After two straight seasons with unique freshman stars on the roster of Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga is returning to something a little more familiar for the 2022-23 season. While there’s still plenty of talent on the roster, including senior star Drew Timme, this version of the Bulldogs won’t be externally defined by a player’s potential NBA Draft status.
Instead, as coach Mark Few enters his 24th season, he will deploy a core of veterans flanked by a group of sophomores whose collective development could determine the ceiling of a program still in pursuit. of his first national title. Gonzaga has at least reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last seven NCAA tournaments, and expectations are once again high as the Bulldogs sit atop. the CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 preseason rankings.
But Few’s club must replace the No. 2 overall pick in the June NBA Draft in Holmgren and the No. 31 overall pick Andrew Nembhard, who led the team within minutes and provided a firm hand to the guard. Holmgren led the team in rebounds and blocks, while Nembhard led the team in assists. So who is ready to step in and thrive amid these losses?
As the 2022-23 college basketball season approaches, here’s a look at how Gonzaga’s starting lineup and rotation could take shape.
Projected starting composition
1. Nolan Hickman
6-2 | 185 | Sophia.
Hickman came off the bench last season while veterans like Rasir Bolton and Nembhard filled starting roles in the backcourt. He must once again fend off a seasoned move to Malachi Smith, but Hickman showed enough last season to suggest a breakout season could be in the cards. The former Kentucky clerk posted an assist-to-rotation ratio of nearly 2:1 in 17.2 minutes per game.
2. Rasir Bolton
6-3 | 185 | red t-shirt Sr.
Bolton immediately took on a starting role last season after being traded from Iowa State, and he never gave it up. He’s been one of the team’s most consistent players down the straight, shooting 53.9 percent from the floor in February and March. It’s hard to imagine the fifth-year eldest not starting in the starting lineup, even amid what could be heated competition for minutes in the backcourt.
3. Julian Strawther
6-7 | 205 | Jr.
Strawther has pushed back the NBA draft to return for his junior season, and he could be in line for a big jump in productivity. The lanky winger is an efficient scorer who improved his outside shooting to 36.5% in his second year while contributing significantly on the boards. His size and versatility are nice, but he needs to improve as a defender to maximize his potential.
4.Anton Watson
6-8 | 225 | Jr.
After starting 17 of 32 games as a sophomore, Watson returned to a bench role last season while logging 18.1 minutes per game. Now, after Holmgren leaves, he will have a chance to reclaim a starting spot. While the combination of Watson and Timme isn’t the most imposing in terms of shot blocking and rim protection, both are incredibly effective inside scorers with good ball skills who can make Gonzaga’s attack hum.
5. Drew Timme
6-10 | 235 | Sr.
Timme is already Gonzaga’s all-time leader in NCAA Tournament points and is coming back for more after winning WCC Player of the Year honors last season. Unless he starts taking and making more 3-pointers or suddenly improves his later quickness to become a defensive mainstay, Timme will remain of little interest to the NBA franchises. But he’ll be in the mix for National Player of the Year honors in college play and could cap an illustrious career with the ultimate exclamation mark if he can lead Gonzaga to his first-ever national title.
Bench
Malachi Smith
6-4 | 205 | Redshirt Jr.
As the Zags bid farewell to Holmgren and the balance of power on the roster naturally shifts back to the guards, having Smith on the roster will be huge. He averaged 19.9 points while earning Southern Conference Player of the Year honors for an NCAA Tournament team in Chattanooga last season and finished No. 11 in our ranking of the best transfers in sport. He’s listed as a bench option here, but Few has a ton of possibilities with his backcourt setup, and Smith is fully capable of breaking the starting formation.
Hunter Sallis
6-5 | 175 | Sophia.
Like Hickman, Sallis came on as a highly touted true freshman last season and played on the bench behind Gonzaga’s more experienced guards. Bolton’s return and Smith’s addition may mean a starting role remains for at least another season. But Nembhard led the team with 32.6 minutes per game last season, and his departure could mean Sallis is in line for a bigger slice of the pie after recording 13.6 minutes per game as a rookie.
Efton Reid
6-11 | 238 | Sophia.
Reid started all 34 games he played as a true freshman at LSU last season after finishing the 2021 recruiting round ranked No. 32 in the class by 247Sports. His length is a welcome addition to the roster as the Zags grapple with the defensive impact of losing Holmgren’s 3.7 blocks per game. Reid isn’t quite as prolific – he averaged 0.8 blocks in 19.6 minutes per game last season – but he’s a promising frontline player who could become a star player if he stays after the start eventual Timme.
Ben Gregg
6-10 | 225 | Redshirt-Soph.
Minutes may still be scarce for Gregg, who made 35 appearances in his first two seasons, but the junior could carve out a role in certain situations. He’s a big stretch who could be called up for fouls, injuries or specific matchups.
Depth
Kaden Perry | 6-9 | 225 | Sophia.
Dominique Harris | 6-3 | 190 | Redshirt-Soph.
Braden Huff | 6-9 | 205 | Prof.
Perry finished the 2021 recruiting cycle ranked 52nd in the class, and he appeared in big games against UCLA and Duke as a true freshman before a back injury derailed his season. If he is completely healthy, it would not be surprising to see him compete for a few more minutes this season. Huff has the makings of a long-term prospect who will eventually play a role on Drew Timme’s replacement committee. Harris appeared in 25 competitions during the 2020-21 season but missed all of last year through injury and faces an uphill battle for minutes at guard.
Gonzaga has lost key players, but does he have enough firepower to try to win the national title? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast as we discuss the Zags as part of our Summer Shootaround series.