GU - Washington Pre-Game Press

[SWZag]

Would love to read a Wither's article about the game...

Seattle Times: No. 10 Gonzaga favored to win Battle 4 Atlantis, UW given long odds

Slipper Still Fits: Gonzaga vs. Washington game preview: A decade of silence ends

[dnj116]

From the AP: No. 10 Gonzaga heads field of rivals at Battle 4 Atlantis

[SWZag]

GoZags.com: No. 10 MBB Faces UW in Battle 4 Atlantis Opener

JACK OF ALL TRADES
Senior Kyle Dranginis will be relied upon for leadership and his ability to fill up the stat sheet. Coming off the bench in `14-15, the Nampa, Idaho, native was third in the team in blocks (15), fourth in steals (23), fifth in assists (63) and sixth in rebounding (2.6/game). He's done more of the same this season, notching 13 points and 5 assists against Mount St. Mary's and totaling a team-best 10 assists to go along with 3.5 rebounds per game, two steals and one block.

GONZAGA RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 12 BY 247Sports.com
Zach Collins, 7-0, Center, Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman)
Collins brings size and experience playing in big games from one of the most successful high schools in Nevada, Bishop Gorman. He's been a part of three state championships for BGHS and played in the FIBA U-18 3-on-3 World Championships for Team USA this past summer. Collins is ranked No. 32 nationally by Rivals.com and No. 57 nationally by ESPN Top 100, while also ranking as the No. 1 player in Nevada by ESPN. This summer at Adidas Uprising, he ranked tied for fourth in rebounds at 9.4 per game and in blocks at 3.0 per game.

Zachary Norvell, 6-5, Guard, Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)
Norvell comes to Gonzaga from a basketball-rich high school in Chicago, Simeon Career Academy, which has graduated players like Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker in recent years. He's a left-handed shooting guard that has shown a combination of range and athleticism. This summer, the No. 76-ranked recruit nationally by ESPN Top 100 wowed onlookers at an AAU game in Las Vegas in which he put up 53 points, including 14 three-pointers with 11 in the first half.

Killian Tillie, 6-8, Forward, Antibes, France (INSEP)
Tillie, along with fellow signee Larsen, follows in the footsteps of current Zags Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) and Przemek Karnowski (Poland), crossing the Atlantic Ocean to play for Gonzaga. On the way to winning MVP honors and helping his team to the title at the 2013 FIBA U16 Division A European Championships, he averaged 14.3 points and 9.6 rebounds and a tournament-leading 63.4 field-goal percentage. Tillie also led his country to a bronze medal at the 2015 FIBA 3-on-3 U18 World Championships.

Jacob Larsen, 6-10, Center, Holte, Denmark (SISU Copenhagen)
Larsen, like Tillie, continues the long line of international big men to make their way to Gonzaga. The Denmark native helped his country win the 2013 FIBA U16 Division B European Championship, earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.0 points and 12.1 rebounds, while shooting a tournament-best 67.4 percent from the field. Larsen posted 24 points and 16 rebounds in the championship game victory. For his efforts, Eurobasket.com named him the U16 Division B Best Player and Best Center.

Rui Hachimura, 6-7, Forward, Sendai, Japan (Meisei High School)
Hachimura burst onto the basketball scene in Japan last year, due in large part to his breakout performance at the FIBA U17 World Championships in Dubai in August 2014. He averaged a tournament-best 22.1 points per game. Hachimura also led Meisei High School to a second straight winter All-Japan High School Tournament title, averaging 28.0 points in five games. Hachimura would be only the fifth Japanese-born male to play NCAA Division I college basketball.