Originally Posted by
DavidBenAkiva
Gonzaga presents quite the test for this young and talented Duke team. This could be the first college basketball team with a chance to win 3 games against Top 10 teams during its first 10 games of the season... since Duke did it in November 2012 (Kentucky, Louisville, and Ohio State). Like that Louisville team Duke faced in the Bahamas, Gonzaga will be without its starting center. Killian Tillie, a 6'11" stretch center, is out for another month or so with an ankle injury. Tillie was absent from Gonzaga's loss to Florida State in the NCAA Tournament last year as well. The team seems more capable of playing through that absence than last March.
The backcourt combination of senior PG Josh Perkins and sophomore SG Zach Norvell, Jr. are talented and poised. Norvell might have NBA rotation player upside whereas Perkins could be described as "steady." Both are good shooters, although neither have been scorching the nets from distance so far this season. Playing a third game in three days is not often a way to break out from distance. Still, either could cause a problem if left alone. Perkins has been a little turnover prone this year. Tre Jones will once again have quite a challenge ahead of himself. He won the matchup against Jared Harper for about 34 minutes yesterday, which was enough to help the team come out on top.
The real headliner for the Bulldogs is forward Rui Hachimura. The Japanese junior is a legitimate NBA Lottery prospect and would be the first Japanese player to ever be drafted in the lottery. He had some struggles with the language and culture during his freshman year and appears to be breaking out during his third season in Spokane. He seems to be one of those kids that didn't realize how good he was. That seems to have changed. The kid is taking over. He has athleticism to matchup with nearly any of Duke's trio of Barrett, Reddish, and Williamson. He is not a shooter at this point in his career, having taken only seven shots from deep this season to date, connecting on three. He is quite good in the midrange and at the rim.
Another frontcourt stud is the San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke. The 6'8" forward is the nominal center until Killie returns. He is also the shot blocker on the team, averaging 3.6 per game on the season. He is having his best year in the sport and right at the time that Gonzaga needs him. The other starter is Corey Kispert. He is the weakest of the five starters, a 6'6" sophomore forward known more for his shooting than anything else. His shooting has been so-so so far, connecting on 30% of his 5 3-point attempts on the young season. He is more ideally suited at this stage of his career to coming off the bench. In light of the Tillie injury, he is getting significant minutes so far.
Gonzaga plays a pretty up-tempo style of play. You wonder how that will hold up on the third after two surprisingly close games against inferior opponents. Illinois was close the entire game and Arizona had a good lead at halftime. Will the short rotation and tired legs affect their shooting? Perkins is shooting 50% from 3 in Maui so far, but Norvell and Kispert have not found their shots yet.
The other three players in the 8-man rotation include senior backup PG Geno Crandall, senior forward Jeremy Jones, and freshman big man Filip Petrusev. The latter was a teammate of R.J. Barrett at Montverde Academy. Petrusev is the most talented of the group but probably a year or two away from really asserting himself against high-major opponents in college. Duke will have a size advantage at almost every position. And the team lacks secondary playmakers besides Perkins and Hachimura. If Tre Jones can keep Perkins in front of him, the open 3's will be difficult for the Zags to find. I am intrigued to see who matches up against Hachimura. He has the size, explosiveness, and talent to match any of Duke's wings. When Duke has the ball, though, will Norvell and Kispert be able to check their man? And can Bolden translate his breakout game against Auburn to this game? Gonzaga doesn't present the quickness and moxie of Jared Harper of Auburn, and Bolden did quite well against him when he was switched onto the point guard. Perkins and Norvell are slower and less explosive than Harper. When shots aren't falling due to tired legs, protecting the rim and securing rebounds will be key. This Gonzaga team, while not at 100%, presents a tough matchup for Duke with as many as 5 shooters on the floor at once. Here's hoping we can knock off yet another Top 10 team. Let's Go Duke!