Remarkable: Gonzaga's March to a Magical 2020-21 Season

REMARK ABLE

GONZ AG A’S MARCH TO A MAGIC AL 2020–2 1 SEA SON

RIGHT: Supporters of Gonzaga University basketball purchased hundreds of Kennel cutouts of themselves, a friend or a pet for $70. They are displayed in the lower seating areas for men’s and women’s games in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Students paid $35 for their cutouts with all proceeds going to support Gonzaga athletics. COLIN MULVANY / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

In the hours after the 2017 Final Four, after Nigel Williams-Goss’ drive on a flat-tire ankle had been snuffed and North Carolina had scissored the nets, there was an odd little euphoria amid the disappointment at the airport gates or lounges or wherever a Gonzaga basketball votary or two gathered.

The Bulldogs hadn’t won the national championship. But the possibility that they could was being recast — with reason — as the probability that they eventually would.

And what do you know? There were the Zags back in the title game just four years later.

But this time, the hangover of defeat gave off an odor of anxiety.

FOREWORD

By John Blanchette

After all, these Bulldogs had made it through 31 games without a loss, and by the accepted math were more adept in the scoring arts than any college team in history. Ranked No. 1 all season, during which the sport’s marquee powers reeled. A no-bumps run to the Final Four. Betting favorites in the title game. A coronation seemed more likely than a coup.

If not now, you know, when?

But the 86-70 throttling the Baylor Bears administered in the national title game has left a couple of nagging questions.

How good do you have to be?

And how many chances at a national championship do you get?

If the 2021 record wound up not being perfect, the Bulldogs often reached perfection. Suggs’ sensational play in the semifinal, including the shot of the year that didn’t come in a syringe. Corey Kispert raining in nine 3s in one game. Drew Timme’s big man ballet. Joel Ayayi’s uncanny back cuts and wing cuts and death by a thousand paper cuts.

The Zags or those who can’t resist the pull of social media will have to endure another round of Can’t Win the Big One, posturing that — along with lungs — is apparently standard issue to sports fans at birth. Every year, coach Mark Few explains patiently — or not so patiently — that validation, in his view, does not come with a giant foam index finger.

But he’s never going to beat back the championship uber alles culture. It’s just who we are.

That so much has been achieved at Gonzaga in 23 short years has led to people needing the final stamp now — or to fearing that the door will slam shut any minute when the basketball gods finally figure out what’s been going on when they weren’t looking.

Well, consider this:

Between 1964 and 1990 — 27 years — a certain noted basketball power went to four NCAA title games and lost each time, before finally winning it all in 1991. Duke figured out how good you have to be. And that it’s up to you to make as many opportunities as you need.

REGULAR SEASON

ABOVE: Gonzaga head coach Mark Few talks with players during a timeout in the second half, Jan. 7, 2021, in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

COLIN MULVANY / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

OPPOSITE: Gonzaga plays Northwestern State in front of an empty house, Dec. 22, 2020, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

PRESEASON

New-look Zags put on a show

Vets, freshman shine at modified Kraziness event

By Jim Meehan, The Spokesman-Review • Nov. 13, 2020

Maybe 50 people were scattered inside the arena, including 17 Gonzaga players and the rest coaches, staff and media at an event that typically draws more than the 6,000 capacity with fans standing in the concourses.

Welcome to college basketball, or at least the Bulldogs’ annual tip-off event, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The environment was decidedly different when the ball went up, but there was a lot that looked quite familiar to Gonzaga followers watching on television: Corey Kispert drilling 3-pointers, Drew Timme scoring with a series of crafty moves, Joel Ayayi grabbing a rebound and weaving through the defense for a layup.

test and 3-point shooting competition at Kraziness, but those aspects were mixed in throughout a 16-minute scrimmage — played with background fan noise piped through arena speakers.

“It was definitely something different, but I think it showed us what it’s going to be like this season,” Timme said. “I think we can learn from this and just rely on each other more.”

The White team pulled away late to down the Blue 45-36, thanks in part to Kispert’s 14 points and Suggs’ 13 points and five rebounds.

4:53 remaining.

Suggs followed with a dominant stretch.

He hit a jumper, a soaring dunk on the break, a corner 3-pointer and a threepoint play as White took control 43-32.

Timme, the 6-foot-10 sophomore who will move into the starting lineup with Filip Petrusev turning pro, made 7 of 10 shots, including a couple of midrange jumpers, to finish with 14 points.

There wasn’t the long line of fans waiting to get into Kraziness in the Kennel that usually packs the sidewalk outside the McCarthey Athletic Center past the Martin Centre.

