- Big 12 leaving UConn, Gonzaga behind in conference realignment will prove best for both in long run CBS Sports
- Big 12 held talks with Gonzaga, UConn, commissioner says – ESPN ESPN
- Big 12’s Yormark Shares What He Told Pac-12’s Kliavkoff After Pilfering League Sports Illustrated
- Dribble Handoff: UConn, Gonzaga among teams that would benefit from a basketball-first realignment plan CBS Sports
- Talks for Big 12 to add Gonzaga, UConn ‘no longer,’ commissioner says: Is that surprising? The Athletic
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: Gonzaga
Former Creighton PG Ryan Nembhard transferring to Gonzaga – ESPN
- Former Creighton PG Ryan Nembhard transferring to Gonzaga ESPN
- Ryan Nembhard transfers to Gonzaga: Creighton star guard provides major boost for Zags in 2023-24 season CBS Sports
- Gonzaga picks up Ryan Nembhard transfer commitment from Creighton, Graham Ike from Wyoming The Athletic
- Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball gets commitment from ex-Creighton guard Ryan Nembhard Arizona Desert Swarm
- Ryan Nembhard, younger brother of former Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard, commits to Bulldogs The Spokesman Review
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Live Score and Stats – December 17, 2022 Gametracker
20:00
(Crimson Tide gains possession)
19:44
Brandon Miller misses three point jump shot
19:42
Charles Bediako offensive rebound
19:37
Mark Sears misses three point jump shot
19:31
Charles Bediako offensive rebound
19:31
Charles Bediako turnover (lost ball) (Anton Watson steals)
19:28
Charles Bediako shooting foul (Anton Watson draws the foul)
19:28
Anton Watson misses regular free throw 1 of 2
19:28
+1
Anton Watson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
1-0
19:10
Mark Sears turnover (traveling)
18:53
Noah Clowney blocks Anton Watson’s two point jump shot
18:51
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
18:46
+2
Jaden Bradley makes two point layup
1-2
18:46
Nolan Hickman shooting foul (Jaden Bradley draws the foul)
18:46
+1
Jaden Bradley makes regular free throw 1 of 1
1-3
18:35
+2
Julian Strawther makes two point jump shot
3-3
18:23
Mark Sears misses three point jump shot
18:21
Drew Timme defensive rebound
18:16
Nolan Hickman misses three point jump shot
18:14
Mark Sears defensive rebound
18:08
Jaden Bradley misses three point jump shot
18:06
Noah Clowney offensive rebound
17:57
+3
Brandon Miller makes three point jump shot (Mark Sears assists)
3-6
17:52
Drew Timme misses three point jump shot
17:50
Jaden Bradley defensive rebound
17:45
+2
Jaden Bradley makes two point jump shot
3-8
17:30
+2
Julian Strawther makes two point jump shot
5-8
17:30
Brandon Miller shooting foul (Julian Strawther draws the foul)
17:30
Julian Strawther misses regular free throw 1 of 1
17:30
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
17:15
Rasir Bolton personal foul
17:02
Brandon Miller misses two point jump shot
17:00
Charles Bediako offensive rebound
16:54
+3
Brandon Miller makes three point jump shot (Jaden Bradley assists)
5-11
16:43
Julian Strawther misses three point jump shot
16:41
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
16:32
+3
Noah Clowney makes three point jump shot (Jaden Bradley assists)
5-14
16:20
+2
Drew Timme makes two point hook shot (Nolan Hickman assists)
7-14
16:09
Mark Sears misses three point jump shot
16:07
Julian Strawther defensive rebound
16:03
Julian Strawther offensive foul
16:03
Julian Strawther turnover (offensive foul)
15:49
+2
Jaden Bradley makes two point layup
7-16
15:36
+2
Drew Timme makes two point layup
9-16
15:26
Brandon Miller turnover (lost ball)
15:26
TV timeout
15:17
+2
Rasir Bolton makes two point jump shot
11-16
14:55
Jaden Bradley offensive foul
14:55
Jaden Bradley turnover (offensive foul)
14:44
Drew Timme misses two point layup
14:42
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
14:32
