Gonzaga-Bellarmine key matchup: Dylan Penn has authored solid career numbers

Senior guard Dylan Penn has been good (14 points, five assists versus then-No. 7 Purdue), not-so-good (four points, 1 of 10 field goals versus Murray State) and very good (27 points versus Saint Mary’s) in Bellarmine’s three games.

Penn’s career stats suggest he’s been a consistent contributor for the Knights. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder averaged 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 2020, Bellarmine’s final season in NCAA Division II. Penn produced 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists last year in the school’s first Division I season.

Penn’s 27 points against the Gaels on Wednesday matched his career high. He did it in familiar fashion, hitting 11 of 19 shots and 5 of 6 free throws. He was 0 of 1 on 3-pointers and has only made 14 of 67 (20.9%) in his career. He’s connected on 57.3% of his career 2-point attempts and manages to get to the free-throw line a fair amount.

Penn also had four boards and four assists in Wednesday’s loss. He’s an ideal fit directing Bellarmine’s “no dribble offense” as a creative scorer inside the arc and a distributor. The Knights were third nationally at 50.8% from the field last season. Gonzaga was No. 1 at 54.9%.

Penn’s backcourt running mate CJ Fleming is second in scoring (10.3 points) and tends to do his damage from deep (180 career 3s, 43.6%).

Penn and Fleming figure to be at the top of Gonzaga’s scouting report. Andrew Nembhard will probably draw the starting assignment on Penn with Rasir Bolton defending Fleming. The Knights’ guard duo averages roughly 30 minutes per game and will likely be required to expend considerable energy on the defensive end against GU’s tandem.

Hunter Sallis and Nolan Hickman will be called on to guard Penn and Fleming when the Zags go to their bench.