One more year?

[jazzdelmar]

Of all the Zags who left school early, which one would you most like to have seen return for another season? Consider the team composition on his return.

[hockeyzag]

I'd say it's a toss up between Domantis Sabonis on our 2017 Final Four team vs Brandon Clarke on last year's team.

[jazzdelmar]

Brandon Clarke on last year's team. Offensive and defensive juggernaut.

NC for sure.

[LTownZag]

I'd say it's a toss up between Domantis Sabonis on our 2017 Final Four team vs Brandon Clarke on last year's team.

Collins 2018 or Morrison 2007.

I'd say the best argument against Sabonis '17 is that the next team was astoundingly good without him. There simply wasn't much possible improvement adding even Lebron James. GU lost one game all year before coming up 90 seconds short in the championship.

I think the biggest possible gain in wins (and tourney wins) would have been Morrison returning in 2007 and playing with senior Raivio and Mallon, along with Sophomore Heytvelt, Pargo, and Downs. That team (without Morrison) went 23-11 and lost a first round game to #7 seed Indiana as a #10 seed.

I think with Ammo they could easily have gone more like 28-6 and gotten a ~3 seed, maybe made the S16 or E8. And it wouldn't have really impacted Morrison's pro career to miss his rookie season in the NBA.

Who all has left with eligibility remaining?

Morrison (06), Sabonis('16), NWG, Collins('17), Rui, Clarke, Norvell ('19) (KO '13, Daye '09)

So the possible years with another player would be:

2007
2010
2014
2017
2018
2020

And we'll never know how 2020 really would have ended up, but GU was already amazingly good even without BC, Rui, or Norvell (31-2, 1 seed, WCC normal and tourney champs).

I think my runner up year/player is 2018 but with Zach Collins not NWG. I think he would have brought a greater improvement to the team than a returning NWG, since our frontcourt (Perkins, Melson, Norvell) was already strong.

I bet with Collins, the '18 team finishes the regular season 35-1 (not 32-4) since 3 of our 4 losses were by a total of 11 points, and the biggest loss of those (Florida 2x OT at the PK80) was ours to win with a Melson free throw or Tillie not fouling out. I imagine we'd have gotten a 2 seed in the west (not the 4seed which we did) and could have definitely made a final four or title game. That west bracket was weird, with both the #1 and #2 seeds losing in the round of 32. Then the winner from the west got to play Loyola Chicago (cute cinderella story, but way over their heads) in the final 4.

So maybe with Collins in '18 we played (and I think lose) to an excellent 'Nova team in the national championship.

[ZagzKrak]

Didn't KO leave a year on the table?

[northsidezagfan]

Daye as well

[23dpg]

NWG

[MNZAGFAN99]

Either Collins or NWG on last years team and we walk into the final 4

[hockeyzag]

Either Collins or NWG on last years team and we walk into the final 4

Collins (freshman) and NWG (junior) both left three seasons ago.

[GuZag2012]

Didn't KO leave a year on the table?

Olynyk did have another year of eligibility. He left after his redshirt junior season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bogozags]

IF DS would have stayed for the 16-17 season then ZC would most likely not have come...I would rather of had DS playing with PK and JWIII and Tillie coming off the bench...no doubt the NC would have been GU’s...However, IF Rui would have stay and played this year, we don’t lose...undefeated, untied and National Champions (IF we could of had a tournament!)...IMO

[gonzagafan62]

Domas for 2017. No question about it we win the NC, not even close

[zagbeliever]

If they are a first rounder they should go but I think if they are projected for the 2nd round staying will raise their stock tremendously with the team we have coming in.

[MDABE80]

[QUOTE=gonzagafan62;1516903]Domas for 2017. No question about it we win the NC, not even close[/QUOTE

This or Nigel 2018

[229SintoZag]

Of all the Zags who left school early, which one would you most like to have seen return for another season? Consider the team composition on his return.

This is easy: NWG. He willed us to a Final Four and almost to a title. He showed better floor leadership than all but a few Zags in the Few era. I wish he'd have stayed one more year and I'm quite certain if he did we would have done better than the Sweet 16 in '18. What makes me wish this would have happened was not just how good he was but the fact that he wasn't a lottery pick and he didn't end up in the NBA that next year but did two years in Europe before landing as a deep bench reserve with the Jazz.

