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Drew Timme inspires Gonzaga, leads second-half comeback to take down Memphis

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PORTLAND, Oregon — After a first half in which the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs fell behind the No. 9 seed Memphis Tigers 41-31 Saturday in an NCAA tournament men’s basketball second-round matchup, leading scorer Drew Timme took it upon himself to set the tone for a second-half comeback.

First, Timme delivered a motivational message in the hallway before his team returned to the court, one he cleaned up in a postgame interview with CBS reporter Andy Katz and summarized as “I don’t give a flying F what happens at the end of the game, whether we lose or win, we’re not going out as no … soft guys.”

Then Timme followed up his words with production as Gonzaga rallied for an 82-78 win, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the seventh consecutive NCAA tournament — a streak that is one of the four longest in tournament history, joined by two from Duke under Mike Krzyzewski (nine and seven, respectively) and a record 13 consecutive Sweet 16s for North Carolina from 1981 to 1993 with coach Dean Smith.

After Memphis opened the second half with a bucket to extend the lead to 12, Timme scored the game’s next seven points. Overall, he scored 14 of the Zags’ 16 points in a stretch when they cut the deficit to two, making a 3-pointer and hitting from a variety of difficult angles.

“It seemed like he got every offensive rebound, every foul, every bucket for them consecutively,” Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said. “We’ve witnessed it from the TV a bunch, just watching him be that dominant, and to see it in person … he made some fantastic shots. Great defense and he still made them. That’s why he is who he is.”

For his part, Timme would prefer not to need second-half heroics.

“I would like to stop doing that,” he said. “I would like to do a better job in the first half because that’s not a recipe to go far and win a lot of games.”

“I think sometimes he likes to feel his way into these games,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.

It was a second consecutive slow start for the Zags in Portland. Facing No. 16 seed Georgia State in Thursday’s opening-round game, the Bulldogs led by just two at halftime before turning the game into a rout with a 21-0 second-half run. Timme had a team-high 10 points in the first half of that game but shot 3-of-7 from the field and missed 5 of his 9 free throw attempts.

On Saturday, Timme was even quieter in the first half, scoring just four points on 1-of-3 shooting and 2-of-4 on free throws. Facing a talented Memphis team that had won 13 of its previous 15 games after a 9-8 start, Gonzaga didn’t have the same kind of margin for error this time.

Although the Zags were 0-3 so far this season when trailing at halftime, Few didn’t deliver a fiery halftime speech.

“I don’t think I was screaming and yelling,” Few said, “but I was somewhat mildly agitated that we were playing ‘soft,’ so that wasn’t an original thought by Drew.”

“It was reiterated,” chimed in Timme.

After all, Few had reason for confidence. Gonzaga faced a variety of obstacles during last year’s undefeated run up through the national championship game, where the team was finally defeated by the Baylor Bears.

“These guys are battle tested,” Few said, referring to upperclassmen Timme and guard Andrew Nembhard. “These two have been through everything.”

On the opposing sideline, Hardaway recognized what happened to his team in the second half.

“They went to the championship level,” he said. “We were the more aggressive team in the first half. We kind of shocked them, took their confidence. I knew coming out after halftime that they were going to make an adjustment because they’re a great team and they did. They had to make shots and they had to get stops and they did both ways.”

Despite the Timme-led surge, the Tigers still stayed in the game until the closing seconds. A 3-pointer by Lester Quinones pulled Memphis within two at 78-76, and two free throws from Landers Nolley II again produced a two-point game with a little over six seconds remaining.

Both times, Nembhard made a pair of free throws, preventing the Tigers from ever having an opportunity to tie the score or take the lead — no guarantee on a night when the Zags shot 13-of-24 (52%) from the foul line, following up a 16-of-30 (53%) performance on Thursday.

“For him to step up and hit those free throws when literally everybody else on our team was smoking them was probably the most impressive thing of the night if you ask me,” Few said.

From the other side, Hardaway was certainly impressed by Timme.

“We understand that we were the underdog and we were going to have to fight these guys and went into halftime up 10 and got it to 12 and then the Drew Timme effect came into play,” Hardaway said. “He made some tough shots, controlled the game, got our guys in foul trouble and the rest is history.”

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No. 1 Gonzaga, other 5 top 6 teams upset

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MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s finally has its first perfect record at home — and a memorable win over top-ranked Gonzaga to go with it.

