High School Top 25 team preview: No. 17 Gonzaga

Video: Breaking down the High School Top 25
Backcourt of Chris Lykes and Prentiss Hubb will be tough to handle.

17. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)

Head coach: Steve Turner

2015-16 record: 24-10

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Myles Dread (6-5, Jr., G/F) … Committed to Penn State

Devon Flowers (6-8, Jr., F) … Should see expanded role in 2015-16

Anwar Gill (6-2, So., G) … Saw action as freshman in reserve fole

Prentiss Hubb (6-3, Jr., G) … Top 50 prospect in the Class of 2018

Chris Lykes (5-8, Sr., G) … Committed to Miami

Eddie Scott (6-6, Sr., G/F) … Averaged just under 10 points per game last season

STORYLINES

* Lykes will be the catalyst for this Purple Eagles team. The No. 68 recruit in the Class of 2017 according to 247Sports, he averaged over 22 points per game as a junior and committed to Miami in June. The Hurricanes beat out programs like Georgetown, Villanova and Virginia for his pledge.

* As always for preseason national Top 25 teams from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, surviving the difficult league slate is the trick to remaining ranked. Gonzaga will face perennial contenders Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and St. John's (Washington, D.C.) twice. It's nearly impossible to run the table over 18 WCAC games, though a Kris Jenkins-led Gonzaga team did just that in 2012-13.

KEY DATES

Dec. 3 – vs. Simeon (Chicago) @ Chicago Elite Classic

Dec. 9-11 – Gonzaga D.C. Classic

Dec. 27-30 – Les Schwab Invitational

Jan. 7 – vs. Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) @ Cancer Research Classic