Gonzaga Basketball: Keys versus Baylor in Round of 32 game

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 11: Rui Hachimura #21 and Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate during a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Pepperdine Waves at the Orleans Arena on March 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs defeated the Waves 100-74. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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BOISE, ID – MARCH 17: Killian Tillie #33 talks with Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

1. Strong Play from the Bigs

At this point, I sound like a broken record. But with the success the Bulldogs have received this season from their dominant frontcourt, it’s quite justified. Gonzaga’s two leading scorers this season are both big men, being Rui Hachimura (20.1 ppg) and Brandon Clarke (16.4 ppg). With scorching stats like this, it’s hard to imagine that the best frontcourt in the nation could get any scarier. Well Thursday night, the Bulldogs proved this is very possible, as Killian Tillie, the second-leading scorer from last season’s team, showed he has completely shook off his two injuries this season.

In 18 minutes off the bench against Fairleigh Dickinson, Tillie scored 17 points on 7-8 shooting, including 2-2 from three within 90 seconds of one another. Tillie also recorded two rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in the Zags’ victory. Of Gonzaga’s 87 points, Hachimura, Tillie and Clarke combined for 50 of them, while shooting a scorching 64.5% from the field. To go with Tillie’s 17 points, Hachimura added a game-high 21, while shooting 8-15, and Clarke contributed another 12 on 5-8 from the field.

With the Bears’ second leading scorer Tristan Clark, a forward, out for the season, the Bulldogs will certainly rotate their offense heavily around the paint. Against Syracuse, all five of Baylor’s starters were listed as guards, with the tallest of the bunch being six-foot-seven-inch Mario Kegler. Hachimura and Clarke clock in at 6’8″, while Tillie is a towering 6’10”. On the season, the Bears average 4.8 bpg as a team, but Clarke has contributed 2.4 of those. Only one other player for Baylor averages at least one per game, being Freddie Gillespie, a six-foot-eight-inch junior, with 1.1 bpg.

Speaking of blocks, this is another factor as to why the play of Gonzaga’s bigs will be crucial for another victory. The Bulldogs average 5.5 bpg, with Clarke accounting for 3.1 of those, which lands him as the No. 3 shot blocker in Division One. Keeping with his average, Clarke denied three shots on Thursday, while Tillie and Hachimura both rejected one each. Jeremy Jones, another important role player for Few’s team, also had a block.

Whether defensively, with the ability to block and grab boards at a solid rate with 38.9 rpg, or offensively, Gonzaga will be well equipped for a victory come Saturday. Clarke and Hachimura lead the team in rebounds with 8.4 rpg and 6.6 rpg, respectively, and, are huge factors in the team’s extremely high scoring percentage, as Clarke shoots 69.2%, while Hachimura makes 60.7% of his shots.