lost to BYU on the road and the Cougars once again figure to be their toughest test the remainder of their schedule.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs, along with Baylor, is in a tier of their own in college basketball this season. Gonzaga and Baylor were supposed to play each other before COVID-19 issues. But with the Baylor game canceled and with the Zags getting through their non-conference undefeated, Gonzaga has a great chance to be the first team to finish the college basketball season undefeated since the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats. They are a team that every college basketball fan needs to watch moving forward.
Jacob is a sports contributor for La Tonique.
