25-7; 14-2, second and West Coast Conference tournament champions
It turns out that the decline and fall of the Zags is an event which has not yet come to pass. Though Gonzaga was in rough shape – compared to the obscenely high standard which has been established over the past two decades by head coach Mark Few – around the start of the new year, things have steadied in Spokane.
The Zags finished 15-2 over the final two months of their season, including wins at Kentucky and Saint Mary’s. They may not have been the dominant force that the Kennel has seen in some years past, but these Zags are plenty dangerous. Did anyone actually expect anything less?
It may have taken a bit for him to truly find his rhythm in Spokane, but down the stretch, Graham Ike has shown just about everything demanded of a top frontcourt player. The former Wyoming star is one of America’s premier post scorers; a powerful and patient veteran with wondrous agility in tight spaces, Ike utilizes a full range of fakes and shot types to drive his team’s offense from near the basket. He’s also lethal from mid-range, as Ike is confident in his elbow jumper and can maneuver for a clean look even against larger opponents. He sank an outstanding 50.0% on longer two-point tries, per Bart Torvik, and Ike made the most total field goals in the WCC at a 60.5% overall rate (18th among all Division I players) this year. Despite not being the bounciest big, arm’s reach of the basket is closer to Ike than it is for most people – he owns a 7’5″ wingspan. Ike’s ability to command the post and earn multitudes of trips to the foul line.
Anton Watson joins Ike as a highly productive veteran up front, but while Ike is a new face in Eastern Washington, Watson is a familiar friend. A Spokane native, Watson led Gonzaga Prep to a pair of state titles during his high school career, before pledging to the Bulldogs. The versatile fifth-year forward ranks third in West Coast Conference history with a 57.7% career field goal percentage. Having been an elite support player for much of his career, Watson stepped out this season with a host of career-best numbers, and he earned a spot on the WCC’s all-conference First Team. Like Ike, he lacks outstanding foot speed or lotto-pick explosion, but Watson is plenty athletic. He doesn’t shoot behind the arc often, but Watson made 40.4% of his deep heaves this winter while cashing in an outstanding 76.4% of his attempts close to the rim. He is also a smart, experienced player who understands and executes the Bulldogs’ gameplan completely at both ends of the court. He’s adept at covering forwards in the paint, and Watson can guard wings on the perimeter, providing Few with tremendous flexibility to mix and match situationally.
A former Top 50 national prospect and already a 36-game starter during his second year, junior Nolan Hickman is the younger of the team’s two main playmakers. With his freshman classmate Hunter Sallis having transferred to Wake Forest this spring, Hickman got the chance to shine – and did. He’s scored double figures in 25 of Gonzaga’s 32 games, and Hickman, like the rest of his team, has been particularly strong since the new year. Over the Zags’ last 19 contests, Hickman has posted 15.1 points and 2.9 assists per game while sinking 43.8% from the land of trey. With elite agility, balance, and the ability to change gears whenever he’d like, Hickman guides his teammates while handling the ball effortlessly.
With his savvy in reading the pick-and-roll and deep shooting touch, Hickman has helped to coordinate Gonzaga’s offense and allowed his co-captain some offensive freedom. Few also added a guard from the Portal who’s got plenty of experience as his team’s primary setup guy. Canadian-born Ryan Nembhard arrives from Creighton, where he was named Big East Rookie of the Year two seasons ago. All he did upon joining the Zags was earn a First Team all-conference nod, and along the way, Nembhard handed out the sixth-most assists in the nation. A pick-and-roll maestro who calmly reads the floor and action developing around him, Nembhard is an elite distributor who has developed an extensive rapport with Ike and the other Gonzaga bigs. Though neither Nembhard or Hickman get to the foul line overmuch, Nembhard became a significantly more dangerous mid-range scorer this winter than he’s been in the past.
Dusty Stromer was this year’s top freshman recruit, and the smooth-operating youngster was always going to challenge for his share of the shots immediately. Then Steele Venters, a proven scorer and key Portal addition from Eastern Washington, was lost for the year to injury – and Stromer became the team’s #3 guard and indispensable all at the same moment. He hasn’t been incredible, nor has Stromer been bad; he’s been a freshman that is force-fed almost 24 minutes per game. While he’s known for the deep ball first and foremost, Stromer can also put it on the floor and create for his teammates. With his great overall feel and approach, Stromer is going to improve – and Few would love to see that begin in the NCAA Tournament.
Ben Gregg had been biding his time and working hard as a reserve for four years now, and was hungrier than ever to become a prominent part of the rotation this winter. Mission accomplished. Now that the 6’10” Oregonian has gotten strong and experienced enough to earn his share of the pack’s winnings, Gregg has made an all-around impact. He started 16 games this season while finishing second on the team in made three’s and steals, and third in rebounds and blocked shots. Braden Huff is another in the parade of skilled bigs who can score both inside and out, and the former Illinois Mr. Basketball can play out on the wing a bit, too. He’s a smart passer with a great overall feeling on the offensive end. Huff worked hard enough during his year off to earn some very high praise at the end of his redshirt season. None other than Drew Timme – who had to practice against the youngster, has ruefully called Huff the “most annoying redshirt I’ve ever played against.” Huff offers a different look up front than either Watson or Ike, and has joined Gregg in giving the Zags lots of big dudes who each have to be guarded differently.
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