And there were many things Zags faithful would love to get familiar seeing: Freshman Jalen Suggs, the highest-rated recruit in program history, finishing on the break with a monster dunk; fellow freshman Dominick Harris driving for a pair of layups; Aaron Cook blocking two 3-point attempts and Oumar Ballo powering inside for field goals.

GU did away with its usual dunk con-

“It was a little loosey-goosey and little offense-oriented,” coach Mark Few said. “I’d like to see a little more physicality. I thought they shared it and the ball moved.”

Kispert, a preseason AP All-America, showed off his silky 3-point stroke, drained a pull-up jumper and added a three-point play off a drive to the rim. His early burst put White on top 21-12.

Blue responded behind Timme, who maneuvered for a pair of baskets in the paint and an Andrew Nembhard 3-pointer to take a 28-26 lead with

Nembhard, the Florida transfer who will sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules, chipped in seven points and three assists.

“We’re getting there,” Timme said. “Obviously, we have a lot of things to work on. We get after it every day.”

Few was pleased for the most part, but wants to see more physicality — he acknowledged Thursday’s earlier practice probably played a role — with the season opener against No. 5 Kansas just two weeks away.

“We have to get up to speed in a hurry,” Few said.

Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard tosses up a floater against Corey Kispert.

DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

ABOVE: Gonzaga forwards Anton Watson (22) and Pavel Zakharov battle for position.

DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

ABOVE LEFT: Gonzaga center Oumar Ballo gets in a few extra shots during warm ups.

DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

LEFT: Gonzaga center Oumar Ballo stretches over guard Andrew Nembhard for the rejection.

DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

OPPOSITE:

ABOVE: Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi stretches his defense on Matthew Lang. DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Gonzaga center Oumar Ballo works on his moves around the rim during warm ups. DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Suggs is everything Zags fans hoped he would be

There’s a chance Jalen Suggs could be Gonzaga’s first one-and-done player. No, no one’s forgetting about Zach Collins. Just park your gotcha for a second.

One game and done.

Kidding. Relax, he’ll be suited up for Friday’s encore against Auburn.

Just attempting to show just how extraordinary the Bulldogs’ freshman guard was in his Thanksgiving debut against Kansas, and how unprecedented it is to see this sort of young, bold package in a college basketball program that prefers to marinate its alpha guards for two or three seasons.

Meanwhile, is there some place higher than No. 1 where the Bulldogs can be slotted in the next poll?

The Zags have a pretty fair average in their November and December swings against the best teams in the game, but there’s never been a leadoff at-bat like this.

This wasn’t just a victory, it was a statement — 102-90 over Kansas, where the basketball blood is so blue they presume to have invented the game and not just hired the creator to teach P.E. and run the chapel.

Wait — that wasn’t the statement. This was the statement:

By John Blanchette, The Spokesman-Review • Nov. 27, 2020

“They’re really good,” said coach Bill Self. “Next to that Kentucky team — well, Kentucky’s two teams, in (2012) and whenever the other one was (2015) that made the undefeated run so long — I don’t know that we’ve played against a team where the pieces fit better or the talent matched the pieces.”

How about that? Gonzaga coach Mark Few got his 600th career victory on Thursday and a refrigerator of solid gold expectation to lug around on his back for the season, courtesy of his buddy Bill.

Now, Self spoke clearly: pieces, plural.

But it’s just as easy to surmise that he’s talking about Jalen Suggs.

and eventually that while these are the Zags, they are also the Zuggs.

Sorry.

There was that business barely 30 seconds into the action, when Anton Watson — the flypaper in Gonzaga’s 1-2-2 press — made a steal and shuttled the ball to teammate Joel Ayayi, who sent it aloft for a soaring Suggs to flush through the net.

How often should we expect to see this?

“

“I know when I have fun, I play a lot better, a lot looser, and that’s what I did today.”

— Jalen Suggs

Sure, big Drew Timme was all but unstoppable with his odd angles and impeccable footwork underneath, and Corey Kispert is the preseason All-American, and the late addition of transfer Andrew Nembhard isn’t just a game changer, but a season changer. Poisons must be picked, as with most recent Zags teams.

But it was obvious both immediately

“A whole lot,” Suggs said later, lighting up Zoom with a grin. Indeed, the bros kept up the high-fiving on social media so long that they likely missed an even better Suggsian effort just seconds later — raking the ball away from Kansas’ David McCormack in the post and outracing the Jayhawks for a layup.

This was an eye-opener to Self, and already marks this Gonzaga season as different than what’s come before — however long COVID allows college basketball to have a season.

