Gonzaga Basketball: 3 reasons why Andrew Nembhard should pick GU

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 15: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Florida Gators celebrates in the game against the LSU Tigers during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 10: The Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

3. Gonzaga Basketball is simply the safer bet for Andrew Nembhard

Assuming that this truly is a battle between Duke and Gonzaga for Nembhard’s services, the casual observer who think that this is a no-brainer in favor of the Blue Devils. But in reality, these programs are playing on the same level these days. Assuming that Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi and Filip Petrusev all returns, the Bulldogs will be the preseason No. 1 team in the country for next season. Duke will be somewhere in the top-10 but the experience favors the Bulldogs.

That’s something that Nembhard would have to also consider. Operating under the assumption that he’ll have to sit out a year, he’d be playing for A duke squad filled with almost all underclassmen. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have consistently been an older and more experienced team that doesn’t go through ups and downs. In fact, Gonzaga hasn’t had what would be considered a real “bad loss” in over five years. That would include falling to Stephen F. Austin at home.

The Bulldogs would also give the former Gator the opportunity to be the clear-cut lead guard on the team. Jalen Suggs is a “one and one” player, while backup Aaron Cook will be a senior. There is combo guard recruit Dominick Harris, but he can play off the ball alongside Nembhard for the 2021-22 campaign. As for Duke, they have five-star freshmen DJ Steward and Jeremy Roach for next season. Both could very well go pro after one year but also could come back, potentially complicating things for the transfer.

Kennedy Chandler is in play from the 2021 class and he’s a ball-dominant facilitator. In any scenario, it’s hard to envision Nembhard being a 33 mpg player with the Blue Devils and could take a backseat to any of the five-star talent on both and the perimeter and on the roster overall. Gonzaga’s history with its point guards shows how little risk it is for quality players to succeed and showcase their abilities.

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And while Duke can boast about sending players to the NBA on a yearly basis, the Bulldogs have done well themselves. They have two first-round picks (Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke) from the 2019 NBA Draft and will likely have multiple again in the 2021 draft, led by Suggs. Andrew Nembhard was close to picking Gonzaga in the first go-around and seems to once again be a finalist this time. Beating Duke will be tough but as Maui showed, the Bulldogs are more than capable of doing so.