3. Free throw shooting needs to improve.
Gonzaga really struggled at the free-throw line to begin this season and that did not stop at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. Thankfully, the Bulldogs were able to take care of business in their first two games at the event but poor shooting at the charity stripe haunted them against Michigan in the championship game.
Of course, Gonzaga lost by 18 points so free-throw shooting was not the only issue, but the team only shot 6-for-13 from the line in that game. It is hard to gather any offensive momentum when the team is struggling to connect on the “easy ones”.
To this point in the year, Gonzaga is shooting just 65.9% from the stripe. That mark ranks just 267th in the nation and that won’t cut in big games as the season wears on. Gonzaga still has non-conference challenges against Washington, Arizona, and North Carolina awaiting over the coming month and all of those contests will really test this team.
In order to pass with flying colors, the Bulldogs need to stay as disciplined as possible and that includes connecting on free throw attempts. Gonzaga is a team that pounds the ball inside offensively and gets to the charity stripe at a high rate. They have to take advantage.
Gonzaga’s adjusted offensive rating still ranks at fourth in the entire country and they are a national title contender as a result. But without improved foul shooting, it will be difficult to consistently finish off close games.