Gonzaga: Best Offense In College Basketball

Gonzaga is at it again.

The Bulldogs defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 109-55 Saturday night, concluding an impressive four-game home stand.

It was the third time this season the Bulldogs scored over 90 points in a game.

So far this season, Gonzaga is beating opponents by an average of 42 points per contest. Its closest game was a 16-point victory over a ranked SMU team.

The Bulldogs are blowing out teams and making it look easy, and doing so with a style and swagger that’s fun to watch.

Sorry Kentucky and Duke fans — your teams are equally impressive and perhaps more talented — but the Zags have the best offense in college basketball.

But what makes the Bulldogs’ offense so effective?

First, Gonzaga knows its identity. The Bulldogs are not an athletic team, but can run the floor and shoot the lights out. The team plays to its strengths and doesn’t try to be something it’s not.

The Bulldogs grab boards at a high rate — they rank 13th in the nation in rebounding — and look to run following defensive rebounds.

They were especially effective using the fast break in Gonzaga’s 94-42 dismantling of defending A-10 champs Saint Joseph’s.

The Zags turned defensive rebounds into quick buckets at the other end, whether it was an open three in transition or taking it to the hoop for a layup or dunk.

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Gary Bell, Jr. almost singlehandedly doubled Saint Joseph’s scoring output in the first half, connecting on 5-of-7 three-pointers and scoring 18 points. Most of his buckets came from open looks in transition.

But it wasn’t just Bell who torched the Hawks — it was a total team effort.

That’s what makes the Bulldogs’ offense so scary. They can score from every position, and if you key in on one player, there are four others on the floor ready to take advantage.

That brings us to the second reason why Gonzaga is so good: The Bulldogs are a well-rounded, complete team that have depth at every position.

It starts with senior point guard Kevin Pangos. Hobbled last season by injuries, Pangos is healthy this season and has returned to being one of the top point guards in the nation.

His ability to drive and facilitate is the foundation of the Gonzaga offense. More importantly, he is smart and takes care of the basketball — he had seven assists and zero turnovers in the Zags’ victory against SMU.

In addition to Pangos, the Bulldogs have two other creators: Byron Wesley, a high-scoring slasher who averages 12.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, and Josh Perkins, a freshman who averages 6.3 points and 4.3 assists. Once one of those three gets in the lane, they have plenty of passing options.

Including Pangos and Perkins, the Bulldogs have five players who shoot 40 percent or better from long-range (Bell, Kyle Wiltjer and Angel Nunez are the others). In fact, the entire team is shooting 42.5 percent from deep through four games.

With that many shooters, it’s easy to space the floor on offense. In addition to creating open looks on the perimeter, it also creates space inside and allows the Bulldogs’ talented frontcourt players to go to the work in the post.

Seven-footer Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis form a duo that has the length to give opponents plenty of trouble inside. The freshman Sabonis has been especially impressive this season, averaging 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting a sizzling 75 percent from the field.

But Sabonis and Karnowski’s inside presence wouldn’t be nearly as effective if it were not for Wiltjer.

Besides Pangos, Wiltjer is the second-most important cog in the Bulldog offense. His three-point shooting and ability to stretch the floor from the power forward position is the reason the Zags’ floor spacing works.

Not only does it unclog the post for Sabonis and Karnowski, but it also allows Wesley — a below-average shooter — to penetrate, where he can have the most success by getting to the rim or kicking the ball out to open shooters on the wings.

In other words, Wiltjer is the missing piece that makes the offense a well-oiled machine.

Gonzaga ranks in the top ten in points per game, assists per game and field goal percentage. So far, nobody has been able to slow them down.

So how do you stop the Bulldogs? Is it even possible?

Gonzaga can be stopped by a defensive-minded long and athletic team that can exploit the Bulldogs’ weaknesses.

One team comes to mind that fits that description and should worry Bulldog fans — Kentucky (However, shouldn’t everyone be worried about the Wildcats?).

The Wildcats posses the size and athleticism to shut down the Bulldogs’ penetration and close out on their shooters. The Cats also have the size inside to matchup with Karnowski and Sabonis.

Kentucky, or any team similar to the Wildcats’ makeup, could spell trouble for Gonzaga in the tournament. However, tournaments are dictated by matchups, and if the Bulldogs can avoid those types of teams, they have a chance to make the Final Four and maybe win a national championship.

Either way, the Bulldogs have the best offense in college basketball, until someone else can prove otherwise.

Next: Five Reasons Why Gonzaga is a Final Four Team