Tag: Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga picks up much needed victory over Kentucky at Rupp Arena

The Gonzaga Bulldogs picked up a much needed Quad 1 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs came into Saturday’s road tilt against the Kentucky Wildcats in dire need of a marquee victory – and for first time all season long they got it done.

Mark Few’s team picked up their first Quad 1 win of the year, 89-85, over John Calipari’s team at Rupp Arena thanks to a monster night from the frontcourt, led by 23 points and five rebounds from Graham Ike.

Gonzaga is in a rare spot where they are not the favorite to win the WCC Championship and – if they don’t – might not have the resume to secure an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. If that were to happen, it would end a streak that dates back to 1998, one year before Few took over as head coach.

The decision to schedule this premier non-conference game in February paid off in a massive way for the Zags, as it gave them a huge momentum building victory and memorable performance a month before the Selection Sunday committee makes their decision.

The story is not as happy for Kentucky, who have now lost three of their last four games. They struggled on both ends of the floor in the first half, getting into a 12 point hole and never fully recovering – despite an insane effort from freshman guard Reed Sheppard, who had 21 points in the second half and kept the ‘Cats in this one until the final buzzer.

Gonzaga (18-6) now has five days off until they take on LMU on Thursday, February 15, while Kentucky hosts Ole Miss on Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Social media reacts to Kentucky’s third straight home loss

Social media had a lot to say about Kentucky losing its third straight home game to Gonzaga.

The Kentucky Wildcats defensive struggles continued on Saturday vs the Gonzaga Bulldogs, and they lost 89 – 85. It was the third consecutive home loss for the Cats, something that had never happened before at Rupp Arena.

Once again, the offense played well, but the defense just wasn’t good enough to win against a good team. Kentucky got out-rebounded 43 – 31 and gave up 18 offensive rebounds, including a crucial one in the closing minute of the game.

Reed Sheppard led the Wildcats with 21 points, while Antonio Reeves had 17 and Adou Thiero added 15. Nobody else had double figures.

It’s another week with no answers on defense from head coach John Calipari and the young Kentucky team. Social media, as always, had a lot to say following the game. Here are some of Big Blue Nation’s thoughts.

Why Gonzaga’s Anton Watson should be on 2024 NBA draft radar

Anton Watson’s size and defensive instincts make him an NBA draft prospect, and improved outside shooting should get the Gonzaga star selected.

It is incredibly rare for fifth year seniors to get selected in the NBA draft. The NBA values youth and upside above all else, and 23-year-olds who weren’t good enough to get drafted early in their college career rarely move the needle later on.

But the 2024 draft class is considered historically weak, which could lead to more teams prioritizing adding role players who can instantly contribute, rather than taking a shot on younger players who may have more upside but who aren’t performing well in college or overseas.

That leads us to Gonzaga’s 6’8 forward Anton Watson, a fifth-year senior from Spokane who has gone from a sub-20 minute per game role player to the leading scorer on a top-15 team in the country this season.

Watson is currently averaging 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 57.3% on two pointers and 42.9% from beyond the arc. He turned a lot of heads with a 32 point outburst against the UCLA Bruins in the Maui Invitational, and he paced the Zags with 20 points in a loss to the UConn Huskies in mid-December.

Watson is among the best on-ball defensive players in the country, with incredibly active hands, good body control, upper body strength, and athleticism which has resulted in 179 career steals – second in Gonzaga basketball history only behind Hall of Fame guard John Stockton.

His frame and defensive instincts have had him on the NBA radar since he was a freshman back in 2019-20, but his lack of consistent offense has always held him back – particularly his struggles to shoot from distance.

The modern NBA requires you to be able to space the floor and knock down threes, which is why even elite college players like Oscar Tshiebwe, Kofi Cockburn, Adama Sanogo, and Watson’s former teammate Drew Timme haven’t been able to make it.

However, Watson has made massive strides in this area, going from 11.1% as a freshman, 15% as a sophomore, 22.7% as a junior, 33.3% as a senior to his current 42.9% mark – while his attempts per game has increased in each season as well.

A 6’8 forward who can defend 2-5 and at least capably knock down open threes absolutely has a spot as a 3-and-D role playing wing in the modern NBA, and in a draft class without a lot of obvious long term NBA talent it should absolutely be on the minds of scouts and general managers to consider Watson with a second round pick.

He’ll be 27 by the time his rookie contract is up, but a contending team picking in the second round would be wise to lock him up as a rotational bench piece – rather than gambling on an underperforming underclassmen or an unproven international player.

Mark Few believes fans need to enjoy Maui Invitational while they can

Gonzaga coach Mark Few believes multi-team events like the Maui Invitational may not last much longer with conference expansion.