“Their speed and how fast they play

surprised us early,” he said.

This was Suggs and Nembhard and Ayayi, one of the few true old hands among the Zags, but also Kispert blowing to the hole with a new surge, and transfer guard Aaron Cook. The Bulldogs have always had fine guards, but not with quickness this deep. It’s what allowed the Bulldogs, after a thundering start, to keep the Jayhawks at bay, even with Suggs limited to just six minutes in the first half after picking up a second foul. GU had 62 points in the paint — Kansas hadn’t allowed that many in 15 seasons.

This wasn’t the Gonzaga power game of recent vintage. Timme was uberefficient, but 28 of those paint points came in transition, and another dozen off guard penetration in half-court sets.

“When I got out here today, I was going to play loose and really have fun with the game,” Suggs said. “I know when I have fun, I play a lot better, a lot looser, and that’s what I did today, especially in the second half — and came up with a great one.”

Oh, yeah. That second half. The Zags’ general M.O. is to struggle with the close-out against these heavyweights, win or lose. This time, with the Jayhawks down five and eight minutes to

play, Suggs drew a foul for two free throws and knocked down a 3, and halfway home Gonzaga was up 16. He scored 11 of his 24 points in the big finish.

This was as advertised, of course. Suggs is the highest-ranked recruit in Gonzaga history — No. 6 on ESPN’s list. But recruiting hoo-hah is one thing, and the eye test another.

“I was proud of Jalen for his first time out,” said Few. “With all the hype going on, he was focused and competed, which is what he does terrifically. He’s a high, high, high-level competitor.”

And likely a high, high, high NBA pick. Just not today. But the pros do start in a month.

Would you believe half-season-anddone?

LEFT: Gonzaga guard Dominick Harris drives on Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert during Kraziness in the Kennel, Nov. 12, 2020, in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

DAN PELLE / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Mark of excellence

GU’s Few moves into top spot in all-time winning percentage

By Jim Meehan, The Spokesman-Review • Feb. 23, 2021

Gonzaga’s Mark Few has been No. 1 in winning percentage among active college basketball coaches for several years.

Saturday’s 106-69 rout of San Diego at the McCarthey Athletic Center elevated Few into the top spot all-time. Gonzaga’s latest victory improved Few’s 22-year record to 621-124 for an .8336 winning percentage. Few shared the spot at .8333 with Sam Burton, who went 210-42 at West Texas A&M from 1922-33, according to sports-reference.com.

Sports-reference.com’s all-time list

includes coaches with a minimum of 10 seasons at major (Division I or equivalent) programs.

Former UCLA coach John Wooden, one of Few’s coaching idols, is fifth at .8039. Clair Bee and Adolph Rupp are third and fourth, respectively.

John Kresse, Thomas Kibler, Ralph Jones, Jerry Tarkanian and Al McGuire round out the top 10.

North Carolina’s Roy Williams, a close friend of Few’s, is second among active coaches and 14th overall at .7757,

followed by No. 15 John Calipari (.7730), No. 16 Bill Self (.7664) and No. 17 Mike Krzyzewski (.7652).

Gonzaga (22-0) knocked off Self and Kansas 102-90 in this season-opener for Few’s 600th career victory. Few entered the season with an .828 winning percentage.

Few ranks 36th in all-time coaching wins with 621. Krzyzewski is first at 1,167, Jim Boeheim is second at 1,078 and Bob Knight and Williams share third with 899.

Dean Smith is fifth at 879.

22-0

Gonzaga 106, San Diego 69

The Bulldogs hit the century mark for the fifth time, getting at least six points from eight different players. Drew Timme scored 21 points on 7-of-8 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

Gonzaga guards Joel Ayayi (11) and Dominick Harris (55) embrace before the start of the WCC game against San Diego.

TYLER TJOMSLAND / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

OPPOSITE: Gonzaga guard Julian Strawther (0) reacts from the center of the huddle before the start of the first half.

TYLER TJOMSLAND / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

BELOW RIGHT: Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) vies for the ball against San Diego Toreros forward Yavuz Gultekin (11) during the first half.

TYLER TJOMSLAND / THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

RIGHT:

Gonzaga built a comfortable lead, thanks in large part to Drew Timme, but Oklahoma wasn’t going away.

The Sooners kept chipping into the deficit and threatening to make things interesting in crunch time for the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed. One problem: Timme wasn’t in the mood for any late-game drama.

The sophomore was GU’s go-to man down the stretch, and he delivered as the Bulldogs handled Oklahoma 87-71 Monday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the sixth straight tournament.

