“The Gonzaga Bulldogs make their statement against the Baylor Bears on opening night of college basketball.”

On opening night of college basketball, all eyes were on the Gonzaga Bulldogs against the Baylor Bears at Spokane Arena. For good reason, both programs have real national championship aspirations. The Zags much more so after what the country saw tonight.

Where should I start, where should I start? Gonzaga's Mark Few not only has control of the deepest roster he's ever had, but also the most well-connected, selfless group most can remember in recent history. Baylor's Scott Drew and his defense had a lot of trouble with the Zags' offense in their zone as they constantly bounced around. On the other hand, Gonzaga's defensive communication was like they had a microphone in each other's ears. The Zags finished the game with 25 assists, Baylor only had 11 assists.

The Bears couldn't make a difference on defense that night in front of the wild Spokane Arena crowd that included both students and even more die-hard locals.

From the moment they hit the floor off the bench, the combination of Dusty Stromer and Braden Huff stood out. These two sophomores have early growth and dense tandem blooms. Both have been under pressure from each other since the start of the program, but with the duo now having an understanding of what is required of their roles, there was a clear difference in how they can coach each other from the first game.

Stromer hit three monumental three-pointers in his first time on the floor in the first half and finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. As for Huff, his improvement in the weights and discipline on defense were immediately noticeable. The big man contributed 14 points on 7-11 from the field, 3 assists and a big block from the glass.

The 1-2 punch from anchorman Ryan Nembhard (6 points and 11 assists) and fellow Naismith Trophy winner Graham Ike (15 points on 6-12 FG and a team-high 8 rebounds) will have more impact if the Zags actually get there are in a competitive game. It's strange to say that against Baylor's freshman phenom VJ Edgecombe and Duke graduate Jeremy Roach, who combined for just 13 points on 4-for-20 shooting, they are far less capable than either is capable of over the course of the season .

Remember Nolan Hickman: every piece that made an impact deserves an explanation. The Zags' veteran backcourt finished the game with 17 points on 3-6 3PT and 6 rebounds, which is strange because it seemed quiet compared to what the rest of his teammates were looking at overall. That’s how great the potential of this rotation really can be.

Khalif Battle (12 points on 4-8 3PT, 5 rebounds) has consistently played in the sixth man role throughout his college career, but could be just the right fit for Gonzaga's starting role this season. That goes through Michael Ajayi (9 points on 4-5 FG, team-high 8 rebounds), who is still the top NBA draft prospect on the floor for the Zags. It's really hard to say after this breathtaking atmosphere, but both people have the ability to take over a game, regardless of their specific role for each night.

Who knows what's going through Few's mind right now? The season has only just begun and it is far too early to be making these types of decisions, but this appears to be the deepest team Few has ever had under his leadership, dating back to 1999.

It's satisfying to finally get revenge victory against Drew's Baylor program. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Gonzaga's 38-point win is the most by any team in a season opener against a top-10 opponent in Associated Press poll history.

Next up, Gonzaga hosts Bobby Hurley's Arizona State Sun Devils for the first time at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. PT on ESPN.

Wait, yes. I will not leave without being aware of this sequence.

Arden Cravalho is a graduate of Gonzaga University from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho