Kyle Dranginis and Bryan Alberts

[Reborn]

There has been some talk lately about the 3 spot vacancy and who GU is recruiting for that position. One thing that has not been talked about very much is the fact that GU has Kyle Dranginis coming back and Bryon Alberts too. We are not seeing a big push by our coaches to recruit a 3 for next year, and I believe that this is why. This could very easily be Kyle Dranginis' year to shine, in the same way that last year it was Byron Wesley. The more that I think about Kyle the more I see him as cut from the same cloth as Wesley: strong rebounder, very good defender, attacks to the rim, better foul shooter, better outside shooter. Kyle has been mostly playing in the shadows of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell over his first three years at GU. Well, they are gone now and someone is going to have to step up and IMO it's going to be Kyle D. I think that Kyle is very capable of getting the ten and a half points that Wesley got last season. I was pretty impressed with Dranginis's play last year. He won't be a major scorer in his senior season that Sam Dower was in his senior year, but Gonzaga doesn't need him to be.

And then there is Bryan Alberts. He is also 6'5". Coach Few has had a lot of nice things to say about Alberts in interview; so I'm pretty excited to see him play. I believe Alberts can easily score the 4.5 points that Dranginis scored off the bench last season. Alberts is a red shirt freshman and has now put in a year practicing with the team. I feel that this is a big advantage to bringing in a freshman to play right away. I feel Gonzaga is going to be strong at the 3 spot next season.

[LongIslandZagFan]

There has been some talk lately about the 3 spot vacancy and who GU is recruiting for that position. One thing that has not been talked about very much is the fact that GU has Kyle Dranginis coming back and Bryon Alberts too. We are not seeing a big push by our coaches to recruit a 3 for next year, and I believe that this is why. This could very easily be Kyle Dranginis' year to shine, in the same way that last year it was Byron Wesley. The more that I think about Kyle the more I see him as cut from the same cloth as Wesley: strong rebounder, very good defender, attacks to the rim, better foul shooter, better outside shooter. Kyle has been mostly playing in the shadows of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell over his first three years at GU. Well, they are gone now and someone is going to have to step up and IMO it's going to be Kyle D. I think that Kyle is very capable of getting the ten and a half points that Wesley got last season. I was pretty impressed with Dranginis's play last year. He won't be a major scorer in his senior season that Sam Dower was in his senior year, but Gonzaga doesn't need him to be.

And then there is Bryan Alberts. He is also 6'5". Coach Few has had a lot of nice things to say about Alberts in interview; so I'm pretty excited to see him play. I believe Alberts can easily score the 4.5 points that Dranginis scored off the bench last season. Alberts is a red shirt freshman and has now put in a year practicing with the team. I feel that this is a big advantage to bringing in a freshman to play right away. I feel Gonzaga is going to be strong at the 3 spot next season.

I'd think a backup(s) at PG/SG player to spell Melson and Perkins would be key. Front court is 2 deep at both positions. Likewise at the 3 with Draino and Alberts. A sharpshooter or shutdown defender would be nice.

[DZ]

I think a starting line-up of Perkins, Drainginis, Wiltjer, Sabonis and Karnowski would be very intriguing. We'd be very big, Drainginis is a very good slasher IMO. If Perkins can shoot the 3 the way he was hitting them pre-injury last year, that line-up would be pretty cool to watch.

[cjm720]

I'd think a backup(s) at PG/SG player to spell Melson and Perkins would be key. Front court is 2 deep at both positions. Likewise at the 3 with Draino and Alberts. A sharpshooter or shutdown defender would be nice.

The nice thing about Draino and Alberts is they are capable of playing multiple positions. Draino has been in the shadows, but he's a heckuva player....he'll shine this year regardless of role IMO. Personally I'm hoping Alberts is more of a SG....would love to get that 6'6"-6'8" wing.

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

I agree with Reborn 100% in believing the '3' is in good hands next year with Kyle Dranginis and Bryan Alberts. KD is certainly capable of matching the 10ppg Zags got from BWes last season and he is at least as good a defender and rebounder. Love KD's toughness, team-first mentality and believe that as long as he shows up ready to roll next season he should be the starting 3 from day 1 and will thrive there all season long. Very excited to see what Alberts brings to the table too....with our post players, a lights out 3-point shooter off the bench will be a key cog in the machine.

Another possible scenario would be if the Zags bring in an absolute stud at the 3, in which case I would not be surprised to see KD start alongside Perkins as the shooting guard.....tighten up your handles this offseason Kyle!!

OT: Excited about the news Zags have offered 6'10 jc big man Vladimir Broziansky, as he has a nice shooting touch, footwork and, of course, height. Even though he would be eligible immediately coming from JC, I think a year to work on his body and bang with Sabonis, PK, Wiltjer in practice as a redshirt and settle into his Zagdom would be beneficial all the way around.

The fact all our bigs are returning tells me the great chemistry we heard so much about remains intact, and the Zags are on a mission to carry Coach Few to the Final Four. We were very fortunate to have two great, team-first young men in KD and BWes (and leaders in Pangos and Bell) that allowed all the new faces to gel quickly last season....not sure we can take that for granted if a stud grad transfer is brought in who expects to be given major minutes. However, I trust the coaching staff and players' vetting process and looking forward to learning what develops.

Final thought, with four open schollies and at least three major players leaving after next season (PK, KW, KD), I hope the Zags are not afraid to trust their 2016 recruiting and keep schollies available rather than fill them all up this season....perhaps a walk-on gets thrown a bone for a season and gets to play on scholarship for one year?

