Does Gonzaga’s backcourt duo rank remains among the best in the nation? 

Does Gonzaga’s backcourt duo rank remains among the best in the nation?

The backcourt combination of Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman for Gonzaga will start the 2024 campaign ranked as the fourth best in the country, according to 247Sports. Some analysts have the pair ranked as low as 16th in the country, and the performance and potential of Hickman and Nembhard have been mysteriously minimized in numerous discussions around NCAA guard play. How do the Gonzaga Bulldogs compare to some of the other guard duos that have the college basketball world buzzing ahead of the next season? The team’s performance last season showed that there may not be a more effective and lethal guard combination in the nation.

The fight between Nembhard and Hickman for the title of “Best Backcourt Duo” must be taken into account. A number of teams, notably St. John’s, Baylor, Texas, and Kansas, which all have intriguing and explosive backcourts this season, have been discussed a lot as potential title candidates. We might be able to have a clearer understanding of Gonzaga’s backcourt’s performance relative to the best in the country by dissecting a few of the other players whom media and bloggers have highlighted.

One of the hardest-hitting and most persistent teams I’ve ever watched play college hoops was the UConn squad from last season. Their national championship contest versus Purdue was one of the most lopsided slaughterhouses in March Madness history (perhaps tied with the Gonzaga/Baylor clash, but I still act like that game never occurred). They executed almost every move flawlessly. For their opponents, Stephon Castle and Tristen Newton’s combination proved to be too formidable. The Huskies will start Aidan Mahaney at the point and Hassan Diarra at shooting guard this season in place of Castle and Newton. Diarra had a fantastic season for the Huskies last year, averaging 6 points and 3 rebounds while playing off the bench. Voted the Big East 6th Man of the Year,  and his numbers don’t fully convey his importance to the group. His calm demeanor and plenty of expertise will be extremely beneficial to the Huskies in 2024, as he is sufficiently conversant with Coach Hurley’s fast-paced attack to maintain order.

The main unanswered question for UConn in the offseason is Aidan Mahaney, a transfer from St. Mary’s. Many St. Mary’s supporters, who viewed Mahaney as a very promising cornerstone of the team, were shocked to learn that he had decided to use the transfer portal after playing for Randy Bennett for two years. But Mahaney is at his finest when the action moves quickly and he has space to attack off the dribble or make 3-pointers whenever he wants. There is perhaps no worse fate for a gifted point guard like Mahaney than to wind up in charge of St. Mary’s offense, which is renowned for being one of the slowest and most depressing in the country year after year. Unquestionably effective and efficient, the St. Mary’s offensive depends on the For a dynamic player like Mahaney, having to pass the ball ten or twelve times before taking a shot and watch the entire shot clock on every possession must be excruciating.