+2
Noah Gurley makes two point dunk (Jahvon Quinerly assists)
11-18
14:16
Rasir Bolton misses two point jump shot
14:14
Brandon Miller defensive rebound
14:09
Brandon Miller turnover (bad pass)
13:43
Drew Timme turnover (traveling)
13:20
Jahvon Quinerly turnover (bad pass) (Rasir Bolton steals)
13:13
Rasir Bolton turnover (bad pass) (Jahvon Quinerly steals)
13:06
+2
Rylan Griffen makes two point layup
11-20
13:00
Rasir Bolton misses two point layup
12:58
Anton Watson offensive rebound
12:58
+2
Anton Watson makes two point layup
13-20
12:58
Jahvon Quinerly shooting foul (Anton Watson draws the foul)
12:58
+1
Anton Watson makes regular free throw 1 of 1
14-20
12:41
Jahvon Quinerly turnover (bad pass) (Malachi Smith steals)
12:31
+2
Anton Watson makes two point jump shot
16-20
12:17
Mark Sears offensive foul
12:17
Mark Sears turnover (offensive foul)
12:07
Anton Watson misses two point layup
12:05
Noah Gurley defensive rebound
11:56
Noah Gurley turnover (traveling)
11:56
TV timeout
11:36
+3
Nolan Hickman makes three point jump shot
19-20
11:15
+2
Jahvon Quinerly makes two point layup
19-22
11:07
+2
Malachi Smith makes two point layup (Nolan Hickman assists)
21-22
10:58
Nolan Hickman personal foul
10:56
Rylan Griffen misses three point jump shot
10:54
Drew Timme defensive rebound
10:43
Charles Bediako blocks Julian Strawther’s two point layup
10:41
Bulldogs offensive rebound
10:41
+2
Drew Timme makes two point jump shot (Hunter Sallis assists)
23-22
10:33
Hunter Sallis shooting foul (Rylan Griffen draws the foul)
10:33
+1
Rylan Griffen makes regular free throw 1 of 2
23-23
10:33
+1
Rylan Griffen makes regular free throw 2 of 2
23-24
10:20
+2
Drew Timme makes two point hook shot (Ben Gregg assists)
25-24
10:10
Malachi Smith personal foul
10:05
Rylan Griffen misses three point jump shot
10:03
Ben Gregg defensive rebound
9:52
+2
Julian Strawther makes two point jump shot
27-24
9:40
+2
Charles Bediako makes two point layup (Mark Sears assists)
27-26
9:40
Ben Gregg shooting foul (Charles Bediako draws the foul)
9:40
Charles Bediako misses regular free throw 1 of 1
9:40
Ben Gregg defensive rebound
9:23
+3
Ben Gregg makes three point jump shot (Rasir Bolton assists)
30-26
9:13
Noah Clowney turnover (lost ball) (Ben Gregg steals)
8:53
+2
Rasir Bolton makes two point jump shot
32-26
8:38
Drew Timme personal foul
8:38
+1
Mark Sears makes regular free throw 1 of 2
32-27
8:38
+1
Mark Sears makes regular free throw 2 of 2
32-28
8:26
+2
Drew Timme makes two point hook shot
34-28
8:02
Jaden Bradley misses two point jump shot
8:00
Drew Timme defensive rebound
7:53
+2
Drew Timme makes two point jump shot (Rasir Bolton assists)
36-28
7:38
+3
Mark Sears makes three point jump shot
36-31
7:22
Drew Timme misses two point layup
7:20
Darius Miles defensive rebound
7:16
Darius Miles offensive foul
7:16
Darius Miles turnover (offensive foul)
7:16
TV timeout
6:55
Julian Strawther misses three point jump shot
6:53
Anton Watson offensive rebound
6:42
Drew Timme misses two point jump shot
6:40
Brandon Miller defensive rebound
6:33
Mark Sears misses three point jump shot
6:31
Hunter Sallis defensive rebound
6:19
Hunter Sallis misses three point jump shot
6:17
Brandon Miller defensive rebound
6:09
Mark Sears misses three point jump shot
6:07
Drew Timme defensive rebound
5:58
Drew Timme misses two point jump shot
5:56
Bulldogs offensive rebound
5:47
Anton Watson misses two point jump shot
5:45
Malachi Smith offensive rebound
5:39
Anton Watson misses three point jump shot
5:36
Charles Bediako defensive rebound
5:36
Efton Reid III personal foul
5:36
Charles Bediako misses regular free throw 1 of 1
5:36
Efton Reid III defensive rebound
5:18
Malachi Smith misses two point jump shot
5:16
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
5:09
Mark Sears misses two point layup
5:07
Malachi Smith defensive rebound
4:56
Efton Reid III misses two point hook shot
4:54
