Gonzaga Basketball: Analyzing Bulldogs 2020-21 projected rotation
By Andy Patton
Small Forwards
Perhaps the best news the Zags could have gotten this offseason is the return of Corey Kispert, an incoming senior forward who can do a little bit of everything and will no doubt be the face of this team in 2020-21.
Kispert averaged 13.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last year while shooting a ridiculous 43.8% from beyond the arc and 81% from the charity stripe.
Kispert will be relied upon to be the glue that keeps this team together, and his ability to score from everywhere, run the offense, post up, and play lockdown defense will be crucial to this team’s success.
The backup three will be the third member of the tricky trio, Julian Strawther, a certified bucket getter from Liberty High School. Strawther is a cool six-foot-seven, with the athleticism to do just about anything he wants on the offensive side of the ball.
Strawther’s playing time will be something to watch as well, as the Zags tend to favor three-guard lineups in the WCC, and with Kispert capable of playing 33-35 minutes per game there may not be a lot of room for Strawther right out of the gate.
In fact, he may end up playing some power forward in small-ball lineups, something we will talk about on the next slide.
Martynas Arlauskas will be in the mix for playing time as well, capable of filling in short spurts at 2, 3, or 4 as a defensive stopper and high-energy guy. He’s not ready for his close-up just yet, but he’s a guy to keep an eye on starting in 2021-2022.