Gonzaga Basketball: Bulldogs 2019-20 season review and future outlook

Key Players for 2019-20

Killian Tillie

The big French Man has experienced a ton of winning in his days in Spokane. He also experienced a ton of injuries in his career in Spokane as well. When he was on the floor the Bulldogs were at another level and were extremely hard to beat. Tillie was one of the countries best shooters and he was a pure scorer. His career numbers would have been much better had he not experienced so many injuries. As was mentioned in an earlier article it is a shame that Tillie never was able to finish his last season and finish the deal. He played to much quality basketball to see it end so quickly. The big man brought more to the floor than just his scoring. He had the “it” factor and was a winner as evidenced by three straight second weekends.

Ryan Woolridge

Woolridge transferred into the Bulldog program from North Texas. He was a highly sought-after Grad Transfer and this season he proved why. He was the catalyst for the top offense in the country and when called upon to score could be deadly on the offensive end as well. Woolridge continues the long line of very successful Gonzaga point guards.  The grad transfer point guard put up great numbers this year. He was incredibly efficient when he did shoot including over 40% from deep. He had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio and all while playing over 32 minutes per game. Woolridge made the right choice transferring to Gonzaga. The offense was the perfect fit for his skillset.

Filip Petrusev

It is hard to understand the importance of Petrusev to the Bulldogs. He was the West Coast Conference player of the year and he led Gonzaga in a number of offensive and defensive categories. The Serbian big man was efficient in the paint making over half of his shots. He is a great rebounder and defender. If you had to pinpoint a weakness of the big man’s game, it would be that he didn’t have a great year at the line of from deep. His freshman year he showed he can shoot from deep and from the line. Look for a bounce back in that respect next year. Petrusev is one of the best players in the country and with the continued development of the big man, he will be on the list of the player of the year before long, probably next year.

Corey Kispert

The junior guard is not just a shooter, this year he turned into one of the better all-around players in the conference. Yes, Kispert is still a great shooter but he is so much more. He is a great defender and has turned into one of the go to offensive options for the Bulldogs. He remains one of the most feared shooters in the conference if not the nation. He has now turned into of the more feared players in the conference as well. The junior guard saw his shooting percentages and efficiency ratings rise this year. He played with an extreme confidence all year and turned himself into a great player.

Joel Ayayi

Another French player who has made an impact at Gonzaga. He played alongside another Frenchman in Tillie and adds his name next to Tillie and Ronny Turiaf as players who made a huge impact at Gonzaga from France. When the Bulldogs inserted Ayayi into their starting backcourt they really took off. They were good when he was coming off the bench, but they were so much better when Ayayi was in the starting lineup. Ayayi is a talented guy who impacts a game in so many ways. He can score, is a great rebounder for a guard and a tremendous passer. Ayayi is the one player poised to take off next year and is looking for that breakout that Kispert and Petrusev had this year.

Admon Gilder

Gilder is another transfer and he was a sit out transfer from Texas A&M. Gilder came and was known for his ability to shoot from deep. He brought that with him to Spokane and he was just another piece of the puzzle to the great offense displayed by Gonzaga. Gilder was a good defender and averaged over a steal per game, his biggest attribute came from beyond the arc though. He was another player who transferred to Gonzaga with the hope of winning a National Title. Gilder had a huge part in the team success of Gonzaga and that is a good consolation prize.

Drew Timme

Timme as a freshman has potential to be a player who will be mentioned in the same breath as former big men Przemek Karnowski and Ronnie Turiaf. Timme is a special player and this year he was extremely efficient and was a great rebounder in limited minutes. He was a huge piece of the bench for Coach Few. He provides position versatility can pass, shoot and rebound. Watch out for Timme to breakout quickly.