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
4:49
Rasir Bolton shooting foul (Jaden Bradley draws the foul)
4:49
+1
Jaden Bradley makes regular free throw 1 of 2
36-32
4:49
+1
Jaden Bradley makes regular free throw 2 of 2
36-33
4:38
+2
Efton Reid III makes two point jump shot (Hunter Sallis assists)
38-33
4:29
Julian Strawther personal foul (Brandon Miller draws the foul)
4:29
+1
Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 1 of 2
38-34
4:29
+1
Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 2 of 2
38-35
4:20
Rasir Bolton misses two point jump shot
4:18
Noah Gurley defensive rebound
4:08
Efton Reid III personal foul (Brandon Miller draws the foul)
4:08
+1
Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 1 of 2
38-36
4:08
+1
Brandon Miller makes regular free throw 2 of 2
38-37
3:55
+3
Rasir Bolton makes three point jump shot (Drew Timme assists)
41-37
3:31
+2
Noah Gurley makes two point layup
41-39
3:17
+2
Anton Watson makes two point dunk (Drew Timme assists)
43-39
2:56
+2
Jaden Bradley makes two point jump shot
43-41
2:56
Anton Watson shooting foul (Jaden Bradley draws the foul)
2:56
TV timeout
2:56
+1
Jaden Bradley makes regular free throw 1 of 1
43-42
2:45
Rasir Bolton misses three point jump shot
2:43
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
2:38
Jahvon Quinerly misses three point jump shot
2:36
Bulldogs defensive rebound
2:14
+2
Drew Timme makes two point layup
45-42
2:14
Noah Gurley shooting foul (Drew Timme draws the foul)
2:14
+1
Drew Timme makes regular free throw 1 of 1
46-42
1:59
Jahvon Quinerly turnover (bad pass) (Malachi Smith steals)
1:54
Rasir Bolton misses three point jump shot
1:52
Crimson Tide defensive rebound
1:34
Brandon Miller misses two point jump shot
1:32
Charles Bediako offensive rebound
1:27
Charles Bediako turnover (lost ball) (Malachi Smith steals)
1:10
Jaden Bradley blocks Rasir Bolton’s two point jump shot
1:08
Charles Bediako defensive rebound
0:59
Mark Sears misses two point layup
0:57
Anton Watson defensive rebound
0:47
Hunter Sallis misses two point jump shot
0:45
Mark Sears defensive rebound
0:41
Noah Clowney misses three point jump shot
0:39
Drew Timme defensive rebound
0:28
Bulldogs 30 second timeout
0:12
Noah Clowney personal foul (Drew Timme draws the foul)
0:12
+1
Drew Timme makes regular free throw 1 of 2
47-42
0:12
Drew Timme misses regular free throw 2 of 2
0:12
Noah Clowney defensive rebound
0:00
Brandon Miller turnover (lost ball) (Malachi Smith steals)
0:00
End of period
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North Carolina, Gonzaga remain 1-2 atop AP Top 25 men’s poll
North Carolina didn’t have a dominating start at No. 1. The Tar Heels open their second week atop the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll with coach Hubert Davis reminding his players it will take time to find a flow like the one that carried them to last year’s NCAA championship game.
UNC (2-0) earned 44 of 63 first-place votes to finish ahead of No. 2 Gonzaga in Monday’s first regular-season AP Top 25, which featured only slight changes from the preseason poll released Oct. 17.
The Tar Heels return four starters from last year’s team, including AP preseason All-American Armando Bacot inside. But they labored through wins last week, first against UNC Wilmington and then against College of Charleston.
After the opener, Davis said he hoped it was “first-game anxiousness and nervousness.” After the second, he said he had talked to his team about dealing with expectations.
“One of the things I’ve sensed in them — I just felt not a nervousness, but maybe a little bit of a burden of the expectations,” Davis said. “And I tried to get them to understand that though those expectations are noise, it means nothing.
“I felt like on every play, they were trying to make it look like the way we looked in April. That’s just not possible. That just can’t happen. This is this year’s team.”