Tommy Kuhse had 14 points and six rebounds for No. 23 Saint Mary’s, which beat No. 1 Gonzaga 67-57 on Saturday night to prevent the Bulldogs from completing another undefeated run in the West Coast Conference.

But misery loves company, and the Bulldogs weren’t the only top NCAA team to suffer an upset.

The top six teams in the AP poll all lost Saturday, and seven of the top nine; only No. 7 Duke won, rolling past Syracuse, 97-72. No. 2 Arizona fell 79-63 to Colorado; No. 3 Auburn was beaten 67-62 by No. 17 Tennessee; No. 4 Purdue lost 68-65 to unranked Michigan State; No. 5 Kansas fell 80-70 to No. 10 Baylor and No. 6 Kentucky suffered a 75-73 upset loss to No. 18 Arkansas.

Gonzaga had beaten the Gaels handily two weeks earlier and had won 34 consecutive conference games, 33 by double-digits. But Saint Mary’s never let Gonzaga get comfortable on Saturday, leading from start to finish while winning their fourth straight since that loss in Spokane.

“They were extremely more aggressive. They got after us and played us really really physical,” Few said of Saint Mary’s. “That was it. When you’re the most aggressive team and most physical team, probably nine times out of 10 you’re going to win.”

Randy Bennett’s St. Mary’s squad completed a 16-0 run at McKeon Pavilion.

“That’s really special,” Bennett said. “It’s been hard to get. We lost it one year to Loyola Marymount in our last home game. It’s been something hard to get and we finally got it. Especially when it’s against the No. 1 team in the country, it just makes it … a night you’ll never forget.”

Saint Mary’s also ended Gonzaga’s 17-game winning streak, beating a No. 1 team for the first time since knocking off the Bulldogs in the 2019 conference tournament title game.

“It’s kind of life in late February and early March, especially on the road,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. His team clinched the WCC regular-season title last weekend.

Fans poured onto the court in a wild celebration of the Gaels’ 18th consecutive win at McKeon Pavilion dating to last season.

Matthias Tass added 13 points for the Gaels (24-6, 12-3) and made a pivotal block with 1:15 remaining. Kyle Bowman made a pair of clutch 3-pointers after missing his first seven shots.

“I wanted to go in the middle of the circle and kiss the logo but people were running on the court so it was difficult,” Tass said. “It was definitely a surreal moment.”

Rasir Bolton scored 16 points for Gonzaga (24-3, 13-1). Drew Timme had six points and eight rebounds, but shot 2 of 10.

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Covid-19: Gonzaga University suspends John Stockton’s season tickets over his defiance of mask mandate

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The former Utah Jazz point guard confirmed the school suspended his tickets in an interview Saturday.

“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups — those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up — they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”

Stockton told the Spokesman-Review he and the school had “been in discussions about various COVID things for a couple years now.”

CNN has reached out to Stockton for comment.

Stockton has been vocal about his feelings against Covid-19 vaccines, lockdowns and mask mandates, according to the Spokesman-Review. He previously expressed his views in the documentary “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed” that includes commentary from doctors known for spreading misinformation.

In the documentary interview, Stockton seems to suggest more than 100 professional athletes have died due to vaccination, yet there is no evidence to support such a claim.

“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead — professional athletes — the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton said in the documentary interview.

Severe adverse events after a Covid-19 vaccine are rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health care workers are required to report deaths following vaccination, even if it’s not clear whether the vaccine was the cause. Such reports are also rare, the CDC says, and all reported deaths are reviewed for potential links to the vaccine.
“There’s 20,000 deaths from the vaccine that the CDC acknowledges from their (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), which they acknowledge accounts for only 1% of actual. So the actual numbers more than likely are much larger than that, but that’s what they’re actually willing to concede,” Stockton said in an extended interview with the Spokesman-Review. “They shut down previous vaccine systems for 25 deaths and we’re well over 20,000 again that they concede. Over a million injuries.”

Reports in CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) are voluntary — anyone can submit one — and a report does not mean a vaccine caused the adverse event it describes. The CDC notes that reports might be inaccurate, coincidental or unverifiable. The CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration use VAERS to look for patterns that require more investigation.

“Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement,” the school said in a statement on Sunday.

“Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times,” the school’s statement continued. “We will not speak to specific actions taken with any specific individuals. We take enforcement of COVID-19 health and safety protocols seriously and will continue to evaluate how we can best mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19 with appropriate measures. The recent decision to suspend concessions in McCarthey Athletic Center is an example of this approach. Gonzaga University places the highest priority on protecting the health and safety of students, employees and the community.”

According to Gonzaga’s website, proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event are required to attend home athletic events.

Stockton said in the Spokesman-Review interview his relationship with the school is not permanently fractured but “suggested it could take time to repair.”

“I think certainly it stresses (the relationship with Gonzaga). I’m pretty connected to the school,” Stockton said. “I’ve been part of this campus since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I was just born a couple blocks away and sneaking into the gym and selling programs to get into games since I was a small boy. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m sure we’ll get through it, but it’s not without some conflict.”

Stockton was drafted out of Gonzaga in the 1984 NBA draft and played 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz. A point guard, Stockton holds the single-season record for assists, according to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame website. Stockton was also part of the 1992 USA mens “Dream Team” that won gold, and he won gold again in 1996.

CNN Health’s Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this report.

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John Stockton’s Gonzaga tickets suspended over mask refusal

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John Stockton’s latest pass has cost him his Gonzaga season tickets.

The Hall of Fame point guard and Gonzaga alum had his basketball season tickets suspended after declining to comply with the school’s mask mandate at McCarthey Athletic Center, according to The Spokesman-Review.

“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton, 59, told the newspaper. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”

The NBA’s all-time assists leader has been vocal in his anti-vaccination beliefs while also spreading misinformation about COVID-19. He baselessly claimed in his interview with The Spokesman-Review that professional athletes have been dying from the vaccine. There is no evidence COVID vaccines are causing deaths.

“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton told the paper.

John Stockton in the stands at a Gonzaga game in 2016.
AP

Stockton described his conversation about the decision with Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford as “congenial” but “not pleasant.”

For entry to its home athletic events, Gonzaga requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours. But the school has also recently become stricter in enforcing the mask mandate, The Spokesman-Review reported, which led to Stockton having his season tickets suspended.

Top-ranked Gonzaga only has five home games left on its schedule this season, but Stockton, who played at Gonzaga from 1980-84, will be forced to watch them from afar.

John Stockton, a Gonzaga alum and Jazz legend, is the NBA’s all-time assist leader.
AFP via Getty Images

“I think certainly it stresses (the relationship with Gonzaga). I’m pretty connected to the school,” said Stockton, a Spokane, Wash. native. “I’ve been part of this campus since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I was just born a couple blocks away and sneaking into the gym and selling programs to get into games since I was a small boy. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m sure we’ll get through it, but it’s not without some conflict.”

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College basketball rankings: Auburn’s body of work earns Tigers No. 1 spot over Gonzaga in Top 25 And 1

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Auburn and Gonzaga will be No. 1 and No. 2 in some order when the Associated Press Top 25 poll updates Monday. Voters who rely almost strictly on computer numbers will likely put the Zags No. 1 considering Mark Few’s team holds the top spot in most computers — among them the NET, KenPom, BPI, Sagarin and Torvik. But if the goal is to reward the team that has accomplished the most through the first 10 weeks of this season, Auburn should move to No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in school history.

Bruce Pearl’s Tigers have the best body of work.

After Saturday’s 80-71 win at Ole Miss, Auburn is now 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the SEC. More specifically, the Tigers are 4-1 in Quadrant 1 and 4-0 in Quadrant 2, meaning they’re 8-1 in the first two quadrants with zero additional losses. That represents the best winning percentage (88.9) inside the first two quadrants of any team — a winning percentage that is, by the way, 17.5 points better than Gonzaga’s (71.4). Auburn is also the only team that hasn’t lost in regulation, and its 13-game winning streak is tied (with Davidson) for the longest in the sport. And for those still trying to break a tie between the Tigers and Zags, perhaps you should consider that they do have a common opponent in Alabama. Auburn beat the Crimson Tide 81-77 on the road, while Gonzaga lost to them 91-82 in Seattle.

Auburn also has the best strength of record.

Gonzaga’s SOR is 10th.

Add it all up, and it’s clear that Auburn should be No. 1 right now with Gonzaga one spot below the Tigers. That is the way I have it in Sunday’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. After that, it’s a Wisconsin team that’s 9-2 in the first two quadrants with zero additional losses, followed by Baylor at No. 4. And, yes, I’m aware that Baylor lost at home to Oklahoma State on Saturday. That’s not ideal, but the Bears are still 5-1 in Quadrant 1 and 7-2 in the first two quadrants with zero additional losses. You cannot find four better résumés than that. So dropping the reigning national champions any further would be nonsensical.

On that note, let me remind you that I never pay much attention to how high a team rises after a win or how low a team drops after a loss. Instead, I simply reevaluate every team’s body of work each morning (while also considering various other factors), then I slot them where I believe they belong in this moment.  And, again, in this moment, I genuinely believe Auburn belongs at the top of the AP poll. It’ll be interesting to see how many AP voters agree Monday.

Itching for more college hoops analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast where we take you beyond the hardwood with insider information and instant reactions.

Top 25 And 1 Rankings

Biggest Movers


7

Kentucky


11

Michigan State

In: BYU, UConn, Davidson
Out: West Virginia, Seton Hall, Tennessee

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Too Much Timme: No. 2 Gonzaga shoots 69% to roll past BYU

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Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against BYU, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (Young Kwak, Associated Press)

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

PROVO — No, this wasn’t the Pleasantville High boys’ basketball team, but you can be excused for thinking it was.

Playing the role of star forward Skip was Drew Timme, and Gonzaga simply could not miss Thursday night against BYU.

Julian Strawther and Andrew Nembhard threw a couple of haymakers early, and the Zags’ own heavyweight champ — Timme himself — finished off Spokane’s version of the Thrilla in Manila.

Thanks for playing, BYU Joe Frazier.

Timme poured in 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting, Nembhard added 22 points and 12 assists, and Gonzaga shot 69% from the field in rolling past the visiting Cougars 110-84 at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.

Strawther supplied 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers for Gonzaga (14-2, 2-0 WCC), and former top-rated recruit Chet Holmgren dealt 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots for the Zags.

“We had no answer for Timme. We just didn’t have any answers,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “They’re really good here, and we could not find a defensive answer. Our guys fought and competed and battled. We just couldn’t find an answer.”

Alex Barcello led BYU with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Te’Jon Lucas added 10 points and four assists.

Caleb Lohner had 17 points and five rebounds, his best game since scoring 19 Nov. 20 against NAIA Central Methodist, for a BYU squad that shot 43% with 13 3-pointers.

Fousseyni Traore had 8 points, seven rebounds and a block in the freshman’s fifth-straight start for BYU (14-4, 2-1 WCC), and Seneca Knight and Gideon George each added 8 points for the Cougars.

BYU competed; Gonzaga was just better. The Zags did what the No. 2 team in the country is supposed to do at home against an unranked opponent.

“We came in here knowing it would be a fight,” Lohner told BYU Radio after the game. “This team is one of, if not the, best teams in the country. We just got our ass kicked; I don’t think there’s any way around it.”

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, left, shoots in front of BYU forward Caleb Lohner during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (Photo: Young Kwak, Associated Press)

BYU scored the first 7 points of the game, including a stepback 3-pointer by Lohner in the first minutes. But the Zags responded with a 10-0 run, including Strawther’s own 3-pointer off a turnover with just under three minutes into the game.

The Cougars opened by making 4-of-6 3-pointers and — even if for a brief moment — showed they could hang with the second-ranked Zags, who made seven 3s in the first 10 minutes of the game en route to a 31-22 lead.

But that helped Gonzaga take control with a 17-3 run, scoring 14 points on six turnovers en route to a 37-25 advantage with 7:03 left in the half.

Pick your poison — and even then, it might not matter.

“We made a conscious decision in game planning to do everything we could to try and protect 2-point land, especially around the rim,” Pope said. “They shot 10 for 15 from the 3-point line in the first half. That’s what a great team does.

“There are so many issues that they cause for teams. We tried to make an adjustment in the second half, and then they make every single shot inside the 3.”

This game was in every way unlike the Cougars’ defensive rock fight against Saint Mary’s Saturday.

BYU shot 50% from the field in the first half, including 10 of 18 from beyond the arc, led by Barcello’s 14 points, four assists and three rebounds — and still trailed 61-49.

The Zags were just hitting shots at Pleasantville-like rates: 68% from the field, 67% from 3-point range, assisting on 14 of 23 made baskets. Gonzaga simply couldn’t miss. Two good teams were playing in the Kennel, but the Bulldogs were out to show only one team was great.