The 2023 Maui Invitational features eight college basketball programs, five of which are currently ranked inside the Top 10 of the Coaches Poll – making it one of the strongest multi-team events (MTEs) in college hoops history.

Kansas (1) Purdue (2) Marquette (5) Tennessee (8) and Gonzaga (10) make up the five premier programs, while UCLA (24) cracked the top 25 as well, and Syracuse is certainly no pushover under new coach Adrian ‘Red’ Autry.

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few spoke glowingly of the talent in this tournament and encouraged fans to enjoy it while it lasts – because he thinks this won’t be the norm going forward.

“The way the landscape is changing, there’s no chance we’ll see this again,” Few said. “Everyone needs to enjoy this for what it is.”

The bloating of high major conferences, notably in the Big Ten and Big 12, will likely result in more conference games per season. With fewer non-conference games per year, teams may opt to instead participate in smaller four-team tournaments or skip the MTE’s altogether.

Getting a chance to see NCAA Tournament caliber matchups, like Gonzaga vs. Purdue and UCLA vs. Marquette, is part of what makes college basketball’s first month more exciting.

Losing those types of games would be a tough blow for a sport that already struggles to compete with the NFL, NBA, and college football in the early months of the season.

Oklahoma in the field for 2024 ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ tournament

Oklahoma looks set to join the 2024 ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ in-season tournament.

Oklahoma basketball will take a trip to the Bahamas next season. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein name-dropped the Sooners as one of eight teams that will play in one of college basketball’s most coveted early-season tournaments, “Battle 4 Atlantis.”

This year’s tournament features a slew of talented programs, as Villanova, Texas Tech, Michigan, Memphis, Arkansas, Stanford, North Carolina, and Northern Iowa all are slated to participate.

Two of this year’s participants are already on Oklahoma’s schedule as Arkansas, and Oklahoma will lace up their sneaks and play at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Towards the end of their non-conference slate, Oklahoma will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the Tarheels for the Jumpman Invitational.

Oklahoma was previously supposed to participate in this year’s Battle 4 Atlantis. Oklahoma’s likely inclusion in the Rady Children’s Invitational probably was the difference in them not participating this year. The Sooners will take up that offer for the 2024 season, though.

Next year’s field will include Arizona, Indiana, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Lousiville, Creighton, and Davidson. It’s a field loaded with several big-time college basketball brands like Indiana, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Lousiville.

Creighton has been a formidable program for a while and should not be slept on. Davidson is the alma mater of NBA superstar Steph Curry and is a tough team from the A-10.

Oklahoma has quite a bit of familiarity with West Virginia from all their battles in the Big 12. However, Oklahoma’s move to the SEC will mark the first time the schools will meet as nonconference foes since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012.

The tournament usually coincides with the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives family, friends, and fans of all the participating programs a unique high-level basketball experience in a tropical paradise every participant can be thankful for.

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Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard commits to play at Gonzaga

Nembhard chose Gonzaga over several programs, including Arizona, Alabama and UCF among others.

Former Creighton guard Ryan Nembhard told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he has committed to play next season at Gonzaga after two seasons with the Bluejays.

Nembhard, the brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, was voted to the All-Big East second team after averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 assists and four rebounds as a sophomore. He ranked 24th in the country in assists (176) and 52nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.29).

The 6-foot guard was viewed as one of the top players in the transfer portal and projects to be a good addition to the Zags next season. He chose Gonzaga over several programs, including Arizona, Alabama and UCF.

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Nembhard said his brother helped persuade him to transfer to Gonzaga after Andrew Nembhard played two seasons for head coach Mark Few. Of course, Andrew Nembhard became the No. 31 pick in the NBA draft last year and had a productive year with the Pacers.

With Ryan Nembhard now in the fold, the Bulldogs will look to make yet another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The program has advanced to the Sweet 16 eight straight times and will likely be a favorite again in the West Coast Conference.

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Gonzaga adds two big pieces to their 2023-2024 roster on Friday

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs had themselves a very good start to their morning on Friday.

It could not have been a better morning for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and head coach Mark Few on Friday.

The Zags early on Friday added a pair of big transfer portal additions to their roster for next season in Wyoming forward Graham Ike and Creight transfer Ryan Nembhard, who was ESPN’s No.2 player in the transfer portal this offseason. Both players announced their decision via social media on Friday morning.

Ike, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward out of Aurora, Colorado was one of the portal’s top big men in the country but missed this past season due to a foot injury. That being said, the last time we saw him in the 2021-2022 season, he was nothing short of dominating, averaging 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds for Wyoming while leading the Cowboys to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2021-2022 All-MWC Selection will have a chance to once again be one of the most dominating forwards in the country with Gonzaga as long as he can stay healthy. He’ll of course be looked upon to step into the shoes of now former Gonzaga star forward Drew Timme.

