The deepest Gonzaga team Mark Few has ever coached is down a man because of a kick better suited for an MMA octagon than a basketball court.
Backup point guard Josh Perkins suffered a broken jaw during Gonzaga's NIT semifinal victory over Georgia Wednesday night when Bulldogs guard Kenny Gaines caught him flush in the chin with his shin. Gaines flew at Perkins because he was spotted up for a corner 3-pointer, but the Gonzaga freshman shot-faked and drove, leading to the violent collision.
The injury will require Perkins to have his jaw wired shut and will sideline him indefinitely, ESPN.com reported Thursday morning. Sucking food through a straw is a brutal fate under any circumstances, but it has to be especially cruel on Thanksgiving.
Remarkably, Gaines only received a common foul for his kick even though the slightest unintentional elbow to the head typically merits a flagrant foul these days. Referees reviewed the replay and decided it wasn't worth a flagrant since there was no intent to injure from Gaines.
Perkins, one of the jewels of a star-studded Gonzaga freshman class, was averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 assists in 22.8 minutes while backing up WCC player of the year candidate Kevin Pangos. The pass-first point guard had proven to be an impact addition for an unbeaten Gonzaga team expected to be one of the West's top teams this season.
Without Perkins, Pangos will have to play exclusively on the ball and has no obvious backup. Gonzaga coach Mark Few could burn freshman shooting guard Silas Melson's redshirt to gain more guard depth or he could wait until Vanderbilt transfer Eric McClellan becomes eligible after the fall semester.
Regardless, the loss of Perkins hurts. Chances are the broken jaw will sideline Perkins for at least a couple months, but the Zags have to hope he can return in time to still make an impact this season.
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