“I think our commitment on the defensive end and them hitting shots, it was a combination of everything, and it got out of control,” Lohner said. “We cut it to seven and were feeling good. Then the wheels kind of fell off … and they got it back.”

The Zags got up by as much as 33 midway down the stretch and never looked back in deferring to role players like former Wasatch Academy guard and McDonald’s All-American Nolan Hickman, who had 4 points and three assists in 19 minutes, as Gonzaga finished off their 61st consecutive home win.

BYU continues its road trip against the third of the top-three teams in the conference Saturday against San Francisco. Tipoff from the Hilltop is scheduled for 9 p.m. MST on CBS Sports Network.

The Cougars haven’t lost back-to-back games in the regular season in three years under Pope. That streak may be in jeopardy come Saturday night.

“This is not the first time we’ve come up here and had a major setback. We’ve got to respond,” Pope said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s very humbling. It gives us a very clear picture of things we’ve got to address if we want to get better.”

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College basketball picks, schedule: Predictions for Alabama vs. Gonzaga and other top games Saturday

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This is the fourth full weekend of college basketball action in the 2021-22 season, and this Saturday’s schedule brings some quality action involving ranked teams. While some conferences are already starting league play, the day’s slate is highlighted by nonconference games, including a showdown between No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 16 Alabama.

The Zags and Crimson Tide tip off at 8 p.m. ET in Seattle in what should be a home-like environment for Gonzaga. It will be a bounce-back spot for both schools as the Bulldogs look to show their 84-81 loss against Duke last Friday was nothing more than a speed bump. Alabama also suffered its first loss last week, and it was a bit more embarrassing.

The Crimson Tide dropped a 72-68 thriller against Iona and Rick Pitino. Since those losses, both Gonzaga and Alabama have won games. But Saturday will be their first meeting since against high-quality opposition. Below, our staff has predictions for that game and for several key matchups from a busy Saturday slate.

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern

12 p.m. | ESPN,  fuboTV (Try for free) — Memphis just lost on the road against a Georgia team that is far worse than Ole Miss. The Rebels are much better defensive team than the Georgia and should be able to continue frustrating a Tigers’ offense that looks bewildered. Ole Miss has handled the lesser foes on its schedule but fallen short against quality opponents Marquette and Boise State. This time, they will break through in a big spot at home. Prediction: Ole Miss 63, Memphis 60

Marquette at No. 23 Wisconsin

12:30 p.m. | Fox,  fuboTV (Try for free) — The Badgers have been one of this season’s top surprises, having now rattled off four straight wins against Texas A&M, Houston, Saint Mary’s and Georgia Tech. But Marquette has shown its merit in wins over Illinois, Ole Miss and West Virginia. The Golden Eagles should keep it close, but home court advantage will help the Badgers avenge last season’s last-second loss at Marquette. Prediction: Wisconsin 72, Marquette 69

Featured Game | Michigan Wolverines vs. San Diego State Aztecs

1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) — Expect a motivated Michigan team after its 21-point loss to UNC. The Wolverines already have one home loss and should play with an edge in the effort to avoid another one. San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah is a great interior defender, but the Wolverines have more size and can wear the Aztecs down in this game. Prediction: Michigan 68, SDSU 64

Featured Game | Colorado Buffaloes vs. Tennessee Volunteers

2 p.m. | FS1,  fuboTV (Try for free) — This is Tennessee’s first true road game, and the fact that it comes at altitude makes it even more of a challenge. But the Vols have a deep rotation that hould be able to outlast a young Colorado squad. The Buffs got smacked by UCLA on the road Wednesday in a game that exposed some of their defensive flaws. Prediction: Tennessee 81, Colorado 73 

No. 16 Alabama vs. No. 3 Gonzaga (in Seattle)

Featured Game | Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

8 p.m. | ESPN2,  fuboTV (Try for free) — A loss to Iona took some wind out of Alabama’s sails, but the Crimson Tide still have the makings of a top SEC team under third-year coach Nate Oats. Alabama can match up with the Zags on the perimeter, but containing Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren will be nearly impossible for this team. Freshman center Charles Bediako will need to play the game of his life and stay out of foul trouble for the Crimson Tide to have a chance. Prediction: Gonzaga 94, Alabama 81

Who wins every college basketball game? And which teams could sink your bankroll? Visit SportsLine now to see how to pick every college basketball game, all from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times and has generated over $2,000 in profit the last four-plus years.