The top tier
The second-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) picked up 14 first-place votes after wins against North Florida and Michigan State, the latter coming on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Third-ranked Houston (2-0) and fourth-ranked Kentucky (2-0) picked up the remaining five first-place votes.
Baylor and Kansas were tied for fifth previously. This time, Baylor is alone at No. 5, followed by Kansas and Duke. UCLA, Arkansas and Creighton round out the top 10.
The new eras
Duke and Villanova both are starting with young coaches replacing retired Hall of Famers. One had an early stumble that carried it right out of the poll.
The Wildcats have turned to Kyle Neptune, who took over in the spring after the retirement of Jay Wright. They won their opener against La Salle, then lost to Temple, which dropped Villanova from 16th to unranked for the first time since February 2019.
The Blue Devils beat Jacksonville and USC Upstate — surrendering 82 combined points — in their first two games under Jon Scheyer, who has taken over for Mike Krzyzewski in the Duke program’s first coaching change since 1980.
Rising
Illinois (2-0) had the biggest jump, climbing four spots to No. 19 after two easy home wins. No. 14 Arizona and No. 21 Dayton each rose three spots. In all, 12 teams moved up from the preseason poll.
Sliding
Tennessee (1-1) took the biggest tumble, falling 11 spots to No. 22 after losing to Colorado in its home state.
Kansas — which fell out of the voting tie at No. 5 — Creighton and No. 15 TCU fell one spot each to round out the four teams that slid from their preseason rankings.
Status quo
Seven teams, all inside the top 10, held their preseason position.
Welcome
No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 25 Connecticut are the week’s new additions. The Huskies spent most of last season in the AP Top 25, and the Aggies joined the poll for the first time under fourth-year coach Buzz Williams. Texas A&M was last ranked in February 2018, a season that ended with an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
Farewell (for now)
Oregon (No. 21) joined Villanova as the other team to fall out from the preseason poll. The Ducks opened with a home win against Florida A&M but lost at home to UC Irvine four days later.
Conference watch
The SEC led the way with six ranked teams, with No. 13 Auburn and No. 18 Alabama joining Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
The Big 12 was next with five, with No. 11 Texas and No. 23 Texas Tech joining Baylor, Kansas and TCU.
The ACC and Big Ten had three, with No. 16 Virginia joining UNC and Duke for the ACC and No. 12 Indiana and No. 20 Michigan joining Illinois for the Big Ten.
The Pac-12 and Big East each had two ranked teams, followed by the West Coast, American Athletic, Mountain West and Atlantic 10 conferences each having one.
Gonzaga rallies, avoids Michigan State upset on flight deck
CORONADO, Calif. — Drew Timme likened it to the feeling of playing hoops in a park as a kid, only this time it was on the flight deck of one of the world’s most powerful warships.
Timme led No. 2 Gonzaga in a spirited comeback from a 12-point deficit, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Bulldogs beat Michigan State 64-63 Friday night on the USS Abraham Lincoln at North Island Naval Air Station.
“It’s definitely something different. It’s something you don’t experience every day,” Timme said. “I think growing up playing in the park is something that helped us. And look, they had to play on it too. … It wasn’t the prettiest game to watch but it was just put your nose in the dirt and keep going and don’t stop and I thought it was a true test of our grit and heart and I think we did a good job of answering the bell today.”
Timme twice gave the Zags the lead in the final 2:27. His inside shot made it 63-61 before Malik Hall answered with a hook to tie it. The Zags scored just one more point, when Timme made the second of two free throws with 1:51 left.
Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther was called for traveling with 31 seconds left and Michigan State’s Jaden Akins missed a desperation 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
“Gonzaga is who Gonzaga is because they’re really good,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “But they’ve got a go-to guy. Down the stretch that guy, he just rose up. That’s what he’s supposed to do.
“I want to feel so good about the setting, our fans, the veterans, the way our team played, but how do you feel good when you lose a game when you led for 30 minutes? It’s hard to do.”
Timme had tied the game at 55 with a 3-point play and Bolton tied it again at 59 with a big 3-pointer.
Strawther had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Nolan Hickman scored 10 for Gonzaga (2-0).
Michigan State big man Mady Sissoko scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half but committed his third foul early in the second half and didn’t have much of an impact the rest of the way.
