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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga point guard Josh Perkins expects to be ready for senior season after shoulder surgery

Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins is helped from the court after an injury against Florida State late in the Sweet 16 game. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585

Gonzaga point guard Josh Perkins had surgery Friday to repair a recurring right shoulder injury.

Perkins probably faces a fairly lengthy rehabilitation process, but he expects to be ready for his senior season.

“I’m excited to return for my senior year stronger,” Perkins said. “We have a good group of guys coming back and we’re poised to have another great season in front of the best fans in the nation.”

The injury didn’t keep Perkins off the court last season. He led the Zags at 32.9 minutes per game.

One of the few times Perkins was noticeably in pain came against Washington in December. He quickly clutched his right arm after throwing a pass that was deflected back to him. He called a timeout and left the game for less than a minute. He fed Johnathan Williams for a dunk on his first play back.

“Just popped out a little bit,” Perkins said at the time, adding that the shoulder went back into place on its own. “It’s not very strong right now, but everything is good.”

Perkins finished with 14 points, three 3-pointers, eight assists and four steals in a 97-70 rout.

Perkins was Gonzaga’s only true point guard last season with senior Silas Melson filling in when Perkins was on the bench. Ball-handling options returning from last year’s team include Zach Norvell Jr., Jesse Wade and 2018 redshirt Joel Ayayi. Greg Foster Jr., who played guard at Clark High in Las Vegas, is an incoming freshman.

Gonzaga is one of three finalists for Brandon Williams, a standout point guard from southern California.

Perkins earned first-team All-WCC honors while helping Gonzaga to a 32-5 record last season. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 assists. The two-time WCC All-Academic selection connected on a team-high 83 3-pointers and made 39 percent beyond the arc. His 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio led the WCC.

Perkins has been part of 101 wins in his 116 career games, including 108 starts. He ranks sixth in program history with 478 assists and ninth in 3-pointers with 198. He’s just outside the top 10 with 124 steals.