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No. 5 Duke takes out No. 1 Gonzaga in clash of unbeaten teams

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LAS VEGAS — Everything about No. 1 Gonzaga’s matchup against No. 5 Duke on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena felt magnified.

The game, an 84-81 win for Duke, lived up to the hype.

Paolo Banchero, ESPN’s projected No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, had 20 of his game-high 21 points in the first half of the victory. He did it all for Duke, including going 3-of-8 from 3-point range, and proved to be an unstoppable force. But he left the game in the second half with what appeared to be cramping issues, the same issues he had in his team’s season-opening win over Kentucky. He returned near the eight-minute mark of the second half.

Duke, however, also displayed its depth. It was not the same crew without Banchero, but Mark Williams (17 points) and Wendell Moore Jr. (20 points) helped the Blue Devils maintain their edge.

Chet Holmgren, ESPN’s projected No. 1 pick in the draft, had an efficient effort around the rim but missed his first three 3-point attempts. Still, he never lost his composure and made key plays late. Gonzaga had to play most of the first half without the 7-footer, who picked up his second foul near the 10-minute mark.

Drew Timme, the national player of the year contender, also wrestled with foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul down the stretch of the game and going to the bench. But sophomore Julian Strawther, a Las Vegas native, had a big night in front of family members and friends. He finished with 20 points before fouling out late.

In the end, however, Duke’s speed and athleticism gave it the edge. And, the Blue Devils had Banchero. Gonzaga did not.

Before the game, the streets around the building had been blocked off by police cars and security was tight. In the moments before the game, fans scrambled to find a ticket. As tipoff approached, some courtside seats were going for nearly $8,000.

Brooks Koepka and Floyd Mayweather Jr. — wearing a chain that glistened across the building — were part of the crowd of 20,389 that filled the arena and set a record for the largest basketball crowd in Nevada history.

Duke could never quite pull away from Gonzaga after a fast start, and at halftime, the Blue Devils had just a three-point lead. The back-and-forth chaos continued into the second half, when Duke had to weather Banchero’s absence.

A Jeremy Roach bucket tied the score at 73-73, but then Moore intercepted the inbounds pass, got fouled by Holmgren and made his free throws to give Duke a 75-73 lead. Then a Duke free throw followed.

A Timme bucket cut Duke’s lead to one with about 90 seconds to play. Two Duke free throws followed. Timme threw a pass to Holmgren for the dunk on the other end, and it was a one-point game when Roach drove and scored to extend Duke’s lead to 80-77 with 41.2 seconds to play.

That had been the pace of the game all night. Gonzaga would get close, but nothing ever seemed to stick. Timme’s shot with about 30 seconds to play was altered by Williams. From there, Duke made free throws to seal the win and hand Gonzaga its first first loss of the season in a class nonconference matchup.

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Arizona hires Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd as new men’s basketball coach

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Arizona announced on Wednesday it has hired former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd as its next men’s basketball coach.

Over the past few weeks, Lloyd had emerged as the favorite to replace Sean Miller in Tucson. Arizona looked at coaches with connections to the Wildcats, namely Pacific’s Damon Stoudamire, Georgia Tech’s Josh Pastner and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Miles Simon, but the program opted to go outside the family.

Lloyd, 46, interviewed over the weekend, sources told ESPN.

The school said in a statement that Lloyd will get a five-year contract.

“While there are certainly potential obstacles ahead for our program, I embrace the challenge as we will build on the foundation in place to compete for Pac-12 and national championships,” Lloyd said in a statement.

Lloyd has been at Gonzaga since 2000, serving as an assistant coach under Mark Few for the past 20 seasons. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA tournament in every season since Lloyd joined the program. They reached the national championship game twice, in 2017 and this past season, when their unbeaten record was ended by Baylor.

Lloyd is established as the best international recruiter in college basketball, bringing dozens of overseas players to the Zags over the past two decades. International prospects who played at Gonzaga and were drafted since Lloyd joined Few’s staff include Ronny Turiaf, Robert Sacre, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis and Rui Hachimura.

That could be important when he takes over at Arizona, which had seven international players on its roster this past season, including Lithuania native Azuolas Tubelis and Canada native Bennedict Mathurin.