The Spartans (1-1) led 45-33 three minutes into the second half before Timme and the Zags went on an 11-0 run to pull to 45-44. Timme made a spin move layup, was fouled and made the free throw, and then fed Rasir Bolton for a baseline jumper to close within three points. Efton Reid III’s slam dunk got the Zags to 45-44.
Tyson Walker made a layup with 12:10 left to break MSU’s five-minute scoring drought.
Timme’s 3-point play tied it at 55-55 and then Bolton hit a 3-point shot for a 59-59 tie with 3:54 left.
As impressive as he was overall, Timme made just 4 of 10 free throws and could have given the Zags a cushion late in the game.
The game was played 11 years to the day after North Carolina beat Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson at North Island NAS, with then-president Barack Obama and wife Michelle watching from courtside.
The teams wore camouflage uniforms with U.S.A. on the back. Just before the second half began, the crowd rose for the retiring of the flag at sunset. The crowd of 3,000 was made up mostly of sailors from the aircraft carrier as well as fans of both teams.
Michigan State led 38-31 at halftime largely on the strength of the powerful inside game of the 6-foot-9 Sissoko. Sissoko had three slam dunks in the final 5 minutes of the half, including on an alley-oop pass from A.J. Hoggard. His final two dunks helped the Spartans take control. Michigan State had consecutive steals, which had Izzo emphatically pumping his fist.
Neither team was afraid to hoist 3-pointers and each team made a shot from behind the arc in the first two minutes. The wind appeared to affect just one 3-point shot as the six-level conning tower and the scoreboard blocked most of the wind off the Pacific Ocean.
College basketball scores, schedule, NCAA top 25 rankings, games today: UNC, Gonzaga in action
It has been over seven months since Kansas rallied to beat North Carolina and capture the national championship in New Orleans. Now, at long last, a new college basketball season is upon us. The 2022-23 campaign gets underway across the country Monday with all 25 ranked teams in action throughout the day and well into the night.
No. 5 Baylor tipped things off early in the day by crushing Mississippi Valley State 117-53 behind scoring contributions from 10 players. The action gets going en masse in the evening as No. 4 Kentucky, No. 16 Villanova and No. 22 Michigan each tip at 6:30 p.m. as heavy favorites in home games.
The games continue on throughout the night, culminating with No. 8 UCLA hosting Sacramento State in an 11:30 p.m. capper to what should be an eventful first evening of college hoops. Though there are no obvious marquee matchups, the night will provide us a first look at most national contenders.
Given that it’s college basketball — a sport that thrives on upsets — it also wouldn’t be shocking to see a couple of stunning outcomes as teams try and iron out their kinks in the early going.
CBS Sports will be here every step of the way to update you with the latest scores, highlights and storylines throughout the evening. All times Eastern
College basketball scores, schedule
No. 5 Baylor 117, Mississippi Valley State 53 — Recap
No. 4 Kentucky 95, Howard 63 — Recap
No. 22 Michigan 75, PFW 66 — Recap
No. 16 Villanova 81, La Salle 68 — Recap
No. 7 Duke 71, Jacksonville 44 — Recap
No. 13 Indiana 88, Morehead State 53 — Recap
No. 11 Tennessee 75, Tennessee Tech 43 — Recap
No. 15 Auburn 70, George Mason 52 — Recap
Northern Colorado at No. 3 Houston — Recap
No. 10 Arkansas 76, North Dakota State 58 — Recap
Memphis 76, Vanderbilt 67 — Recap
No.5 Kansas 89, Omaha 64 — Recap
No. 9 Creighton 72, St. Thomas 60 — Recap
UNC-Wilmington at No. 1 North Carolina — ACC Network — GameTracker
North Florida at No. 2 Gonzaga — GameTracker
UTEP at No. 12 Texas — Longhorn Network — GameTracker
Check out the entire opening night scoreboard
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Gonzaga Bulldogs senior Andrew Nembhard to declare for 2022 NBA draft
Gonzaga senior Andrew Nembhard will declare for the 2022 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Friday.
“This is my time,” Nembhard said. “It’s time to let the young guys take over the program. In this draft I feel like I’m among the top. There are not many point guards in this class that can impact the game in a winning sense in the way I can. I’ve gotten feedback and did the things the NBA told me I needed to do to take the next step. I’m ready.”