In that calculus he had more to gain by staying (likely a first team AA, tons of media, a great senior year) than he had to gain by leaving (an unremarkable overseas career and no NBA lottery type money and I'm sure he could have still ended up with the Jazz this past year regardless).

[ZagMan in Philly]

Hard to pick one..but i remember how much i wanted NWG to come back for some unfinished business.

[MickMick]

Goss, Clarke, and Morrison.

In that order. All three can carry you to the promise land but in this tier, it is less about how much an individual can personally contribute, and more about how that individual can elevate the players around him.

[Zags11]

This is easy: NWG. He willed us to a Final Four and almost to a title. He showed better floor leadership than all but a few Zags in the Few era. I wish he'd have stayed one more year and I'm quite certain if he did we would have done better than the Sweet 16 in '18. What makes me wish this would have happened was not just how good he was but the fact that he wasn't a lottery pick and he didn't end up in the NBA that next year but did two years in Europe before landing as a deep bench reserve with the Jazz.

In that calculus he had more to gain by staying (likely a first team AA, tons of media, a great senior year) than he had to gain by leaving (an unremarkable overseas career and no NBA lottery type money and I'm sure he could have still ended up with the Jazz this past year regardless).

Ill disagree. He had a solid team. With how he shot in the tourny a couple games, the zags would of been eliminated like other great zag guards in the past. Goss was 8 for 42 in a 3 game stretch in NCAA Tourny for 19%. He was a great guard for us on a great team. However to some zag fans he gets all the kudos as he "led" us to the title game. This just isnt true. The team made the run.

[Reborn]

I loved Adam Morrison. It took me a long time to get over him leaving early for the NBA. My son, Demian, helped me see the logic in the decision. After the loss to UCLA in the NCAA and seeing him lying on the floor in agony after the game, I just didn't want it to end this way. Adam had such an impact on taking Gonzaga to another level in recruiting. Because of what he did at GU, and what he accomplished young players in high school began to want to go to Gonzaga.

He dueled it out with a player for Duke to become the highest scorer in D-1 BASKETBALL. Morrison packed every gym and arena that the Zags played in, and he was truly hated by the fans from opposing teams. Student bodies from opposing teams would try every imaginable thing to get into ADAM'S head, but as we know it only inspired him.

I also hated the fact that we didn't make it to the Final Four that year because I believed they could. And I felt if Adam returned they'd certainly make it the following year.

Thanks for all you did, Adam.

Go Zags!!!

[LTownZag]

Ill disagree. He had a solid team. With how he shot in the tourny a couple games, the zags would of been eliminated like other great zag guards in the past. Goss was 8 for 42 in a 3 game stretch in NCAA Tourny for 19%. He was a great guard for us on a great team. However to some zag fans he gets all the kudos as he "led" us to the title game. This just isnt true. The team made the run.

Facts>Stories

Who would have added more to the 2018 team, NWG returning to a frontcourt with Perkins, Norvell, and Melson? or Collins returning to the post with JW3, Rui and (sometimes injured) Tillie off the bench?

Give me Collins' impact in a heartbeat.

Perkins/Melson/Norvell/JW3/Collins starting, Sophs Rui and Tillie and freshman CK off the bench

vs

NWG/Perkins/Melson/Tillie/JW3 Starting, Soph Rui, and freshmen CK and Norvell off the bench


I think team #1 is better.

[gonzagafan62]

Ill disagree. He had a solid team. With how he shot in the tourny a couple games, the zags would of been eliminated like other great zag guards in the past. Goss was 8 for 42 in a 3 game stretch in NCAA Tourny for 19%. He was a great guard for us on a great team. However to some zag fans he gets all the kudos as he "led" us to the title game. This just isnt true. The team made the run.

Agree with most, but what Goss had was unrelenting defense which really stood alone in the WV game as well as the same game. I don’t think you’re wrong at all, however

[Zags11]

Agree with most, but what Goss had was unrelenting defense which really stood alone in the WV game as well as the same game. I don’t think you’re wrong at all, however

Yea he was solid at defense and he was a great player and seems.like a great guy. I just think he wasnt the reason we waltzed into the F4. The team was the reason.

[cjm720]

Nigel

[Zagger]

Morrison
But, he’s returned to Spokane and is heavily involved with the Zags. So, to me he did return
Go Zags!

[sonuvazag]

When I see Goss, I always think of Geoff Goss. Nigel's last name is Williams-Goss, isn't it? I'd be upset if everyone thought half of my hyphenated last name was optional.