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Gonzaga Basketball: Observations from Bulldog’s loss to Tennessee

By Tristan Freeman

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: (L-R) Silas Melson
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 05: (L-R) Silas Melson /
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Gonzaga Basketball suffered their first loss of the season to the Tennessee Volunteers. What are the lessons learned for the Zags?

After close calls in the past week against both Creighton and Washington, Gonzaga Basketball finally cut it too close, losing to the Tennessee Volunteers. They led by as many as six points late in the second half before a flurry of three-pointers quickly cut into the lead before Admiral Schofield won it at the end with a long bomb of his own, giving the Vols the 76-73 win.

The senior wing Schofield had a game-high 30 points, followed by Grant Williams with 16. For the Bulldogs, Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke each had 21 to pace the team, while Zach Norvell Jr. and Corey Kispert had 13 a piece. Josh Perkins was held scoreless but had nine assists to just one turnover.

It’s the first loss of the season for the 9-1 Bulldogs, expected to fall from the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Basketball. So how did it happen and what are the necessary fixes for Gonzaga to make in the future? Here are three key observation points from the game.

1. Norvell’s first-half woes continue

Outside of a solid few minutes in the second half where he and Schofield were trading shots and talking smack with each other, Norvell was largely absent throughout this game. That’s especially true in the first half, where he went scoreless.

It has continued a trend for him this season, getting off to slow starts against Creighton, Washington, and even in the Maui Invitational versus Arizona and Illinois. With only five total players scoring in this game, Gonzaga can’t afford to have Norvell out of the offensive scheme. There have been times where he’s either been the focal point or not part of it at all. It’s important to have him part of the gameplan all the time so that the offense can reach its full potential.

2. Bench liabilities

Outside of freshman Greg Foster Jr. playing spot minutes to give both Perkins and Kispert a rest, Gonzaga essentially played a seven-man rotation, with Jeremy Jones and Filip Petrusev combining for five points and six rebounds off the bench. Each has played well this season, but their weaknesses were on full display.

Jones is a great glue guy defender and rebounder at the forward position but he has no offensive game. He took zero shots against both Washington and Tennessee this week and opposing defenses know it, laying off of him on the perimeter.

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Then there’s the freshman Petrusev, whose offensive contributions were overshadowed by his defensive lapses. There were at least three occasions on the left side where a Tennessee player had a wide-open three-pointer on his side of the zone. That gave the Vols easy shots and momentum, which they used to win the game. He was immediately taken out for Hachimura, who had just gotten his fourth foul. This game more than ever exposed the current lack of depth the team has.

3. Inability to put away teams

Even underhanded, Gonzaga has shown that they can hang with any team in the country, including a pair of top-7 programs in the country. In every single game this season, the Bulldogs have had at least a six-point lead with six or fewer minutes to go.

But in the past few games (Creighton, Washington, and Tennessee), as well as the battle with previous No. 1 Duke, each lead evaporated with a minute to go. That amount of playing with fire came back to haunt the Bulldogs this time around.

Next. Where Hachimura stands in POY race. dark

Gonzaga has shown that they’re good enough to take the lead against anyone but they have to put the foot on their opponent’s proverbial throats and extend the lead and not make it close at the very end. They’ll have to do that on the road against their next opponent in the UNC Tar Heels.