NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 5-star C Chet Holmgren’s top 7 schools
By Ian Mumm
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few is no stranger to recruiting top-end frontcourt players to Gonzaga and relies heavily on them to produce on the court. In fact, he signed three top-100 bigs in the 2019 class, Drew Timme, Pavel Zhakarov and Oumar Ballo, with incumbents Killian Tillie and Filip Petrusev still on the roster. Players at this position, like Holmgren, are not scared off by the logjam because Few has proven time and again to be great at player development.
Holmgren only has to look at the track-record for frontcourt talent succeeding with the Zags and holding their own in the NBA: Ronny Turiaf, Robert Sacre, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Austin Daye, Rui Hachimura, Brandon Clarke and Zach Collins. The list is long and will assuredly continue to pile on names, but the competitiveness and familiarity with the program will benefit the likelihood of his commitment as well. Holmgren’s Minnehaha teammate and 5-star guard Jalen Suggs has signed with the program as part of the 2020 class and will give the 2021 5-star and inside look at how the Bulldogs operate.
Under Few, the Zags have routinely run 3-man frontcourt rotations with their forwards and centers and in some cases with four. While there may be concern for Holmgren or another developing big on the roster to be shorted minutes, players actively in the rotation typically see north of 12 MPG in the worst case and 25 MPG in the best case. Comparatively, Holmgren’s skillset would see him land near the upper end of this spectrum.
His ability to shoot the ball and extend the defense is rare among notable Zag bigs. Holmgren’s shooting prowess, as a center, would be akin to Kyle Wiltjier’s contributions in the Bulldog uniform however with a much more pronounced defensive impact. The former has the potential to be one of the better blockers to come through the program in the last decade, especially with the considerable frontcourt size the team possesses.
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The icing on the cake for Holmgren is the incredible offense balance this program has had, as nearly seven players averaged double-digit scoring on the year. There would be absolutely no pressure for him to carry the offense and he would certainly have the freedom to play his game on the court.