Final ZAGS 360 of 2020-21: Thank you Gonzaga Bulldogs for a wonderful season!
This will be a season Gonzaga the players and their fans will never forget from the first game to the last. As a writer and a fan, I want to say thank you, Gonzaga Bulldogs!
In early November, my editor asked me to cover the Gonzaga Bulldogs for Pacific Northwest Sports. I was a little worried because the previous teams I covered were from the east coast, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Rutgers. He told me because I loved basketball so much, I’d love Gonzaga.
I did my homework. I discovered that the Zags ran a great college basketball program that often went on long winning streaks. They had an award-winning coach, Mark Few, and several players in the NBA. For this season, Gonzaga also added a potential top-five pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jalen Suggs. I had no idea of the wonderful ride I was about to go on.
A Terrifying Trio
Although every member of the team helps win games, there were three who terrified their opponents. Drew Timme, Corey Kispert, and freshman phenom Jalen Suggs. All three had to be contained for anyone to defeat this team. No one could, and for 31 games, they didn’t.
These three had great seasons. Timme’s field goal percentage led the WCC at .656. Kispert’s percentage was .529, and Suggs brought up the rear of the trio at .503. All three led Gonzaga down an undefeated road that didn’t end until the very last day.
Backbones of the team
Don’t for one minute think that these three did it alone. Joel Ayayi was a phenomenal history-making player this season and made Bulldogs games so exciting to watch. In the Zags’ game against Portland, Ayayi recorded the first-ever triple-double in GU history. His rebound percentage of .690 is also the most by a guard in Gonzaga history. Ayayi was also third in the WCC in field goal percentage at .583.
Andrew Nembhard, the transfer from Florida, had a .480 field goal percentage and one of the best players off the bench, fifth in the conference in assists (4.2). When the Terrible Trio had rough stretches in games, Ayayi and Nembhard were there to keep Gonzaga afloat.
"It shows… how many good things you do to help your team win and that's what Joel does. He's got a knack for winning."
Mark Few on Joel Ayayi becoming the first Gonzaga player to get a triple-double tonight: pic.twitter.com/LXJTzxVueJ
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) January 10, 2021