Gonzaga Basketball: Bulldogs relying on Josh Perkins to prove he is a leader

Now that Gonzaga is without Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski, the Bulldogs will rely on Josh Perkins to be the leader on the court.

It was pretty obvious last season that the Gonzaga Bulldogs were one of the most experienced and talented teams in the country. Led by redshirt senior Przemek Karnowski and redshirt junior Nigel Williams-Goss, the Bulldogs had an amazing 37-2 season and were the National Championship runner-up.

With the loss of Karnowski, Williams-Goss, and graduate student Jordan Mathews, this Gonzaga team will need a new leader. While senior Silas Melson and Johnathan Williams will be emotional and defensive leaders, the Zags’ offense will need redshirt junior Josh Perkins to step up in a big way.

While Perkins has shown glimpses of why he was a top recruit, he had an equal amount of mental lapses and poorly timed mistakes, such as late game turnovers and ill-advised shot attempts. What made Williams-Goss such a good leader as a point guard was his ability to take the game into his own hands without making the same mistakes.

Perkins is certainly not a bad point guard, averaging 10.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals as the Bulldogs’ primary point guard during his redshirt freshman season. However, he has averaged 2.0 turnovers per game both season, with many of his giveaways occurring at the end of tight games.

If the National Championship Game was any indication, Perkins has the ability to be the Zags’ leader, as long as he does not try to do too much. He scored 13 points with 3 assists against the Tar Heels, but his 2 turnovers helped North Carolina secure a win.

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Going into next season, Perkins will need to settle down and play smart basketball, relying on hitting open shots and making smart passes. If he does that, the Zags have a good shot at repeating as WCC Champions.