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NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Syracuse, and UCLA takeaways from Maui Invitational

By Tristan Freeman

Nov 22, 2023; Honolulu, HI, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few meet upon the completion of the game which Gonzaga won at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2023; Honolulu, HI, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few meet upon the completion of the game which Gonzaga won at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports
Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports /

5th place – Gonzaga Bulldogs

Positive takeaway: Nolan Hickman’s consistency a welcomed development

Last season, Hickman’s NCAA Tournament struggles were a major problem, going scoreless in the last two games. After all of the offseason departures, Gonzaga was going to rely on him to provide a scoring punch on the perimeter. He did that, scoring in double figures all three games, including 19 points in the win over Syracuse.

Hickman averaged 37 mpg on the court and with the lack of guard depth on the roster, he’s going to have to stay on the court and be productive. With Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard (11.2 ppg on 36% FG) struggling from the field, having the junior guard not be a concern at all is something Gonzaga needs to be top-10 good.

Negative takeaway: 3-point shooting will be a weakness going forward

The season-ending injury to Steele Venters hurt Gonzaga in several ways, including having a true shooting threat on the court. Hickman (29%) and Nembhard (12%) have been poor from deep so far, along with freshman starter, Dusty Hickman (25%). The saving grace for the Bulldogs is that the bigs have been good from deep, with Graham Ike and Anton Watson making some shots, while Braden Huff is 7/15 so far off the bench.

Next. Takeaways from top teams from Maui Invitational. dark

Even if there’s some positive regression set to come, Gonzaga isn’t going to be a great shooting team. And having a dreaded 2/20 performance, like what happened in the second half against Purdue, can knock them out of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll need the shots to start falling for the guards, cause if can make life easier for the elite frontcourt.

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