Gonzaga Bulldogs reach 2021 Final Four.
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.
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.
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.
Early in the season, Gonzaga took on all comers. Not only that, but they weren’t afraid to leave Spokane to prove themselves. Ranked teams such as Kansas, Iowa, West Virginia, and Virginia all fell to the Zags. After the 15th undefeated game, I held my breath during any game where the other team took a lead. Is this the one? Is this the team that will defeat Gonzaga? They all wanted to be “the one” to bring down the mighty Bulldogs. Instead, double-digit numbers defeated every opponent except one. West Virginia only lost by five points. That was also the team that had me first thinking about the Baylor Bears.
Game after game, Gonzaga continued undefeated, winning the West Coast Conference regular-season title. Like a knife through hot butter, the Bulldogs took care of business at the WCC Tournament. Next, the Tournament. Only six more games to go!
The NCAA Tournament was very different this year. This year all games were played in Indianapolis, IN. A bubble environment like the NBA had in Orlando last summer. For the Zags, the first four games went Gonzaga style. They won by double digits each time.
The following are the scores for those four games:
Final Four: Gonzaga 93 – UCLA 90
Drew Timme high scorer with 25 points; Joel Ayayi with 22 points. This will be a game I know I will never forget. I couldn’t understand it. Why isn’t Gonzaga breaking away? Overtime?!? The Gonzaga Bulldogs don’t do overtime! Johnny Juzang, one of the heroes of the Bruin postseason, had just scored in overtime and tied the game at 90. A double-overtime!!
This game had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I, and most likely all of ZagsNation, was thinking the same thing. All this way and they will not even get to the Championship? With 3.3 seconds left on the clock, Kispert took the ball out and tossed it to Suggs. Three, two, one…a three-point buzzer-beater from the tip of the NCAA Final Four logo…Bulldogs win the game.
Such an eruption! Such a celebration! Suggs jumps on top of the scorers’ table with his team jumping all around him. This was the shot that could send him to the top of the NBA draft should he decide to declare (and most likely will). Oh my, I hadn’t screamed so much since the Miracle Mets won the World Series. So much joy and laughter that, unfortunately, would soon turn to tears.
Championship: Baylor 86 – Gonzaga 70
Jalen Suggs was the high scorer with 22 points. The Zags’ next highest scorer had only 12 points. What happened? Something was different. The Baylor Bears started ferociously and finished just as fierce. The Bulldogs looked drained and didn’t have the same fight them at all.
How could any team want this win more than the Gonzaga Bulldogs? Well, the Baylor Bears wanted it more. They were truly sensational. As a Zags fan, I didn’t want to admit it then, but I can see now. The celebration on Saturday night was too soon. They should have been happy for the win, sure, but there was still the championship to play. Gonzaga should have just gone back to the locker room and left the celebrating until they had won the Championship.
Corey Kispert and Aaron Cook are seniors, and we wish them the very best. Thanks for all your hard work these last four years. This year would not have been the same without you. It is rumored that Jalen Suggs will be the number one draft pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. I hope so. He deserves to be. So does Corey Kispert. Coming back to Spokane this season was the right move. He worked his way from upper-second round to mid-first round draft prospect.
Joel Ayayi declared for the draft on Friday. The Bordeaux, France native has a good shot at the second round. We wish him, Kispert, and Suggs good luck as they take on the highest level of basketball in the world.
Not only were the Bulldogs exciting on the court, but they are award winners also. Drew Timme won the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, and Corey Kispert won the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Their coach is the WCC Coach of the Year and also the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award.
So for Pacific Northwest Sports, we hope you have a great Summer. Stay safe and healthy. See you next season. I can’t wait! – Teresa Powe
Editor’s note: Told you so.