Gonzaga-San Francisco key matchup: Charles Minlend paces Dons in scoring

San Francisco has a quartet of quality guards capable of big nights, but Charles Minlend is the team’s top scorer.

The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Minlend averages 14.3 points, despite a recent shooting slump, and 4.8 rebounds. Minlend has cracked the 20-point barrier three times, including a season-high 25 in a win over Santa Clara. In the rematch against the Broncos last week, Minlend had 11 points and 10 boards.

Minlend had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting and five boards in the first meeting against Gonzaga. He hasn’t made 50% of his field-goal attempts in any of the last seven games. He’s shooting just 30.4% over the past four games.

Still, Minlend is a proven player who can score inside and outside. His 128 free-throw attempts are 43 more than his next-closest teammate.

Corey Kispert or Joel Ayayi will likely open up on defense on Minlend. Admon Gilder, 6-4 and 200 pounds, is another option coming off Gonzaga’s bench.