Busting Brackets
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Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from road win over Washington

By Lukas Harkins

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Joel Ayayi #11 and Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after Ayayi hit a 3-point shot to put Gonzaga up by 6 pois in the 2nd half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Joel Ayayi #11 and Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after Ayayi hit a 3-point shot to put Gonzaga up by 6 pois in the 2nd half at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Coach Few of the Bulldogs looks on. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Coach Few of the Bulldogs looks on. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

2. Bulldogs are developing discipline.

Considering Gonzaga’s high number of newcomers to the rotation to this season, it was bound to take a few weeks before they played with tremendous discipline. If this performance against Washington was any indication, though, it appears as though the Bulldogs are starting to turn a corner in this area. Most notably, Gonzaga finished the game with only 12 turnovers while shooting well at the charity stripe.

With an experienced backcourt of Admon Gilder and Ryan Woolridge, as well as an efficient reserve playmaker in Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga projects as one of the best teams in the country with regard to taking care of the ball. That was once again on display against Washington as the team’s offensive turnover rate now sits at just 15.7%. That mark ranks 16th in the entire country and is incredibly impressive considering Gonzaga’s overall pace of play.

The Bulldogs are averaging offensive possessions lasting 15.4 seconds (24th-fastest) while exhibiting the 18th-best eFG% (56.3%) and one of the lowest turnover rates in the country. That’s pretty darn impressive and showcases a major reason why Gonzaga is one of the top offenses nationally.

Additionally, free-throw shooting was a major concern of mine for Gonzaga from the first few weeks of the season. By shooting 11-for-14 (78.6%) against Washington, the Bulldogs posted their third-best performance at the free-throw line, by percentage, so far this season. Was this just another positive flash in the pan from the charity stripe or a sign of things to come? Hopefully the latter.