“There was never a master plan,” Lloyd told ESPN last year about his international prowess. “It was just one day at a time. One phone call, one relationship, one recruit. And then once you start having success, more opportunities present themselves.”

He also played a key role in helping Gonzaga secure five-star prospects Jalen Suggs and Hunter Sallis in the past two recruiting classes, has the Zags in position to land No. 1 overall recruit Chet Holmgren and also led the way in landing impact transfers like Brandon Clarke and Kyle Wiltjer.

The coach-in-waiting at Gonzaga, Lloyd had turned down multiple opportunities to interview at other jobs over the past several years. But Arizona, despite the question marks looming over the program, is considered one of the elite jobs in college basketball.

“I’m fulfilled,” Lloyd told ESPN a year ago. “I love being at a place that’s bigger than any of us on the coaching staff. We’re all part of something bigger than ourselves. And I think that’s something pretty special.”

Lloyd replaces Sean Miller, who was fired earlier this month after 12 seasons in Tucson. He led the Wildcats to seven NCAA tournaments and three Elite Eight appearances, but had reached the second weekend of the NCAA tournament just once since 2016. The Wildcats won at least a share of five Pac-12 regular-season championships under Miller.

Arizona had been entangled in the 2017 federal investigation into corruption in college basketball. Former assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery after being accused of accepting $20,000 to steer Arizona players to aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins. During Dawkins’ trial, prosecutors played an FBI-intercepted call in which Richardson told Dawkins that Miller was paying $10,000 a month for former player Deandre Ayton.

Miller has consistently denied paying players to attend Arizona.

The NCAA charged the men’s basketball program with four Level I violations, according to a notice of allegations released last month. The program was hit with two alleged instances of academic misconduct, while Miller was charged for not demonstrating “that he promoted an atmosphere for compliance and monitored his staff.”

Arizona self-imposed a one-year postseason ban for this past season.

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Gonzaga vs. Baylor Live Updates: The Latest News

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April 5, 2021, 7:15 p.m. ET

Credit…Robert Willett/The News & Observer, via Associated Press

When Roy Williams retired last week after 33 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina, there was widespread speculation about who would fill the shoes of a man who won three N.C.A.A. championships at one of the top programs in the country.

That speculation ended Monday, hours before the national championship game, when the school named Hubert Davis, 50, as Williams’s successor. Davis, who helped lead the Tar Heels to the 1991 Final Four and most recently served as Williams’s associate head coach, becomes the first Black head coach in the program’s history.

Davis was set to be formally introduced during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“I am honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead this program,’‘ Davis said in a statement.

“I love this University. I played here, I earned my degree here, I fell in love with my wife here, I got married here, I moved here after I retired from the N.B.A. and I have raised my family here,” he added. “I am proud to lead this team, and I can’t wait for all that comes next.”

Several teams in the Big 12 have also been busy on the coaching carousel. Oklahoma on Friday named former Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser as the successor to Lon Krueger, who retired at 68. Krueger was one of just three coaches (along with Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino) to lead five universities to the N.C.A.A. tournament. Moser, 52, went 188-140 (.573) in 10 seasons at Loyola and led the Ramblers on a surprise run to the Final Four in 2018, with an assist from Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, and then a round of 16 appearance this season.

The Moser news came on the same day Kansas signed Bill Self to a lifetime contract and one day after Texas hired Chris Beard away from Big 12 rival Texas Tech.

Self won a championship in 2008, but Kansas has recently been under N.C.A.A. scrutiny in the wake of the federal government’s investigation into corruption in college basketball. Self’s contract contains a clause that the university will not fire him for cause “due to any infractions matter that involves conduct that occurred on or prior to the date of full execution of this agreement.”

Beard led Texas Tech to the 2019 championship game, where the Red Raiders lost to Virginia. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Texas.

Texas Tech has had several players enter the transfer portal, and it’s possible some of them could follow Beard to Texas.

In the Big East, Marquette replaced the fired Steve Wojciechowski with Shaka Smart, who grew up in Madison, Wis., and has ties to the area. In six seasons at Texas, Smart failed to win an N.C.A.A. tournament game, and this year the No. 3-seeded Longhorns were stunned in the first round by No. 14 seed Abilene Christian.

