Zach Norvell, Shooting Guard, Gonzaga (West #1 seed)
Season Averages: 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 60.2 TS%, 10.0 BPM
Look! Another Zag! Gonzaga is a #1 seed for a reason, and it being loaded with good players is a big reason for that.
Zach Norvell is a Sophomore shooting guard playing a major role on one of the nation’s best teams. In over 30 minutes per game, Norvell has posted a usage rate around 22 percent and a true shooting percentage of 60.2 percent. That’s, uh, pretty good — especially for a guard.
Norvell is a solid shooter with range, who’s average in nearly everything when it comes to scoring. His efficiency is middling, he’s OK at scoring off the dribble, he’s a decent playmaker and a good athlete. That may not inspire confidence in his ability to become a superstar, but he will likely be a reliable role player in his career with an ability to act as a secondary or tertiary ball-handler.
On the downside, Norvell isn’t the best at, well, anything. He’s not elite in any category, which has kept his draft stock relatively low. He’s also not the greatest defender and can be a bit too inconsistent at times.
Still, with a pick in the mid-40’s, Norvell would be a solid pick with upside as a bench piece for what projects to be a playoff Sacramento Kings team.
Zach Norvell’s average draft position is around 64, though many have them off their boards entirely — signaling the possibility a team could bring him on as an undrafted free agent.
As was said with Killian Tillie, Norvell is on a Gonzaga team that figures to make a deep March Madness run with a chance to win it all, giving us plenty of games to evaluate his game.