Gonzaga Basketball: Keys for the Zags meeting with Tennessee

BOISE, ID - MARCH 17: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 21: Zach Norvell /

2. Norvell and Clarke must contribute offensively

Hachimura did what Hachimura does in the Zags’ game Wednesday night as he dropped 26 points on 9/20 shooting. Where the Bulldogs struggled was the lack of contributions from their next two highest scorers, Norvell and Clarke. Going into the game against Washington, the two were combining for 36.5 ppg, but only accounted for 24 points against the Huskies.

While in a general overview, 24 points is still quite a respectable accumulation for the duo, it is nowhere near where Gonzaga’s second- and third-highest scorers should be notching. Even more unimpressive was that the two combined to go 7/17 from the field. Clarke, usually a menace in the paint, was 4/11 from the field, including missing a handful of shots within feet of the basket and tip-ins. Clarke finished the game with 10 points. However, he did have a game high 11 rebounds.

As for Norvell, the sophomore had an efficient evening, shooting 3/6 from the field and 2/4 from three-point range, his speciality, finishing the night with 14 points. Norvell was certainly productive for the Zags when he chose to take shots, but with such a crucial matchup against a high-profile team like Tennessee, Few will need to Norvell to find more opportunities to finish.

Norvell has been largely associated with his ability to heat up quickly and spark triumphant scoring runs for the Bulldogs, but by only taking six shots all evening against the Huskies, Gonzaga was never able to pull away. If the Bulldogs are to beat their second top-10 opponent come Sunday, Norvell will need to pull the trigger several more times.

Like Clarke, Norvell may not have shined in the scoring column Wednesday night, but he did do a fabulous job of setting up his teammates, notching seven assists, his second most of the season. Even more crucial for the Zags’ win a few nights ago was the free throw shooting, with Norvell going 6/6 from the charity strike and Clarke, a 61.1% shooter, hitting both his attempts. The team finished the evening 19/19 from free-throw, which leads us to the third key in the game in Phoenix.