OVERVIEW:
? Gonzaga returns two starters (Sabonis and Wiltjer) and eight lettermen from a team that finished 35-3 last season ? the most wins in school and WCC history.
? Last season the Bulldogs won their 14th regular season title in the last 15 years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 17th straight year, marching to the second Elite Eight appearance in program history (1999). Gonzaga has won at least 20 games for 18 consecutive seasons.
? Gonzaga lost its three-guard backcourt to graduation. Redshirt freshman Josh Perkins, who suffered a season-ending broken jaw in the fifth game last season, returns and is expected to lead the offense alongside first-year starter Eric McClellan, a fifth-year senior. Kyle Drnginis, another redshirt senior, has started the past two game at guard.
? Meanwhile, backup sophomore Silas Melson could be the most explosive guard on the team. He?s averaging 12.5 points, which is third most among the Bulldogs.
? Gonzaga is a veteran team that starts four seniors, including three fifth-year seniors.
? In their first full game, (Sabonis, Wiltjer and Karnowski) combined for 58 points on 23-of-31 shooting the field and 23 rebounds in a 91-52 rout over Northern Arizona. They also combined to go 11 for 13 on free throws. Last season, the trio combined to average 37.4 points and 19.1 rebounds while shooting a combined 59.4 percent.
? After leading the nation in FG% last season at .520, GU picked up where it left off, shooting .560 in two games.
? Much like Washington, which opened the season in China, Gonzaga is well-traveled. The Bulldogs played its first game in Okinawa, Japan against Pitt. However, the contest was cancelled at halftime because the court was too slippery.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
? Sophomore forward Domantas Sabonis averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 66.8 percent from the field last season. This year, he?s off to a phenomenal start. He captured the WCC Player of the Week award after averaging 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during a pair of wins last week. He?s converted 19 of 23 shots this season. Sabonis is a backup forward, but the 6-foot-11 Lithuanian, is regarded as Gonzaga?s best NBA prospect. He?s projected as an 8th overall pick in the 2016 draft by NBAdraft.net. Sabonis is considered the most athletic player in the Bulldogs? dominant front court.
? Preseason National Player of the Year and 2014-15 All-American forward Kyle Wiltjer averaged 16.8 points while shooting 54.0 percent from the field last season. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds. The 6-10 Portland native played two years at Kentucky before transferring to Gonzaga. He could have entered the NBA draft last year, but chose to finish his collegiate at GU. He?s averaging 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds this season. Wiltjer is a deadly scorer who tallied 45 points ? the third most in Zags history ? last season. He?s lethal from three-point range where he shot 46.6 percent and is improving as a low-post threat.
? Senior center Przemek Karnowski is a rough and rugged rim protector. The 7-1 and 287-pound senior center from Poland had 39 blocks last season. He also averaged 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. Karnowski clogs the middle defensively and anchors a defensive attack that allowed just 61.7 points last season.
? Gonzaga returns two starters (Sabonis and Wiltjer) and eight lettermen from a team that finished 35-3 last season ? the most wins in school and WCC history.
? Last season the Bulldogs won their 14th regular season title in the last 15 years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 17th straight year, marching to the second Elite Eight appearance in program history (1999). Gonzaga has won at least 20 games for 18 consecutive seasons.
? Gonzaga lost its three-guard backcourt to graduation. Redshirt freshman Josh Perkins, who suffered a season-ending broken jaw in the fifth game last season, returns and is expected to lead the offense alongside first-year starter Eric McClellan, a fifth-year senior. Kyle Drnginis, another redshirt senior, has started the past two game at guard.
? Meanwhile, backup sophomore Silas Melson could be the most explosive guard on the team. He?s averaging 12.5 points, which is third most among the Bulldogs.
? Gonzaga is a veteran team that starts four seniors, including three fifth-year seniors.
? In their first full game, (Sabonis, Wiltjer and Karnowski) combined for 58 points on 23-of-31 shooting the field and 23 rebounds in a 91-52 rout over Northern Arizona. They also combined to go 11 for 13 on free throws. Last season, the trio combined to average 37.4 points and 19.1 rebounds while shooting a combined 59.4 percent.
? After leading the nation in FG% last season at .520, GU picked up where it left off, shooting .560 in two games.
? Much like Washington, which opened the season in China, Gonzaga is well-traveled. The Bulldogs played its first game in Okinawa, Japan against Pitt. However, the contest was cancelled at halftime because the court was too slippery.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
? Sophomore forward Domantas Sabonis averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 66.8 percent from the field last season. This year, he?s off to a phenomenal start. He captured the WCC Player of the Week award after averaging 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during a pair of wins last week. He?s converted 19 of 23 shots this season. Sabonis is a backup forward, but the 6-foot-11 Lithuanian, is regarded as Gonzaga?s best NBA prospect. He?s projected as an 8th overall pick in the 2016 draft by NBAdraft.net. Sabonis is considered the most athletic player in the Bulldogs? dominant front court.
? Preseason National Player of the Year and 2014-15 All-American forward Kyle Wiltjer averaged 16.8 points while shooting 54.0 percent from the field last season. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds. The 6-10 Portland native played two years at Kentucky before transferring to Gonzaga. He could have entered the NBA draft last year, but chose to finish his collegiate at GU. He?s averaging 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds this season. Wiltjer is a deadly scorer who tallied 45 points ? the third most in Zags history ? last season. He?s lethal from three-point range where he shot 46.6 percent and is improving as a low-post threat.
? Senior center Przemek Karnowski is a rough and rugged rim protector. The 7-1 and 287-pound senior center from Poland had 39 blocks last season. He also averaged 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. Karnowski clogs the middle defensively and anchors a defensive attack that allowed just 61.7 points last season.