Nembhard, the No. 50 prospect in the ESPN 100, was named first-team All-WCC after averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.6 assists for the Zags, who were the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. Nembhard posted career highs in every category this year, including shooting 38% for 3s and 87% from the free throw line.
“Going into my senior year I did a lot of offseason work, getting my body right, improving my quickness and speed. Early in my career I was looked at as a guy that couldn’t play fast; I think I showed a different side of me this season. When the opportunity presented itself, I showed I could make plays and carry my team offensively, including as a scorer. I’m super excited to show teams more. How lethal I can be in pick-and-roll situations. Also in isolation situations I’m growing. My game is getting a lot better.”
Nembhard was the engine behind one of the fastest-paced and most efficient offenses in college basketball, tasked with providing a steady hand alongside All-American frontcourt players Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren. When needed, he also showed he can be a primary scorer, posting 24 points in a nonconference win over UCLA and spearheading a come-from-behind NCAA tournament victory over Memphis in the round of 32, scoring 23 points and making several clutch baskets down the stretch.
“I’m a winning guy, a true point guard, so my natural inclination is to get everyone involved. I’d always look at the matchups, Drew usually had mismatches, and we needed to get Chet the ball so he would feel good and step up when we need him. I showed that throughout the season, when guys are getting bogged down, I can be more assertive offensively, shoot from deep, get into the lane and score, and make plays off the bounce. The balance we had between passing and scoring was really good.
At 6-foot-5, 193 pounds, Nembhard has excellent size for a point guard and became an increasingly prolific and consistent perimeter shooter as his career moved on, getting closer to what many NBA teams look for in a backup when paired with the instincts and smarts he brings defensively. In Gonzaga’s final six games of the season, he played 237 of a potential 240 minutes, being virtually indispensable for what many considered to be the best team in college basketball.
“I needed to do a lot of ballhandling for our team and carry a big load on offense, which is why sometimes you’d see me only guarding the other team’s third-best player. I’ve always been a good defender, and it’s something I’ve always taken pride in. I guarded power forwards at Florida, and also point guards. That’s what will get me on the floor early on. I’m sneakily stronger than a lot of people think. I’m 195 pounds now, almost 200. Where I’ll be very useful is guarding 1-3 and even some small-ball 4s.”
A five-star recruit in high school, Nembhard started his career at Florida but elected to transfer after his sophomore year. He played a significant role on the team that lost in the national championship to Baylor in 2021, rarely coming off the floor in Gonzaga’s big games once again.
“When I took that year to transfer, my biggest thing was I wanted to win games. I did it in high school and at the FIBA level. I wanted to be in that winning culture, that’s where I excel.”
Born in Toronto, Nembhard has represented Canada at the national team level in every age group, starting at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship, continuing at the FIBA U17 World Cup and the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, and even seeing rotation minutes at the senior level in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, a team that was coached by Nick Nurse of the Toronto Raptors.
Having entered the NBA draft in 2019 and 2020, he cannot withdraw his name from consideration after declaring for a third time, according to league rules, making him ineligible to return to college basketball despite the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted all players in October 2020.
“Initially I can bring backup point guard minutes to a team. A player like Tyus Jones — I can emulate his role, bring a high assist-to-turnover ratio, get guys open shots, hit open 3s and understand the game. I can see myself in a similar role. I can give a team a different look off the bench, pushing the pace in transition, getting guys open shots. With the way the NBA spacing is, that’s only going to help me. Every kid wants to go first round — that would be a blessing — but a win for me on draft night would be going to a team that I can make an impact on. A team that I can fit into and win games.”
The NBA draft combine will be May 16-22 in Chicago, and the draft will be June 23 at the Barclays Center in New York City.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
March Madness: Gonzaga Falls Short Again as the Favorite
Timme led Gonzaga with 25 points and 7 rebounds, and Holmgren added 11 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks, but they received insufficient help from their teammates.
“We needed Chet to be able to stay in there a little longer,” Few said of Holmgren, who was not among the three Gonzaga players brought to the postgame news conference.
The rims at the Chase Center were hardly as kind to Arkansas and Gonzaga as they are to the regular denizens of the arena — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Golden State Warriors. For much of the night, 3-pointers clanked off the rims and runners rimmed off them. Neither teams shot free throws with anything resembling proficiency.
