Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from strong home win over North Carolina

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 18: Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs controls the ball against Andrew Patek #3 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center on December 18, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeats North Carolina 94-81. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

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TUCSON, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 14: Ayayi of the Bulldogs handles. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

1. Woolridge/Ayayi is a dangerous playmaking duo.

Heading into this past offseason, many were concerned regarding Gonzaga’s lack of a true point guard or playmaker on the roster. The team graduated Josh Perkins as the four-year leader in the backcourt and also waved goodbye to the likes of Geno Crandall and Zach Norvell Jr. as well. Thankfully, head coach Mark Few understood the glaring weakness and hit the transfer market to snag North Texas guard Ryan Woolridge for his final year of eligibility. Through the first few weeks of the season, Woolridge has impressed incredibly on both ends of the floor.

For starters, he is the main defender at the point of attack for Gonzaga. Woolridge has already been tasked with covering several elite-level guards so far this season and he has definitely held his own. Additionally, he is shooting the three with more consistency than he ever did at North Texas even though his free-throw struggles are well-documented. Woolridge wound up posting 11 points (5-for-6 FG), four rebounds, and nine assists against UNC. Above all other offensive contributions, his playmaking has been excellent so far this season.

The same can also be said about Gonzaga’s rising sophomore star Joel Ayayi. After not seeing a ton of playing time last season, Ayayi has burst onto the scene this year as one of the best players on the entire roster. For those that watched him play at the FIBA event this summer, this breakout is not a major surprise but it significantly alters Gonzaga’s ceiling as he can make contributions in so many ways. He finished this particular contest with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.

As per usual, Gonzaga’s bigs are the heart of the team’s scoring this season with Filip Petrusev in the paint and Killian Tillie roaming everywhere. Additionally, wing Corey Kispert is a stud in catch-and-shoot situations. In order to get these three stars the ball in positions where they can score, the starting backcourt duo of Woolridge/Ayayi needs to be on its game.

Against North Carolina, the two guards combined to dish out 15 assists to just three turnovers. For the season, they are averaging 8.6 assists to 3.4 turnovers per game. As a duo, they are exceeding expectations while finding open teammates on many occasions. They deserve a ton of credit for making the Bulldogs an offensive juggernaut.