Gonzaga basketball: Analyzing 2020-21 frontcourt without Filip Petrusev

By Andy Patton | Jul 22, 2020

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 18: Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs battles for control of a loose ball against Zac Seljass #2 of the BYU Cougars in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center on January 18, 2020 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

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TUCSON, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 14: Filip Petrusev #3 and Killian Tillie #33 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Most college programs would crumble if a preseason All-American left early, but Gonzaga Basketball will be just fine with their loaded frontcourt in 2020-2021.

Gonzaga Basketball will officially be without star big man Filip Petrusev next season after he announced a deal with Mega Bemax, a Serbian team located in his hometown of Belgrade.

It’s not a huge surprise Petrusev is leaving after he averaged 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 56.2% shooting as a sophomore in 2019-2020. He realistically didn’t have much room for improvement while staying at Gonzaga, and the COVID-19 pandemic made counting on playing hoops in the states a risky endeavor. Going home to play in Serbia, while keeping his NBA draft dream alive, seems like a logical decision for the 20-year-old big man.

Petrusev obviously would have been welcomed back with open arms in the city of Spokane, but unlike many other programs in the country, the loss of an All-American caliber center does not hurt the Zags nearly as much as you might expect.

Gonzaga has a ton of frontcourt talent returning for the 2020-2021 season, and the flexibility, athleticism, and defense that this team will have with the roster next year could make them as good, or better, even after losing Petrusev. How can that be?

Well, because of these four guys: