Is Gonzaga's Nolan Hickman ready for a big leap in 2023-24?

Average.

That's the word Nolan Hickman used to evaluate his first season as the full-time starting point guard for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Now a junior, the Seattle native will take on a new role in Mark Few's offense in the 2023-24 season.

Expectations heading into last season were lofty for Hickman, a former four-star recruit and McDonald's All-American who took over the starting point guard role for Gonzaga after Andrew Nembhard departed for the NBA. And despite his shortcomings in the NCAA Tournament, Hickman came up big in some of the team's most memorable moments from the regular season.

He was arguably one of Gonzaga's most consistent players at the PK85 in Portland. In three games, he compiled a stat line of 38 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists to just two turnovers. It was a vast improvement taking care of the ball compared to the two four-turnover games he had against Michigan State and Texas earlier in the season. Hickman saved his best performance for last with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in Gonzaga's narrow win over Xavier to close out the PK85 tournament.

“This guy was fantastic this whole tournament,” said Few after the win over the Musketeers. “He really grew up and he’s taking unbelievable care of the ball, he’s finding his shot and he’s really becoming a heckuva point guard.”

Hickman also came up clutch in a narrow victory on the road against Santa Clara. He scored 20 points, including a key 3-pointer late in the game, to help the Zags overcome a first-half deficit.

But consistency shooting the ball was hard to come by for the 6-foot-2 guard. He followed up his 20-point game with three points on 1-for-5 shooting against BYU less than a week later. He shot a combined 10-for-17 in two games against Portland and Loyola Marymount before he went 1-for-11 against the Pilots and Pacific the following week.

Those shooting woes limited Hickman's effectiveness and role in the NCAA Tournament, where he averaged 2.0 points per game on 15.7% shooting from the floor, including 0-for-10 from deep in four games. It was a far cry from the floor general who was a top-10 passer in the WCC during the regular season, but that doesn't mean the small sample size will define the player Hickman can be in the 2023-24 season.

Unlike last season, Hickman will share the backcourt with another true point guard after the Zags landed Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard in the transfer portal. Ryan, who is Andrew Nembhard's younger brother, was among the top floor generals in the Big East last season. He averaged 4.8 assists (third in the conference) to go with 12.1 points during the Bluejays' run to the Elite Eight. He dropped 30 points on 8-for-13 shooting to upset No. 3 Baylor in the second round.

Nembhard, a junior, is expected to start and handle point guard responsibilities alongside Hickman, who will likely play primarily off-ball. That doesn't rule out Hickman as a floor general in certain lineups, but Nembhard gives the Zags another option as someone who has proven himself against some of the best competition in the country.

“I see no reason [Hickman] is not going to start this next upcoming year alongside Ryan Nembhard,” said Dan Dickau on the Gonzaga Nation podcast. “Gonzaga’s best teams have traditionally had two ball-handlers, decision-makers on the floor at all times.”