3 takeaways from Gonzaga Basketball’s historically shocking loss to LMU

2. Drew Timme can’t save the Bulldogs every night

Coming into this season it was the “Year of the Big”, with guys such as Timme, Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Hunter Dickinson (Michigan), and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) listed as the best players in the country. But the other three All-American caliber players are on teams currently unranked because, like Gonzaga, their supporting casts have struggled at various points this season.

Last night, Timme was fine statistically, scoring 17 points. But LMU had the bodies to make him work, as Rick Issanza and Michael Graham bothered for all 40 minutes. Graham, in particular, had a fantastic game off the bench, producing nine points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.

When Timme isn’t thoroughly outplaying opposing frontcourts, the Bulldogs can be in trouble. And his numbers on the year are great, averaging 21.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 3.4 apg. But he has a high usage on the team and the offense, which under Coach Mark Few tends to be free-flowing and with lots of passing, comes to a halt when the big man has the ball and tries to force something to the hoop. And as a 61% free throw shooter, hacking him and slowing down the game isn’t a bad move either.

As other teams have found out, having a great big man can only do so much to a team. Timme has saved the Bulldogs more times than not, especially in the NCAA Tournament. But a 17-point and 7-rebound performance seem to not be good enough on this year’s roster.