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Gonzaga Basketball: Nigel Williams-Goss declares for the 2017 NBA Draft

By Carmine Carcieri

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) leaves the stadium after the loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. North Carolina defeated Gonzaga 71-65. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nigel Williams-Goss (5) leaves the stadium after the loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. North Carolina defeated Gonzaga 71-65. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gonzaga basketball is losing their top player, Nigel Williams-Goss, to the 2017 NBA Draft.

Gonzaga reached their first Final Four and National Championship in school history this past season, but it will be awfully difficult to return to college basketball’s highest pinnacle in 2017-18 without their best player.

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That player, point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, officially declared for the 2017 NBA Draft on Tuesday evening and is expected to hire an agent, shutting the door on a return to Spokane.

Williams-Goss spent the first two seasons of his college career with the Washington Huskies, where he averaged 13.4 points and 15.6 points per game in his freshman and sophomore years respectively. Williams-Goss held a significant role on the Huskies’ roster, but opted to transfer to a different school after his second season.

The 6’3″ guard from Happy Valley, Oregon committed to Gonzaga and sat out the season in 2015-16 before becoming eligible this past year. Williams-Goss then put forth the best season of his collegiate experience, as he averaged 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the three-point line.

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Williams-Goss’ ability to play on-or-off the ball, make shots from the perimeter, attack the basket and utilize his experience was vital to Gonzaga’s success.

While the Zags will still have a solid backcourt with Josh Perkins and Silas Melson returning, Williams-Goss would’ve been one of the favorites (along with Miles Bridges) for National Player of the Year. Mark Few’s squad will be lacking depth on the perimeter, though, so they will likely have to make multiple moves on the transfer market and/or the recruiting trail.

In addition to Williams-Goss, Gonzaga is also losing Pzemerk Karnowski and Jordan Mathews to graduation, Bryan Alberts to a transfer, and Zach Collins to the 2017 NBA Draft. The Zags will now have to build their roster around Perkins, Melson, Killian Tillie, Johnathan Williams, Jacob Larsen, Zach Norvell Jr. and Rui Hachimura, among others. It’s questionable as to if Gonzaga will be in the preseason top 25 without their point guard and leader, but with Few on the sideline and a solid front court, the Zags will likely find themselves in the mix to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament once March rolls around.

As far as Williams-Goss’ NBA prospects go, he is most likely a second round pick based on his body of work. The guard has good size, draws contact well on the interior and has solid strength, but he also is an inconsistent shooter from the perimeter, won’t be able to rely solely on his strength at the NBA level, doesn’t have a high level of athleticism and is already 22 years old.

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The 2017 NBA Draft is known for its stacked point guard class, so Williams-Goss very well could go undrafted if he struggles during his pre-draft workouts. Mark Few and Gonzaga come out as losers in this situation while Williams-Goss’ status is still yet to be determined.