Gonzaga rages against Warner Pacific, 109-52

Well, that went just as well as we had hoped and expected. “Carnage” isn’t quite the right word for what the Gonzaga Bulldogs did to the Warner Pacific Knights last night, but it’s close. Just five minutes into the second half, Gonzaga's broadcast team had shifted their focus from the actual game unfolding in front of them to a discussion of the World Series – it was a game of that nature.

However, the game began with an unexpectedly close back-and-forth opening 10 minutes as the Knights refused to let the Bulldogs move too far forward. But at halftime, Gonzaga led 64-27, and they never looked back, finishing the game with a final score of 109-52.

Once again, there were many positive takeaways, but also lingering questions and concerns as the Bulldogs prepare for their regular season opener against Scott Drew's No. 8-ranked Baylor Bears. Last night was fun, yes, but it's cold comfort when a (frankly underrated) Baylor team marches to Spokane. Their backcourt is big, physical and skilled, they score in abundance, they get hot and stay hot. This is exactly the type of team the Zags have struggled with in the past. Warner Pacific is hardly a preparation game for what awaits the Bulldogs on November 5th.

The Wild Lineup Parade continues…

Gonzaga opened the game with a 3-guard set with Hickman, Nembhard and Battle in the backcourt while Graham Ike took his usual spot in the low post. The big surprise was that Braden Huff started at power forward ahead of Michael Ajayi or Ben Gregg. There were many lineup configurations I envisioned for the Bulldogs' early season, but Huff starting at the 4 was not one of them.

Huff rarely played off the field last year due to some depth issues in Gonzaga's frontcourt, but his outing against USC clearly gave him a chance to test his floor-spacing skills and hone his midfield game. If Gonzaga opts for a 3-guard set, the 4th spot is up for grabs, with Gregg and Ajayi also able to step in. All three players are big, strong rebounders and capable outside shooters – there really are no bad options.

Another box score surprise: Dusty Stromer led all Zags in minutes with 27, doing a little bit of everything. Unlike last season, he looked confident and comfortable on the wing or as an off-ball guard, finishing the game with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while showing solid perimeter defense and interior stopping power. He is an incredibly versatile player and once he solidifies his role, he will be a great asset to this team.

Gonzaga's presumed seven-man rotation – Nembhard, Hickman, Ike, Huff, Ajayi, Battle and Gregg – lasted about 15 minutes each, but beyond that the distribution of playing time seemed entirely at Mark Few's whims. It was fun, but it also made me even more curious about what to expect from Gonzaga's likely starting lineup against Baylor.

I've never been more confident about Gonzaga's starting lineup for the regular season opener. If I'm not sure, it's probably Scott Drew. But I assume that everything is going according to plan.

Player of the game: Nolan Hickman

As I said, Gonzaga's offense depends on Nolan Hickman. His production will determine not only the Bulldogs' scoring potential, but also their ability to stretch the floor and handle bench rotations when he struggles to score from outside.

If Hickman plays like he did last night, the Zags are in for an exciting run. He led all scorers with 19 points, which he scored in just 21 minutes of play. He shot 8-13 from the field and 3-6 from distance and also showed significant improvement defensively, jumping through passing lanes and using quick hands to keep Warner Pacific's guards at bay.

With Hickman leading all scorers and Battle doing the same against USC, it's obvious the Zags will rely heavily on her scoring at off-ball guard. Whether those points come from Hickman or Battle remains to be seen, but again, there are no bad options – assuming they can stay out of foul trouble.

Perimeter defense

As was a problem for the Bulldogs last year, a high-scoring offense means little without a solid defensive performance. Although the guards showed increased aggressiveness on defense, the emphasis on tough man-to-man coverage against Warner Pacific seemed to come at a cost: stupid fouls.

If Battle and Hickman are going to be high-volume scorers in a 3-guard set, they need to figure out how to protect the perimeter and prevent dribble penetration without fouling. Each ended with three fouls, about two-thirds of which were avoidable/doubtful decisions. The simple fact is that they are too valuable to Gonzaga's offense to be sidelined by careless mistakes or overly aggressive attempts to keep ballplayers in check, especially when Gonzaga switches to zone coverage.

Whether Gonzaga's backcourt can defend without fouls will become apparent very quickly against Baylor. The Bears rely on aggressive coverage to power their offense, and Hickman, Nembhard and Battle must deliver an inspired defensive performance to slow them down – all without fouls.

Innocenti certainly showed off his prowess as a perimeter stopper tonight. The transfer from Tarleton State was, as advertised, an extremely talented and tenacious defender for the Bulldogs. It's possible he gets some key minutes against the Bears as well.

Insane individual efficiency

Zags has boys. We already knew that. But last night showed how effective and efficient these guys can really be, even in limited minutes. The statistics speak for themselves:

• Ben Gregg: 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in 15 minutes
• Michael Ajayi: 14 points on 6-8 shooting, 6 rebounds in 14 minutes
• Nolan Hickman: 19 points (3-6 from 3) in 21 minutes
• Ryan Nembhard: 7 assists, 2 steals in 17 minutes
• Braden Huff: 14 points, 5 rebounds in 16 minutes
• Graham Ike: 11 points, 8 rebounds in 16 minutes

It's exciting to think about what each of these guys could accomplish with more playing time. What fans are curious about, however, is how well they can combine their talents to maximize both scoring and defensive effectiveness.

Ike is back

Graham Ike didn't play particularly well at Kraziness's kennel; He seemed gassed, unsure, perhaps a little too in his head. He certainly didn't assuage those concerns with an ugly performance against USC. However, last night he looked like himself again.

Ike shot 5-8 from the field and grabbed 8 rebounds. He looked much more confident and confident with his shot. Despite a few traps and collapsing double teams from Warner Pacific's perimeter, he provided a clean edge performance. Most importantly, his shots went in contrast to the game against USC In this time the basket, including a beautiful triangle after a great assist from Ajayi. It's a small sample size, but how many big men can say they shot 100% from deep on a given night?

There's not much more to say about Ike other than “Phew…”

Finally

What a frustrating broadcast format for last night's game. ESPN+ pulled the match from its online streaming schedule a few days before its release, so fans outside of the KHQ broadcast region were unable to watch. Rumor has it this was an attempt to minimize available game film for Scott Drew before Gonzaga's matchup against Baylor. If it works, great – I’m all for it. However, Gonzaga has loyal fans worldwide who deserve to support their team, and it's frustrating to know that so many weren't able to see the Zags in action last night.

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