Gonzaga basketball fell to Michigan in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game but it was still a successful week on the whole. What did we learn about the Zags?
Gonzaga basketball competed in arguably the best non-conference tournament in the country during this past week at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Despite the long travel from Spokane to the Bahamas, though, the Bulldogs performed an elite-level over the course of the three-day event. They took down Southern Miss in their opening game before hanging on for an overtime victory over nationally-ranked Oregon in the semifinal. That is when the team’s injuries seemingly caught up with them as they ran out of gas in a double-digit loss to Michigan to end the week.
Still, it was a successful event for the team, on the whole. Even though they had to deal with some injuries and a shortened bench as a result, the Bulldogs looked the part of a top-10 team in the country. There were definitely some weaknesses that appeared but it is hard to get to upset with the team’s level of play. They are playing at a fast pace offensively and have already shown that they can be a dominant team on the glass.
Additionally, Gonzaga shot 28-for-60 (46.7%) from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs are excelling from 3-point range as more threats have emerged over the past couple of weeks. Gonzaga is always well-known as a great finishing team at the rim and that is the case again this year, even if they have been a bit “soft” at times. If they continue to shoot the lights out from three, though, their offense will be even more dangerous.
Without any further introduction, though, let’s dive a bit deeper into Gonzaga’s play this week with a few major takeaways. What did we learn about the Bulldogs at the Battle 4 Atlantis?