Gonzaga Basketball: 2021-22 keys for Bulldogs to beat Texas Longhorns

3. Get the offense and the ball moving

There are lofty expectations for the Zags and nearly as lofty expectations for each of their starters, especially senior Nembhard. He was a pick-and-roll master last season with Drew Timme and many–myself included–extrapolated that elite court vision and passing in a far bigger role, having a usage rate of just 14.7% last year.

Nembhard is still looking to assert himself into the offense after a usage rate of just 10.6% on Tuesday. The pick-and-roll action was not displayed much in these first few games and was noticeably absent against Dixie State. The Zags should look to get Timme going early and Nembhard could be vital in this. He is going to be matched up against fellow Canadian and senior Marcus Carr who is coming off a 19.4 points and 4.9 assists season with Minnesota.

Additionally, the Bulldogs will need to take care of the basketball after coughing up 15 turnovers to the Trailblazers. 11 of them came in the first half, which resulted in a 1.026 PPP (they averaged 1.197 in 2020-2021). Five of those turnovers were committed by Holmgren, who will likely be asked to create looks for his teammates due to the no-middle defense that Beard runs that tries to trap ball handlers.

And though Gonzaga hasn’t quite sunk the 3-point shot at a high clip in these three games, they’re getting good looks. Major separation can be found for the Bulldogs if any of those looks start falling, creating a bigger dilemma for those guarding Timme and Holmgren.