When Gonzaga found itself behind at halftime, 32-29, it was not an unfamiliar position in this tournament. The Zags led 16th-seeded Georgia State by only 4 points midway through the second half before winning in a rout. And they trailed Memphis by 12 points early in the second half before rallying for a narrow victory.
The Zags have uncharacteristically had trouble scoring in stretches.
The nation’s most efficient offense went nearly four minutes without scoring in the first half, which allowed Arkansas to recover from a 27-19 deficit, a stretch from which Gonzaga never recovered its form. A culprit has been spotty 3-point shooting. Chet Holmgren, a 43.8 percent 3-point shooter in the regular season, made just 2 of 16 3-pointers in Gonzaga’s five postseason games. Julian Strawther, who entered the tournament shooting 39.6 percent on 3-pointers, made his only 3-pointer of the tournament on Thursday and finished it 1 for 14.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how great of a shooter you are, you are going to miss shots,” Holmgren said on Wednesday. “You can’t lose confidence. I get in the gym every day and work on my shots, so next time I shoot that shot I know it’s going in.”
Holmgren, who is expected to be among the top picks in the N.B.A. draft, had a more immediate problem against Arkansas — staying on the court.
March Madness: No. 1 seeds Gonzaga and Arizona are stunned in Sweet 16
No. 1 overall seed and last year’s runner-up Gonzaga was upset by No. 4 seed Arkansas 74-68, before another No. 1 seed, Arizona, lost to No. 5 seed Houston 72-60 shortly after.
With defending champion and the other top seed Baylor already knocked out, the only No. 1 seed left is Kansas.
Arkansas’ progression to the Elite Eight of the men’s NCAA tournament is their second in a row, but just their third since 1995.
After shocking Gonzaga and advancing to the next round where they’ll face Duke, Razorbacks’ head coach Eric Musselman told CBS: “Thank you to everybody that said we had no chance.”
“We grinded in our prep. I give these guys a ton of credit. We took a four-hour flight after traveling from Buffalo to Fayetteville for 24 hours to here, and then we went straight to an hour and 45-minute practice,” Musselman said.
“Can’t compliment these guys and the entire team enough for the way that they buy in to game preparation. It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of that they just kind of do what we ask.”
For Houston, they led wire-to-wire against Arizona, scoring the first basket and never trailing against the Wildcats.
Jamal Shead led the way for the Cougars with 21 points, with Kyler Edwards hitting five three-pointers as he added 19 points.
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”I knew we were going to make them uncomfortable, that’s what we do,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said. ”Our team, we’re a tough bunch … They’re not afraid of anybody.”
Dalen Terry led scoring for Arizona with 17 points. Houston will now face Villanova on Saturday in the Elite Eight.
Arkansas takes down Gonzaga in Eric Musselman’s biggest win yet
SAN FRANCISCO — There are a million different paths to success in basketball coaching, but few are as meandering as the route Eric Musselman took. In many ways his journey came full circle here Thursday night.
His first big-time head coaching job was right here in the Bay Area 20 years ago, when he was tabbed to lead the NBA’s Golden State Warriors at age 36. He was fired two years later, with a 75–89 record. A couple of years later he bounced to the Sacramento Kings and was fired there after a 33–49 season.
After that he started an AAU team in Danville, Calif., near Oakland, working out kids in Sycamore Valley Park and coaching his son. They went 71–0 before a loss to the Sacramento Yellow Jackets. Musselman retired from AAU coaching at 71–1.
Then he bounced through the G League and a couple of college assistant gigs before getting the head job at Nevada in 2015. Fast forward seven years, and Musselman arrived here with his Arkansas Razorbacks for a date with March Madness destiny.
“The day that I was either fired from the Kings or the Warriors, to think that I would be coaching in a Sweet 16 in the Bay Area, if anybody would have asked me that at that particular time I would have told them there was zero chance,” Musselman said. “Not 5%, not 10%, literally zero chance of that happening. I guess the world has a funny way of working itself out.”
