Gonzaga Basketball: 2019-20 keys to Bulldogs defeating Saint Mary’s at home

3. Get some confidence back in Joel Ayayi

This particular key is more about the rest of the season, rather than just this particular game. After Senior Night, Gonzaga will be participating in a pair of tournaments where a single bad performance eliminates them. In order for the Bulldogs to win both the WCC and NCAA Tournaments, they’ll need all seven rotation players to play at a high level.

As of now though, one has struggled in the past month in Joel Ayayi. The sophomore guard’s scoring production has gone down, along with the defense as well. In the first 22 games of the season, Ayayi scored eight points or less on just four occasions. In the last eight games, it’s happened five times. Part of it is the gameplan of force-feeding the big men, as well as Admon Gilder consistently scoring in double figures as his health has gotten back to nearly 100%.

If the senior Gilder continues to play well and takes some of Ayayi’s minutes in March for the big games, it won’t have a huge effect on the team. But knowing that foul trouble always plays a role, Ayayi will have to get back to his aggressive self. That was when the Bulldogs were at their best this season when Ayayi wasn’t just a passenger on the offense. His defense was much better during that stretch as well.

If Saint Mary’s plays straight up on defense against the Gonzaga bigs, this game might not be the best situation to get Ayayi 10+ shot attempts and get back into the groove of things. But the Bulldogs’ Final Four aspirations will be dependent on how well the guards play, which includes the sophomore trying to get out of his recent slump in February.