Nembhard, as mentioned above was considered one of the best prospect’s in the portal overall including No.2 by ESPN. The 6-foot-0 guard out Florida averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this past season for Creighton, helping take the Bluejays to the Elite Eight. The Florida native will look to help replace the likes of Rasir Bolton in Gonzaga’s lineup next season.

This past season, Gonzaga went 31-06 including 14-2 in WCC play. After splitting the regular season WCC championship with Saint Mary’s, the Zags would go onto win the WCC Conference Tournament. They would be selected as a No.3 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, making it into the Elite Eight before being eliminated by eventual national champion UConn 82-54.

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All-West Coast Conference guard Julian Strawther declares for NBA draft

Strawther was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Gonzaga junior Julian Strawther announced on social media this week that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2023 NBA draft.

Strawther was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 40.8% shooting from 3-point range. He scored at least 20 points eight times, including a season-high 40 points on Jan. 28 against Portland.

The 6-foot-7 guard helped the Zags advance to the Elite Eight for the fifth time in eight years. He recorded 28 points in the first round against Grand Canyon and, two games later, hit the game-winning 3-pointer over UCLA in the Sweet 16.

Strawther tested the pre-draft process last year and opted to return to school for his junior year. He is projected to be a potential first-round pick this year given his ability to score and space the floor. He also showed promise as a rebounder and defender.

He will have the opportunity to improve his draft stock in private workouts with teams. He also figures to earn an invitation to compete in the draft combine next month in Chicago, Illinois.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft.

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INSTANT CLASSIC: Twitter reacts to No. 3 Gonzaga knocking off No. 2 UCLA

Twitter reacts to another instant classic between Gonzaga and UCLA.

It was another instant classic between what has been one of the best rivalries in all of college basketball over the 20 years. This time, 17 years to the day of UCLA’s famous upset win over Gonzaga in the 2006 Sweet 16, Mark Few’s Bulldogs came out on top.

It was a game in which both teams would blow double-digit leads. The Bruins found themselves up 13 points at halftime, 46-33 while Gonzaga after making an immense second-half push would be up 10-points with under three minutes to play.

It would be an ending to remember.

Down 72-62 with 2:30 remaining in the second half, UCLA would go on a 14-3 run over the next two minutes and 12 seconds to take a 76-75 lead with just 13 seconds remaining. Gonzaga fans at the time were seeing ghosts of the past 17 years later, thinking it couldn’t be happening again.

Luckily for them, Gonzaga and Julian Strawther would have different plans. On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs would run a play very similar to that of Villanova’s game-winning play to win the 2016 National Championship.

Sophomore guard Hunter Sallis would bring the ball up the court before dropping it off to Strawther while crossing past him, allowing Strawther to get some much-needed extra room for the shot. However, instead of Kris Jenkins’s shot which came from close to the three-point line, Strawther would pull up from the logo to give the Bulldogs a 78-76 point lead. The shot would absolutely stun the Bruins who were not expecting the junior guard from Las Vegas to take such a shot considering there were still over nine seconds remaining when he took the shot.

After a free throw a few seconds later made it a three-point game, the Bruins would look for one final look but Tyger Campbell’s three-point attempt at the buzzer would fail to fall.

With the 79-76 win, the Bulldogs will move on to play the No. 4 seeded UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Power Ranking the remaining teams in the Sweet 16

16 teams remain in this year’s NCAA Tournament but who has looked the best so far?

The NCAA Men’s Tournament is officially moving into the second week and the field has narrowed from 68 to just 16. It’s one of the more diverse Sweet 16 teams in recent memory.

Just two No. 1 seeds remain in Alabama and Houston, coincidentally, the top two seeds in the tournament. Beyond the Crimson Tide and Cougars, seven of the remaining teams are four seeds or higher in Texas, UCLA, Xavier, Gonzaga, Kansas State, and UConn. Then you have tournament long shots in Arkansas, Creighton, FAU, Michigan State, and Princeton.

A few things are clear after the opening weekend about the 16 teams remaining but plenty still remains unclear as well. You can view some of the biggest takeaways from the first two rounds in our article from earlier on Monday.

That being said, the one thing that for certain is that the parity in this year’s tournament is quite strong. While Alabama looks the part of a tournament favorite, beyond the Crimson Tide, there are strong arguments for five or six other programs to potentially come out on top next month in Houston. That makes it quite hard to power rank the 16 teams remaining heading into week two. That being said, we gave it a go and did just that.

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