In the home arena of the first franchise to fire him, the world worked out in a beautiful way for Eric Musselman Thursday night. His Hogs shocked the NCAA tournament overall No. 1 seed, Gonzaga, laying a relentless defensive effort on the Zags in a 74–68 triumph that marks Arkansas’s first-ever victory over a No. 1 seed. Saturday, the Hogs will play in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, stamping Musselman as undoubtedly the most successful coach in the Southeastern Conference over the past two seasons and among the most successful in the country. (The only other coaches still playing who can make a second straight Elite Eight are Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, who did so Thursday, and UCLA’s Mick Cronin.)
Not only did a lot of old Bay Area friends see the biggest win of Musselman’s career, so did his mother, Kris. The California resident had never been to one of his games since coming to Arkansas in 2019, but she was the first person Muss sought out when he went to the Hogs’ fan section after the game. Beforehand, she’d presented Eric with a lucky buckeye that his late father and longtime college and pro coach, Bill, had kept in his possession.
Arkansas did get some good fortune Thursday night: Trey Wade made three three-pointers, his most in a game since March 2021 when he was playing for Wichita State; big man Jaylin Williams made a pair, just the second time in his college career that he’s made more than one in a game; and Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren got a tough whistle, playing just 23 minutes and fouling out after multiple questionable calls.
But mostly, the Razorbacks were simply tougher and more athletic than the Zags. Arkansas reopened some old questions about whether Gonzaga’s West Coast Conference competition adequately prepares it for what it has to face in the Big Dance. Musselman, who played in the WCC at San Diego, raised that point himself.
“I played in that league,” Musselman said. “I know what some of the teams are like in that league, and the physicality and the speed that we can play with is just different. And, obviously, they played a really tough schedule early in the season, but it’s been a long time in conference play since they faced a team like us.”
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It’s certainly been a long time since Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard has encountered the defensive buzz saw that was the Hogs, specifically guard Au’Diese Toney. Nembhard is one of three indispensable Zags, along with Drew Timme and Holmgren, and in some ways is the most vital. He set Gonzaga’s breakneck tempo and was the primary distributor to the big men—and Toney suffocated him. “Au’Diese just owned Nembhard,” Arkansas guard JD Notae said.
The ownership was total. Nembhard made just two of 11 shots, scored seven points and had three assists and five turnovers in 40 miserable minutes. “I think his length was a factor,” Nembhard said of the 6’6” Toney. “He is athletic. He did a great job just keep pressuring me the whole game.”
Toney (left) and Notae set the tone for the Razorbacks on defense and offense.
Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports
This Arkansas team is all about athleticism and defense, and hoping to make enough shots. The Hogs shoot just 30% from three-point range this season, and their offense rests almost completely on the shoulders of Notae. He’s been granted no-conscience shooting privileges by Musselman, and he used them to the fullest Thursday: 29 field goals attempted with just nine made, but he also contributed six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals.
“He could have missed 10 more shots, and I probably would have still called his number because I had that belief that the next one is going in,” Musselman said.
For Gonzaga, the belief that last year’s journey to the championship game could be replicated—and ultimately exceeded—died hard Thursday night. This was a night when the Zags simply couldn’t put together the kind of crushing runs they’ve used to dispatch opponents in going 28–3 heading into this game.
In the first half, Gonzaga kept flirting with landing a heavy blow and applying some game pressure to Arkansas, but failed to connect. The Zags jumped up 16–10, then missed two straight shots and the Hogs went on a 7–0 run. The Zags pushed out to a 27–19 lead a few minutes later, but with Holmgren on the bench with two fouls they scored just two points the rest of the half and trailed 32–29 at intermission. They never led in the second half.
“I actually thought we were able to get to our spots that we wanted and get the shots we wanted,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “We just weren’t quite able to convert like we always have in the past. The length and the athleticism, obviously, factored into that, and it was maybe tougher to get to them initially, but pace of the game, I thought, was good. It started out good. … Just needed to step up and make some shots.”
While Gonzaga can continue to wonder whether the WCC is the best place to prep for the rigors of March Madness, Arkansas moves on as the lone representative of the SEC still playing. Musselman is one win away from fully reawakening the echoes of the Forty Minutes of Hell glory days of the 1990s, as his circuitous career comes full circle in the Bay Area.
More March Madness Coverage:
• Fans React to Officiating in Gonzaga–Arkansas Game
• This Is a Truly Diverse—and Unpredictable—Men’s Sweet 16
• NCAA Ensures Officiating Errors Are Doomed to Repeat