Zach Norvell’s 2016 arrival in Spokane was eagerly anticipated by Gonzaga fans who pictured the tough lefty filling out a formidable second unit on a deep and talented roster. Unfortunately, an offseason knee injury last summer set the ESPN 100 recruit back.
Despite a promising showing in the Bulldogs exhibition warmup against West Georgia where he scored 18 points in 23 minutes, Norvell continued to feel discomfort in his knee and was shelved for the season as he took a redshirt to properly heal and prepare his game for the seasons ahead. With the Zags just a few plays away from a national championship, it’s tempting (and tortuous) to play the “what-if” game and imagine if that game would have played out differently with 10 or 15 minutes from Norvell.