The NBA Draft is a bittersweet time for Gonzaga basketball fans. On the one hand, it’s a final goodbye to players who did so much to boost the Zags. On the other, it’s a time to celebrate those player’s achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to cash in and play at the highest level of professional basketball.
The NBA Draft is on July 29. Pacific Northwest will update Gonzaga Bulldogs fans on where former team stars Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi, and Filip Petrusev are likely to get drafted. Pacific Northwest Sports scoured the internet for reliable mock drafts. We audited 22 of them, including ESPN, Fox, CBS, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today, to get a consensus.
What a pleasure it was watching 18-year-old Jalen Suggs do his thing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs during his lone season in Spokane. There isn’t a Zags fan who will ever forget the three-pointer Suggs drilled at the buzzer in overtime to defeat UCLA in the Final Four. Let alone the crazy celebration that followed.
All along, ZagsNation knew it would be a one-and-done situation with Suggs. He came to Mark Few’s squad as the highest-ranked recruit in program history. Almost a year later, he leaves as a Top 5 NBA Draft pick.
From a draft standpoint, Suggs has all the goods necessary to be an NBA Superstar. He’s silky smooth with the ball in his hands, has incredible vision to find the open man, and can thread the needle with his passes. If his man plays off him too far, he’ll pull up for a shot. Guard Suggs too tight, and he beats his man off the dribble.
For such a young man, Suggs understands how to play good defense. Combined with the athletic ability to match his IQ, the second-team All-American will give his opponents fits. A few other intangibles are mixed in with an amazing skill-set that puts him over the top.
Although he was a freshman on a veteran team, Suggs earned a leadership role with his outstanding play. Next, he showed outstanding determination all season. There were many times when he refused to let his team get beat. Finally, Suggs’ infectious attitude permeated his teammates and made them better.
Suggs isn’t without developmental areas. Most criticisms about him focus on two things. First, he needs to be a more consistent shooter from the outside. Second, he can play recklessly at times. The latter is likely a factor of his youth, and Suggs should grow out of that.
An astounding 16 of 20 mock drafts have Suggs heading north of the border to Toronto as the fourth overall pick. Two others tab him to Houston second overall. It would be either a small miracle or mass insanity if he slipped past the top five picks.
Last year, Corey Kispert declared for the NBA Draft but pulled his name from consideration after scouts predicted he would go in the second round. Instead, he came back to the Zags for his senior season. His improvement over the last year will earn him tens of millions in the Association.
Kispert is the outside marksman teams crave. Last year he shot an amazing 44.0 percent from behind the arc, many of which were from NBA distance. There were times when his long-distance touch wasn’t there, but Kispert had enough confidence in it to keep shooting until he heated up. Kispert also had no problem taking it to the rack when the situation presented itself.
Kispert has the size and can shoot the hell out of the ball… his length and shooting are enough to get him drafted in the teens, especially by a franchise that values perimeter shooting as much as the Warriors. – Jeff Goodman. Stadium
Just about every mock draft raves about Kispert’s outside shooting. They talk about him teaming up with superstars from Zion Williamson in New Orleans (10th overall) to Steph Curry in Golden State (14th).
Kispert is a legitimate top 15 draft pick. He’s the best outside shooter in this draft class, and there are plenty of teams who can use what he brings to the table. It’s not hard to see him have a long NBA career. If he slides that far, it’s amazing to think about Kispert shooting the lights out on the same team with Curry and Klay Thompson.
Ayayi also came back for another season when he wasn’t projected to go as high as he would have liked in the 2020 Draft. Returning for a third season was the right move. Not only was he part of an amazing team, Ayayi worked his way up to a potential first-round pick.
The native of Paris, France improved each year he was under coach Mark Few’s guidance. For 2020-21, Ayayi had his best season yet. He averaged 12.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. In addition, Ayayi showed the necessary skills and leadership to succeed at the next level.
Every team needs its glue. Last year, Ayayi was the glue that held Gonzaga together. The tougher the situation, the harder he played. When the Zags needed a stop, he made it. If GU needed a big basket, Ayayi stepped up and sank it. In short, when all else failed, the 6-5 wing didn’t.
The good news is that every mock draft we audited that went into the second round included Ayayi. Unfortunately, there is no consensus, each one had him headed to someplace different. Some mock drafters believe Ayayi is a late first-round pick, while others see him as a mid-second rounder. In the right situation, he could thrive as a 3-and-D wing.
A capable shooter, excellent passer, and elite off-ball cutter, Ayayi is the type of feel-driven player the Clippers tend to love. He’d be a strong fit accentuating the talent already on the roster and should be a valuable rotation player in the right situation. – Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
Filip Petrusev could have come back to Gonzaga last year. Instead, he signed on to play professional basketball in his native Serbia. He did extremely in his first year of pro ball. The former Gonzaga basketball standout averaged 23.7 points per game for Mega Bet on the way to earning league MVP honors.
Those who saw him play in Spokane might be surprised to learn that Petrusev developed an outside shot while abroad. In two seasons with the Zags, Petrusev made 11 treys in 63 games. In Serbia, he made 26 three-pointers and shot 42 percent from behind the arc.
Just like Ayayi, Petrusev is on every mock draft that went into the second round. The 6-11 center also had some late first-round mentions. He’ll make a great addition to a team that needs a rebounder who can occasionally hit a trifecta.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have never had more than two former players taken in the same draft. This year they will have four. We’ll be back with another edition of our Gonzaga Bulldogs Mock Draft Consensus before the event happens.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.