“Obviously it’s a childhood dream,” Timme said. “This feeling is only going to last the rest of the night and then we’ve got to prepare and we have a lot of work to do. We’re not satisfied with this. This is not the end goal.”

It was the end of the line for the feisty Sooners (16-11), who led early and rallied late, but they couldn’t contain Gonzaga’s prolific offense. Specifically, they had no answer for Timme.

The 6-foot-10 sophomore forward poured in a career-high 30 points, equaled his career best with 13 rebounds and added four assists, one shy of his

Sooner or later

Timme erupts for 30 points as Zags rout Oklahoma in second round

By Jim Meehan, The Spokesman-Review

• March 22, 2021

personal best set in Saturday’s win over Norfolk State.

His efficiency was off the charts. He hit 9 of 12 shots and 12 of 14 free throws. He tapped deep into his reservoir of post moves, using crafty ball fakes and footwork to dominate in the lane.

After Oklahoma cut GU’s lead to 77-68 with 21/2 minutes remaining, Timme scooped up a loose ball and was fouled. He hit both free throws and did the same thing on the next possession after the Sooners had trimmed the lead to nine.

“

the game.”

Corey Kispert put a bow on the undefeated Zags’ 28th win with a 3-pointer with 1:14 left that hiked Gonzaga’s lead to 84-70.

“This feeling is only going to last the rest of the night and then we’ve got to prepare and we have a lot of work to do. We’re not satisfied with this. This is not the end goal.”

— Drew Timme

“My (free-throw) percentage is something that is unacceptable to me and I hold myself to a high standard so I’ve been repping it out every single day,” said Timme, who was at 67.9% entering the game. “I’m just glad that the work is paying off, especially in a close game like that. I felt that was a big part of

Gonzaga coach Mark Few’s hair appeared to be soaked when he arrived for the post-game Zoom call with media, likely from being doused by his players in the locker room. “We’ve been celebrating every one of these wins,” Few said. “We celebrated the other night.

If we’re lucky enough to get another one, we’re going to celebrate like crazy for that one. This tournament needs to be celebrated.

“It’s been a long, hard slog to get to this and the people at the NCAA deserve a lot of credit for sticking with this and putting it on.”

Oklahoma tossed the first punch

or two as Brady Manek hit a quick 3-pointer, Umoja Gibson hit two more 3s and Austin Reaves, who finished with 27 points, penetrated for a three-point play. Gonzaga trailed 12-4, but not for long. The Zags ran at every opportunity — after Oklahoma turnovers, missed shots and even made shots. The Sooners were content with the fast pace early, but Gonzaga began limiting their open looks and had little problem finding quality shots at the other end.

“That’s what they like to do,” Reaves said. “We were trying to stay away from that, from them getting out in transition. If we could get out in transition, it is what is.”

Gonzaga led 46-34 at half, much of that built on a 9-0 edge in points off turnovers. The Zags expanded the margin to 66-47 after Anton Watson’s layup.

The Zags’ shooting accuracy faded in the latter stages and they ended up at 49.1%, a season low. The Zags, tops in the nation at 55.1%, have had just three games under 50%.

It hardly mattered as Gonzaga hit eight 3s, four by Kispert, and 23 of 26 free throws. Kispert and Jalen Suggs

both scored 16 points, and Joel Ayayi had 12 points and eight boards.

“The one thing when you’re on our bench, there’s a comfort in knowing that eventually we’re going to get going (offensively). At least, that’s how I feel,”

Few said of the offense. “Buy hey, our defense has been pretty dang good all year.

“Our offense has been at a historical level so it gets a lot of the pub, but we ended up top 10 in DER (defensive

efficiency rating), which is nothing to sneeze at.”

The Zags will face fifth-seeded Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Sunday.

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) reacts to being fouled while playing Oklahoma in the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, March 22, 2021.

AP PHOTO / AJ MAST

ABOVE:

Gonzaga players celebrate after an Elite Eight game against Southern California in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium, March 30, 2021, in Indianapolis. AP PHOTO / MICHAEL CONROY

OPPOSITE: Gonzaga players celebrate after an Elite Eight game against Southern California.

AP PHOTO / DARRON CUMMINGS

BELOW FAR RIGHT: Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, right, celebrates in front of Southern California guard Tahj Eaddy, left, after making a basket during the first half.

AP PHOTO / DARRON CUMMINGS

RIGHT:

BELOW RIGHT: Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs (1) drives on USC center Evan Mobley (4) during the first half.

AP PHOTO / MICHAEL CONROY