Filip Petrusev Begins NBA Draft Process

Gonzaga Bulldogs sophomore center Filip Petrusev announced his intentions of entering the NBA Draft today. He has not hired an agent and will be able to return to Gonzaga.

This should be no real surprise considering Petrusev through his name into the ring after his freshman season, in which he averaged just 11.4 minutes per game. Last season, Petrusev prospered mightily as the focal point of the top offense in the country.

He averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. The game plan from the get go for Gonzaga last season was to get Petrusev the rock as often as possible. He finished a team-high 30.7 percent of all possessions and took a team-high 28.4 percent of possible shots.

Petrusev’s greatest skill is his ability to generate contact down low. He drew 7.7 fouls per 40 minutes last season, the fourth-highest mark in the country. Although the NBA is moving away from the traditional centers, some Gonzaga grads (hello Domantas Sabonis) are showing there are still places for the less mobile big men in the NBA.

Petrusev joins Corey Kispert and Joel Ayayi with the draft news. If he decides to return, Petrusev will be one of the focal points on what should again be one of the top offenses in the country, this time for a possible preseason No. 1 team. If Petrusev decides to leave, the Zags will have Oumar Ballo and Drew Timme to slide right in and absorb some of that loss.