Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from the 2018 Maui Invitational

1) This team is one of the best, even without Killian Tillie

By beating the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils in the championship game, the Bulldogs proved that they belong near the top of college basketball’s major polls. While Killian Tillie’s floor spacing is missing from the Zags offensive toolkit, Mark Few was able to make key adjustments against Arizona and Duke to create open looks for his players.

Josh Perkins, who has received a lot of criticism for his untimely turnovers and hero ball antics, is settling into his role as the senior leader and starting point. Perkins currently ranks 3rd in the country in assists-per-game and still averages double-digit scoring.

Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke have held down the frontcourt responsibilities on both ends of the floor, while freshman Filip Petrusev has been more than adequate in replacing Tillie’s lost scoring.

It is Zach Norvell, however, who has been the key to Gonzaga’s ability to find space the floor. In the game against Arizona, Norvell started off slow and as a result, the entire offense came to a halt. When he started making shots, Arizona’s defense could no longer afford to sag into the paint, and the Zags’ comeback was made possible. He also found success against Duke, going 4-7 from three, which allowed the rest of the offense more freedom to move.

With so many options already on the team, which could be ranked #1 on Monday, it is almost impossible to imagine how much better they can become. Killian Tillie will only further improve the Zags three-point shooting and interior defense, making them a clear National Championship contender.