Gonzaga Bulldogs: Making Sense of their Frontcourt Defense

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Previously, I examined how each member of Gonzaga’s frontcourt functioned in the offense. Now, it’s time to see how each one fares on the defensive side of the ball.

Kyle Wiltjer, who led the way on the offensive side of the ball, comes in at the back of the pack on defense. Wiltjer actually only came in slightly behind Karnowski in defensive rating (94.3 to 93.1), but when watching any Gonzaga game, it’s obvious Karnowski is a far superior defender. Wiltjer occasionally makes it to the correct spots on defense, but fails to do anything to hinder the opposition because of his frail body. Watch Brandon Ashley get exactly where he wants on this move to the basket.

Now watch what happens when Ashley tries an almost identical move with Domantas Sabonis guarding him.

Opposing offenses took wind of Wiltjer’s poor defense pretty quickly last season, and made a conceded effort to attack him in the pick and roll as much as possible. Watch Gabe York attack Wiltjer in this pick and roll and sink a completely uncontested floater.

That may not look THAT bad at first, but all things considered, it’s pretty terrible. First of all, the ball handler is Gabe York, who made just 41 two-point field goals all of last season. Second, as soon as York turns the corner, Wiltjer takes three steps back, which is always a no-no. As soon as he did that, he’s at York’s mercy, who rose up for the floater, which Wiltjer failed to even get a hand up on. Now watch what happens when TJ McConnell turns the corner and sees Przemek Karnowski stationed in the paint.

He got scared. He knows Karnowski is a threat to block his shot, and at the very least contest it. So he attempts to get rid of the ball, leading to the turnover. Karnowski is the best shot-blocker on Gonzaga (excluding the rarely played Angel Nunez) by a long margin, coming in with a block percentage of 4.3%. That number doesn’t jump off the sheet at you. Jahlil Okafor actually posted a comparable block percentage last year, and we know all about his defensive woes. But Karnowski is very good at staying vertical, and contesting shots without fouling. Watch him snuff out Stanley Johnson on this baseline drive.

Byron Wesley gets credit for the block here, but without Karnowski, Johnson is either going to get fouled, or lay that ball in. Terrific help defense and verticality, which is displayed again on this double-team of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Last, but certainly not least, comes Sabonis. Surprisingly, he came in first among these three big men in defensive rating at 91.3 (and first on the team among those averaging more than 7 minutes per game). It’s not that he’s a bad defender, he’s terrific. But he’s prone to falling asleep off the ball at times, like this play here.

As soon as Karnowski doubles, it’s Sabonis’ job to slide down to Tarczewski. He’s late, and Tarczewski catches the ball for an and-one. Where Sabonis really succeeds within the defense is in his ability to guard multiple positions. Because he’s so quick, he’s capable of switching onto guards in pick and roll situations. He’s not much of a shot-blocker, but he really can guard almost anyone on the floor. Watch him crush BYU’s late-clock pick and roll here.

It’s going to be tough for Mark Few to make a rotation to suit all three of these players, especially when his backcourt may be weak this year. Kyle Dranginis will take Pangos’ spot running the point, and he will probably be joined by Eric McClellan. Silas Melson and Josh Perkins are also in the mix.

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If any one of those guys aren’t producing like Mark Few would like, I don’t think it would be an awful idea for Mark Few to occasionally play a jumbo lineup that includes all three bigs. Sabonis can guard most wings with his speed, and Wiltjer will keep the floor spaced with his shooting ability. I’m not sure if that’s the overall solution, but it could work in some situations. It worked for Kentucky last year with Trey Lyles at the 3, but that’s a comparison to one of the greatest college basketball teams ever, so maybe that’s a comparison that shouldn’t be made.

We know Kyle Wiltjer is going to play and he’s going to play a lot. He impacts the game on the offensive side of the ball as much as anyone in college basketball. I know Mark Few loves his seniors, but he really should start Sabonis next to Wiltjer. He’s going to need a but more offensive firepower with guys like Pangos and Byron Wesley gone. Wiltjer’s shooting and Sabonis’ versatility are a great pairing on that side of the ball. Karnowski can come in off the bench fresh and bang with the other teams bigs whenever Few prefers, or whenever he needs a boost on defense. But Sabonis has the highest ceiling of anyone on Gonzaga, and higher than most players in college basketball. If Gonzaga wants to have another successful season, he needs to play more than 21.6 minutes per game.

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Gonzaga Bulldogs: Making Sense of the Zags’ Frontcourt Defense

By Matt Ostrowski | Jul 16, 2015

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