Sophomore season – 8.1 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.3 rpg
After a good freshman season, Perkins had to step aside for an even higher rated point guard in year two. Nigel Williams-Goss, a former Washington Huskie and McDonald’s All-American, had transferred over to Gonzaga along with Johnathan Williams and sat out the season prior. Now eligible, he would take over as the primary ball handler for the Bulldogs that season.
It proved effective for sure, averaging 16.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.7 apg for the year and winning WCC Player of the Year, national All-American honors, and leading Gonzaga to the program’s first ever Final Four and national title game appearance. He was a talent upgrade over Perkins at the point guard position and with a healthy and stacked roster, the Bulldogs had arguably the best team in school history.
For Perkins himself, it was a major transition from a player always used to having the ball in his hands to one who played more off the ball and at times was more of a spot up shooter. After reaching double figures in six of the first seven games, the sophomore had 10+ just nine of the last 31 games. That included numerous games where he were held scoreless as Williams-Goss took complete control of the team.
While the numbers dipped his second season and he was relegated into a “role player” on the 2016-17 squad, Perkins still played a major positive role with the team. First off, not many former top-60 recruits who started as a point guard would so willingly move to a different position. Yes it’s true that he still was a starter who played nearly 30 mpg but it was still a courageous move by Perkins to do what’s best for the team without making things difficult for the coaching staff.
On the court, the sophomore was vital was the second ball handler in the games against great defenses in West Virginia and South Carolina, while shooting 40% from three-point range. The stats may not have stood out but the Bulldogs wouldn’t have made it to the title game without Perkins playing his new role to the best of his abilities.