Gonzaga Bulldogs: Anton Watson is Zags 2023 Mr. March
Ed Stein
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Already a Gonzaga Bulldogs mainstay, senior forward Anton Watson has found another gear in the 2023 postseason.
After a successful senior season, Anton Watson should have nothing to prove. But the West Coast Conference didn’t select him for the first or second 2022-23 All-WCC teams. Maybe he and the Gonzaga Bulldogs should thank the WCC voters because Watson has taken his game to another level in March.
WCC Tournament
During the WCC Semifinal game against San Francisco, he put opponents on notice. Watson scored a season-high 20 points and added 7 boards to help Gonzaga advance to the finals.
He followed that up by leading the Gonzaga Bulldogs in both rebounds (10) and assists (5) against St. Mary’s was a big reason why the Gaels struggled to score points.
NCAA Tournament
Watson’s outstanding play continued into the NCAA Tournament. Not only that but he’s also been clutch. With 6 minutes to go in the first half and GU trailing Grand Canyon by 7 points, the 6’8″ forward pulled down a key offensive rebound off a Drew Timme miss that led to Julian Strawther‘s bucket.
That basket began the Gonzaga Bulldogs comeback. Over the final 30 minutes, he contributed 7 points, 8 boards, and a pair of assists to the effort.
Watson picked up where he left off in the second round against Texas Christian. The Spokane native scored 9 points with 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. An all-around great performance.
All totaled, in his four postseason games, Watson is averaging a double-double with 13.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. He’s also averaged 3.8 assists and has a turnover-to-assists ratio of 2.5:1.
Teams that think Watson is just an inside player should watch the tape. He’s always done well getting into the lane and following shots to grab rebounds, but now he’s also shooting well from outside.
Watson has hit 4 of 11 three-point shots in the postseason (36.4%). If opponents leave him open on the perimeter, he’ll make them pay.
The Little Things Add Up
It’s not just about the numbers. Watson’s intangibles are making him a player to watch this March.
He is running the floor, boxing out his man, and hitting the boards with renewed vigor. Most importantly, the senior leads by example at crunch time, especially on the defensive end.
Timme and Strawther get most of the Gonzaga Bulldogs headlines but don’t be surprised to hear Watson’s name called at this year’s NBA Draft.