ZAGS TRACKER with Steve Cameron: It’s a lock to say Zags will be loaded in 2020-21

So bring ’em on.

The Zags are making no secret of their desire to toughen up future schedules — as befits a team that finished the 2019-20 season ranked No. 2 in most national polls.

We’ll have to wait until 2022 to see that tasty home-and-home series with Kansas begin at storied Allen Fieldhouse, but Gonzaga is already committed to a similar series with Big 12 power Texas beginning this coming December in Austin.

Mark Few’s crew has begun recruiting on pretty much even footing against the big boys, so now Gonzaga will be playing them whenever possible — and not just in holiday tournaments.

North Carolina came calling at the Kennel this past season, and now it’s going to be Texas and KU (and perhaps some other heavyweights).

It’s silly to look too far down the road with all the movement of players in and out these days, but we’re not going very far out on a limb by saying the Zags will have enough talent to compete with anybody next season.

YES, THERE are question marks about who might leave to try the NBA draft, and it will be a while before we know if Jalen Suggs — considered the best prep guard in America this year — will enroll at Gonzaga or play professionally overseas as he hopes to boost his NBA stock.

Suggs’ decision is a big one, not just because of his talent, but because at this stage (with incoming transfers still possible and perhaps even likely), he would the only true point guard in the program.

Few faced a similar dilemma last summer, remember, and still struck gold with grad transfer Ryan Woolridge from North Texas.

Woolridge came in under the radar and had a spectacular season, playing big minutes and taking on some of the better point guards in the country as the Zags finished 31-2 — regular-season and tournament champions in the WCC.

Woolridge made an interesting statement while describing his transfer decision following a season out with injury at North Texas.

“When Gonzaga calls,” he said, “you’re listening.”

OBVIOUSLY, Few and his staff now can get pretty solid interest from any potential transfers, just as they have with high school stars like Drew Timme, a five-star recruit who was snatched out of Texas from under the noses of countless big-name schools.

Timme had an excellent freshman season as a nominal backup to WCC Player of the Year Filip Petrusev — and I’ve used that phrase on purpose, because he was more than just another sub.

Mr. Timme is going to be a star, and probably an NBA player at some point.

OK, back to the guard position for a moment…

If Suggs turns up in Spokane, he appears to be the rare freshman who can run a team from the point position. He’s as good as his hype, and more than just a shooter/scorer.

Suggs is the whole package, and while Few rarely turns the point guard spot over to an 18-year-old (as he did with Kevin Pangos), this might be the guy.

If Suggs goes to Australia to make a few bucks and showcase himself as a pro, then Few has to produce a bit more magic in finding a guard to run the show.

WCC tournament MVP Joel Ayayi, assuming he returns, might be a candidate.

I’m going to state the case right here that Ayayi, wherever he plays, has so much more upside than we’ve seen so far, he might be capable of almost anything.

THERE ARE going to be other gifted guards available, although none that have played the point at anything close to the Zags’ necessary level.

Prep stars Dominick Harris and Julian Strawther are exciting talents, but both are slasher/shooter types.

Looking closer to the hoop, I’m going to make a statement that may sound strange, at least on the surface…

Gonzaga would benefit, I believe, if Petrusev goes to the NBA (or makes that attempt).

He’s a gifted offensive player, no question, but the Zags will ALWAYS have offense. That’s who they are, and when you look at the arsenal Few can deploy next season, it’s pretty clear that points won’t be a problem.

In fact, Timme (who scored more than 3,100 points in high school) was the offensive dynamo in that crucial first half against Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament title game, as Petrusev sat with a couple of fouls.

But here’s the thing: Gonzaga is just a great DEFENSE away from winning an NCAA championship.

The 2017 team, which came so agonizingly close, was the Zags’ best-ever team on the defensive end — and wound up playing in the national championship game.

In more than a decade, no team has won it all when ranked worse than 11th nationally in the KenPom defensive efficiency stats.

JUST BEING honest as possible about it, Petrusev is a below-average defender in the post.

The Serbian can be overpowered by strong players in the paint (remember Yoeli Childs from BYU) and he’s not really a rim protector like Brandon Clarke or even Rui Hachimura from the 2019 team.

The Zags managed to make up for the deficiency, basically, by just scoring and scoring and scoring (87.4 per game last year).

But to reach Final Four status, they need a little more balance.

In the post, I think that means Timme must surface as the main defender, aided by the savvy, timing and incredible reach of Anton Watson — and when necessary, plenty of bulk along with shot-blocking ability from 6-10, 260-pound redshirt freshman Oumar Ballo.

Timme, Watson and Ballo can give the Zags meaningful stopping power around the bucket — and Few’s staff always seems to manage improvement from one year’s bench players you aren’t expecting (think of Ayayi), so keep an eye on 6-11 Russian Pavel Zakharov.

I’LL SAY the same thing — concerning the Zags’ usual hybrid guard/wing spot — about 6-6 Lithuanian Martynas Arlauskas, who may have a shock in store for the super-prospect guards coming into the program.

Arlauskas could surprise everyone in the race to back up Corey Kispert (assuming Corey doesn’t try the NBA).

Even before we know where all the moving pieces might land, it’s a lock to say that Gonzaga will be loaded for 2020-21.

This program’s last remaining goal is to cut down the nets for a national championship.

Three of the last four Zags teams have had the talent to do it.

We’ll be able to make that four out of five next season.

Eventually, Few’s guys are going to get that “One Shining Moment.”

My Gonzaga dream team that could give it a serious shot in March of 2021 looks like this…

Timme, Ballo and Zakharov in the post exclusively; Watson playing almost everywhere, from inside the paint to point man on an extended press; Kispert, Strawther and Arlauskas operating mostly on the wings and pouring in 3-balls when they’re not slashing to the hoop; Ayayi and Harris (plus maybe Arlauskas) as the primary shooting guards; Suggs at point (fingers crossed), backed up by Ayayi — with one, maybe two transfers perhaps moving into the picture.

To state the obvious: That would be a hell of a college basketball team.

If Suggs comes aboard, well…

The Zags are already the favorite to win the national title with some bookmakers in Vegas.

It’s going to be an awful lot of fun.

Again.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Facebook: Steve Cameron

During these extraordinary times, with the nation and the world battling the novel coronavirus, Steve Cameron is writing an “isolation blog” for The Press seven days per week.

Steve will continue to contribute one sports column each week, along with a monthly Zags Tracker until college basketball returns.

Stay safe, everyone!