At DePaul, the school is replacing Dave Leitao with longtime Oregon associate head coach Tony Stubblefield. The Big East will now have six Black head coaches among 11 men’s basketball teams.

April 5, 2021, 6:57 p.m. ET

Credit…Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

Gonzaga is seeking to become the first men’s team to finish unbeaten since Bob Knight’s Indiana club went 32-0 on the way to the 1976 national championship. The Bulldogs are also seeking their first N.C.A.A. title, though they have had plenty of deep tournament runs. They lost in the 2017 title game to a North Carolina team coached by Roy Williams, who announced his retirement on Friday and had three titles in his career.

Coach Scott Drew and Baylor are also seeking their program’s first national championship. The Bears are appearing in the title game for the first time since 1948.

“Amazing, we’ve worked hard through this struggle of a season but we stayed together,” guard Jalen Suggs, a Gonzaga freshman, said in a television interview after draining the game-winning shot in a 93-90 victory over U.C.L.A. late Saturday night.

“I can’t put this one into words, turning dreams into reality and now we get ready for Baylor,” Suggs said. “They’re a tough team.”

Even though Gonzaga has not lost since Feb. 22, 2020, against Brigham Young, the Bears have history on their side. This is just the fifth time since the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll began in the early 1960s that the teams ranked No. 1 (Gonzaga) and No. 2 (Baylor) will meet in the title game. Each of the previous four games were won by the team ranked second: Cincinnati over Ohio State in 1962, U.C.L.A. over Michigan in 1965, UConn over Duke in 1999 and Duke over Arizona in 2001.

Led by Drew Timme’s 25 points, Gonzaga put up 56 points in the paint against U.C.L.A., and the Bears will have to have an answer for that. Baylor is led by experienced guards and wings, and its frontcourt players Mark Vital and Flo Thamba are solid if not spectacular.

Baylor is led by an all-American junior guard, Jared Butler, who had 17 points in the semifinal rout of Houston, and another junior guard, Davion Mitchell, who dished out 12 assists with 11 points as the Bears won, 78-59. After last year’s tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, both Butler and the senior guard MaCio Teague tested the N.B.A. draft waters but opted to come back for another shot at the title.

“That was one of my goals, and I know some of my teammates’ goals, just to leave a legacy at Baylor, create Baylor as a blue blood,” Butler said.

April 5, 2021, 6:30 p.m. ET

Larry Bird’s Indiana State team was 33-0 entering the 1979 title game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State.

Michigan State featured not only Johnson, then a sophomore, but also Greg Kelser, a 6-foot-7 forward who was later chosen in the first round of the N.B.A. draft.

“We felt that our zone could affect them,” Johnson said on CBS before the semifinal games. “We double-teamed Larry every chance we got and we were able to pull off the victory,” 75-64.

Bird averaged 28.6 points, 14.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game during his junior season after averaging 30 points as a sophomore and nearly 33 as a freshman. In the national semifinal against DePaul, he made 16 of 19 field-goal attempts and had 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Johnson, like many others in the basketball world, was hoping for a Gonzaga-Baylor final entering the Final Four.

“Gonzaga is such a well-balanced team, they can shoot from the outside, they got great inside players,” he said. “And that’s what we say with Baylor, they were dominant inside as well as outside.

“The best two teams in college basketball were Baylor and Gonzaga all season long.”

April 5, 2021, 6:30 p.m. ET

Credit…Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Jalen Suggs is expected to be among the top three picks in this year’s draft on July 29.

Only one player in the last decade has won an N.C.A.A. championship and gone on to become the No. 1 pick over all: Kentucky’s Anthony Davis in 2012.

The Oklahoma State freshman point guard Cade Cunningham and the Southern California freshman 7-footer Evan Mobley are expected to be among the top picks along with Suggs, with many mock drafts projecting Cunningham at No. 1.

But Brian Sandifer, the director of the Grassroots Sizzle program for which Suggs played, believes the Minnesota native, 6-foot-4, deserves to be the top pick in part because of his history of winning. As a quarterback for Minnehaha Academy, Suggs’s team went 25-1 and appeared in two state championships, winning one. He was recruited by Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others, to play football.

“Jalen Suggs is the best player in the draft, period,” Sandifer said in a phone interview. “I’ve never wavered from that. If you watch how they play and you do the résumé checks on all the kids, Jalen Suggs has won at every level that he’s played, football, basketball, whatever.”



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