Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs took a road trip to Fayetteville to open up the exhibition season, falling 76-72 to John Calipari and Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.

The Zags were without star sophomore Davis Fogle, who was held out with a left leg injury that isn't considered serious. That is huge news for Gonzaga, who stumbled offensively without the star wing in the mix - shooting an abysmal 6-28 from three with 10 turnovers compared to just 13 assists.

Below is a look at which players increased their stock, and which ones did not, in Gonzaga's exhibition loss on Saturday - and what it means for Gonzaga's starting lineup when the season gets underway officially in nine days:

1. Gonzaga's starting five remains intact - for now

The caveat here being that Gonzaga did not roll out what is expected to be their starting lineup on Saturday, due to Fogle's absence. If we assume Fogle would have started over Nathan de Sousa, that starting five remains the best option for coach Few and the Zags this upcoming season.

Xaivian Lee was pretty clearly the best point guard on the floor, dropping eight points with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 19 minutes, far outperforming de Sousa and Javon Bennett.

Meanwhile Isiah Harwell looked excellent with nine points on 4-6 shooting, while Braden Huff led the team with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Izan Almansa did outplay Massamba Diop, who dealt with foul trouble and turnover issues in a forgettable afternoon, but his rim protection is so crucial to this team's defensive identity it's hard to imagine him falling out of the starting lineup - at least not yet.

2. Stock up: Izan Almansa and Luca Foster make their cases

Almansa was pretty clearly Gonzaga's biggest stock riser on Saturday, dropping 14 points on 6-9 shooting, including 1-2 from three, along with six rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes.

He made Gonzaga's first three late in the first half, had two of the team's four blocked shots, and looked far more polished on both sides of the ball than one might expect from someone playing their first collegiate game.

Speaking of college debuts, freshman Luca Foster went 0-4 from three but otherwise was very good for the Zags on Saturday, scoring six points and grabbing eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass to lead the team, and an assist in 16 minutes. His playing time is expected to be diminished when Fogle returns, but he made a strong case for rotation minutes on Saturday.

3. Stock down: Nathan de Sousa and Javon Bennett struggle

Lee looked good on Saturday but Gonzaga's two other point guards, de Sousa and Bennett, did not.

de Sousa played 33 minutes and showed his aggressive playstyle on both ends of the floor, but the end result was a disastrous 2-17 shooting performance, including 1-8 from three, for a total of seven points, three assists, three rebounds, and four fouls.

Meanwhile Bennett - who didn't know if he would be eligible to play until right before tipoff - struggled to make an impact offensively, finishing with two points on 1-8 shooting, including 0-4 from three, and just one assist in 16 minutes.

Better days are ahead for both de Sousa and Bennett, but for now the point guard spot looks like it should be handled by Lee for as many minutes as he can handle.

4. Gonzaga's biggest rotation question remains unanswered

Gonzaga's fatal flaw on Saturday afternoon was the same flaw that plagued them all of last season: three point shooting.

The Zags shot a disastrous 6-28 from beyond the arc, starting 0-11 before Almansa hit one from the corner with 4:15 left in the first half.

Gonzaga will need to prioritize outside shooting when making adjustments to the rotation this season. Fogle's return is obviously a big factor here, as is the eligibility of Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins - who hit 39% of his 6.0 three point attempts per game last season.

But if Luca Foster starts reliably hitting outside shots, or Juwan Ekanga, or even Almansa, that could alter Gonzaga's rotation plans as Few desperately searches for someone who can space the floor after last year's debacle.

5. The verdict: How Gonzaga should distribute its minutes

There's no reason for Gonzaga to split from a starting five of Lee, Fogle, Harwell, Huff, and Diop, but the bench could see some reshuffling.

de Sousa and Bennett both struggled mightily on Saturday, calling into question Gonzaga's proclivity to run two point guard lineups. Fogle's return will make those lineups less necessary, and whichever of those two point guards impresses more this week in practice could be the beneficiary next Monday, Nov. 2 when the Zags take on Purdue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

That game will tip at 4:30 PM PT, and be broadcast on TNT.