2020-21 Player Preview: Lily Scanlon

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have an embarrassment of riches at the guard level this year, which is more impressive considering that they lost their two starting guards from last year to graduation. Lily Scanlon, the Zags second Australian import on the roster, is one of those riches.

Scanlon is a veteran of the U(insert age here) National Teams for Australia, helping lead the U19 to a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA World Championships, averaging 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

What Scanlon, alongside fellow Australian Eliza Hollingsworth represents, is a potential international pipeline for Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Lisa Fortier. Saint Mary’s has long been considered the west coast destination for Australian players and now, that does not seem the case.

Scanlon has shown her talent on the world stage. She averaged 11.7 points at the U17 FIBA World Cup. But she has a lot of competition of the minutes available. The Truong twins will most likely swallow a majority, and there is Vanderbilt transfer Cierra Walker, a redshirt senior who will most likely see a decent chunk of minutes.

If there was one difference between Fortier and her men’s basketball counterpart Mark Few, it is that Fortier has no issues with looking down the bench for meaningful minutes. Last season, Fortier ran a consistent nine-deep rotation, and there is nothing to suggest that will change.

WIth Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong both capable of running the point, Scanlon is the third true point guard on the team. That alone should mean we will see her get a few minutes. Like everyone else in Fortier’s system, the minutes are earned by putting in the work. Although we might not see too much of Scanlon this season, that will probably change as the years progress.