[webspinnre]

As others have mentioned, the great thing is that both Kyle and Bryan can play the 2 as well, so even if we got a 3, we've still got options for where to play people, Kyle in particular.

[jazzdelmar]

I think they are looking for an uber Wesley type at the 3; more of a scorer and bigger than KD and more experienced than Alberts. KD was terrific end of the year but my feeling is that they prefer him off the bench in a Hondo role and are wanting to add a 12 ppg scorer from the transfer mkt....Just MO.

[jazzdelmar]

I think a starting line-up of Perkins, Drainginis, Wiltjer, Sabonis and Karnowski would be very intriguing. We'd be very big, Drainginis is a very good slasher IMO. If Perkins can shoot the 3 the way he was hitting them pre-injury last year, that line-up would be pretty cool to watch.

You never give up, Dix. And you are smart enough to know this will never happen. Gotta admire your determination, tho.

[TheGonzagaFactor]

You never give up, Dix. And you are smart enough to know this will never happen. Gotta admire your determination, tho.

Agreed. I'd also love to clog up the paint and never score on offense while getting burned constantly on defense, but I don't think Few will go for it...

[CDC84]

I think they are looking for an uber Wesley type at the 3; more of a scorer and bigger than KD and more experienced than Alberts. KD was terrific end of the year but my feeling is that they prefer him off the bench in a Hondo role and are wanting to add a 12 ppg scorer from the transfer mkt....Just MO.

Agreed. A Wesley with more athleticism as well. Which is why they are going hard after Damion Lee. The Zag coaching staff have an in home visit with him today. And if they don't land him, I expect them to pursue other grad transfers at the wing position after the semester ends and more names pop up.

The Zags have to replace about 30 points per game at the one through three spots in the starting lineup with a bunch of guys who haven't shown in their college careers (with the exception of McClellan) that they can consistently score in double figures. They also have to replace Pangos/Bell's long range shooting. The Zags also really could use a dynamic athlete at the wing, which is something they don't have right now. Someone who could give GU a little bit of what Justise Winslow brought to Duke this past year. Obviously, there are plenty of scholarships to hand out as well.

I tend to prefer Dranginis as a role player coming off the bench because of his ability to be a Swiss Army Knife. He's the perfect role player coming off the bench for a top 7 team. He does a little bit of everything but nothing really great. He would need to vastly improve his handle, long range shooting and decision making (at times) in order for me to feel comfortable with him in the starting lineup.

BTW - I still think that using a 2-1-2 zone with Karnowski, Sabonis, and Wiltjer starting could be GU's most effective defense. The zone would protect KW from being exposed on D, and the two seven footers would be less prone to picking up cheap fouls and provide GU with rim protection to allow the guards to extend out. As for the offense, Few is a genius...he would find ways to make things work. I expect Few and Co. to experiment with using all three bigs throughout next season - especially with Edwards now available as a backup big man. I just don't know if you will see that outfit as a starting lineup. And you certainly won't see it as a starting lineup if they land a wing like Damion Lee.

[DZ]

You never give up, Dix. And you are smart enough to know this will never happen. Gotta admire your determination, tho.

Nope. I have nothing to "give up" - I do like the idea of having our best 3 on the floor at the same time, but that comment was more geared toward the fact that I think Dranginis can play the 2 as a slasher, especially if he can improve his 3pt percentage a little. I guess I should have left the rest of the comment out as "duplicative" of prior statement. I do appreciate the good natured kidding as opposed to the bare condescension of others.

[BULLDOG#1]

BTW - I still think that using a 2-1-2 zone with Karnowski, Sabonis, and Wiltjer starting could be GU's most effective defense. The zone would protect KW from being exposed on D, and the two seven footers would be less prone to picking up cheap fouls and provide GU with rim protection to allow the guards to extend out. As for the offense, Few is a genius...he would find ways to make things work. I expect Few and Co. to experiment with using all three bigs throughout next season - especially with Edwards now available as a backup big man. I just don't know if you will see that outfit as a starting lineup. And you certainly won't see it as a starting lineup if they land a wing like Damion Lee.

That zone would get shredded by any good team. I guess I understand the idea of playing your best players all together, but it just doesn't make sense with these three. Unless Wiltjer or Bonus gain considerable footspeed over the summer, it would be crazy to play them all together. They were SO DARN EFFECTIVE sharing the minutes between them in the tournament this year, why mess with the good thing? There's plenty of minutes for all three in the 4-5 positions.

Those who think Few should start all three are nuts. Zone or not, imagine KW or DS trying to contain Davis or Collinsworth on the wing? Yikes. Sabonis may end up the zags best ever rebounder -- is it wise to take him away from a natural rebounding position and play on the wing?

[zagfan1]

Kyle D plays more stiff than Wesley. He has improved a lot however from when he started. We need a slasher who can also shoot accurate threes. Alberts is still not proven. The smart move is to try to land Lee and have Kyle D come off the bench. That's why Wednesday is so important.

[zagfan94]

Kyle D plays more stiff than Wesley. He has improved a lot however from when he started. We need a slasher who can also shoot accurate threes. Alberts is still not proven. The smart move is to try to land Lee and have Kyle D come off the bench. That's why Wednesday is so important.

You think Melson would start over Kyle at 2?

[hooter73]

My honest opinion is that if Wesley hadn't have come in, Dranginis would have done very close to what Byron did. Kyle was a scorer and if called for, wouldve been one again. he has a similar game to Byron with an outside shot and better free throws. His average might not have been the same but given the same minutes, I think he wouldve already been a very comparable player. If for some reason he as a 5th year senior former Gatorade POTY, is again called on to just come off the bench as a role player, he will be underutilized into obscurity. I dont think that is going to be the case though.