Hunter Sallis, Gonzaga Bulldogs (photo by Steve Cheng via Flickr).
Recently, the Gonzaga Bulldogs had a couple of years where their major players were one and done. Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren were five-star recruits who were only passing through Spokane on their way to the NBA.
Now that both are in the pros, Zags’ Head Coach Mark Few has time to create more stars. Drew Timme will bring this team to that national championship in 2023.
The Spokane Stache is not alone; he has help from returning Bulldogs stars, Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther. We covered the likely starting five in a recent article, so now it’s time for the players that Few has coming off his bench.
If Few runs a three-guard lineup, he’ll use Anton Watson, “The Quiet Enforcer,” as the sixth man to provide a spark off the bench. Watson is 6’8″ and weighs 225-pounds. When he comes into the game, Timme will play more of a traditional center role.
A one-two combo of Watson and Timme under the boards should frighten anyone in the WCC. On most other NCAA teams in the country, not only would Watsho be a starter, he’d be a focal point of the offense.
Last season Watson averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game; and shot 53.8% from the field.
Efton Reid is a newcomer to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, coming to the team through the transfer portal. Reid was a five-star recruit who played with the LSU Tigers last season as a freshman.
Gonzaga needs Reid’s 6’11” height when they go up against some of the taller teams on their schedule. His length helps the Zags defensively, especially when they need some of those Chet “Slim Reaper” Holmgren blocks.
Where Holmgren gave them 3.7 blocks a game, Reid will have to go through some Mark Few-development to reach that level. In 2021-22, Reid played all 34 games for LSU and averaged 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 51.% from the field.
Perry appeared in two games last season, Duke and UCLA. After the Battle Ground, Washington native started having back spasms; Few sat him for the season. Back issues cut his high school career short. Rest and rehab were the best way to get him ready to make future contributions.
If Timme went on to the NBA last summer, 6’9″ Kaden Perry would be next up, with Watson in the frontcourt.
Ben Gregg is a 6’10” sophomore who hardly gets minutes, and it doesn’t seem it will change this season. Although you never know, someone could get into foul trouble!
Needless to say, Coach Few has several good choices for a big man on his bench.
Coach Few has been fortunate to have some of the best guards in the NCAA. For those currently on the team, it’s a tough legacy to live up to. We won’t know until Few names his starters, so other than Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton. Everyone else comes off the bench.
Another five-star recruit committed to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Nolan Hickman, has been groomed by Few to take over at point guard for Andrew Nembhard. The 6’2″ sophomore played in every game last season.
In 17.2 minutes per game last season, the freshman also averaged 5.1 points, shooting .444 from the field, .308 from beyond the arc, and .667 from the line.
The owner of a very high basketball I.Q., Hickman, facilitates the offense’s flow. That is why he is such a Few favorite.
Hickman will be a first-round draft pick whenever he declares for the NBA.
Hunter Sallis is one of my personal favorites. His athleticism is unmatched among the other five-star recruits that came to the Gonzaga Bulldogs last Summer.
Sallis played all 32 games and averaged 13.6 minutes. His game is similar to Strawther’s, although Hunter doesn’t have the same three-point precision yet.
Sallis averaged 4.3 points, shooting 56.4% from the field, 26.3% from three, and 70.8% from free. Once Strawther moves on to the NBA, Sallis will likely fill that spot.
With all of the talent already on the Gonzaga Bulldogs, another great player fell into their lap. Malachi Smith was the Southern Conference Player of the Year last season for Tennessee-Chattanooga, averaging19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. From the field, he averaged 49.3%, 40.7% from three, and 82.7% from the free throw line.
Smith is touted as one of the best in the country. We’ll have to wait to see what his arrival means for the returning Bulldogs guards.
By far, the player I want most off of the injured list is Dominick Harris. Harris played 25 games during the 2020-21 season and missed the entire 2021-22 season after foot surgery. Coach Few has not announced whether Harris will be recovered enough to play this season.
This will be Drew Timme’s last year with the team, and it seems fitting that this is the year that Timme and Few get their championship.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs rank second in the Associated Press preseason poll. Zags Nation, let’s wish our Bulldogs well as we embark on another fantastic season of Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball.
Next: Gonzaga’s 2022-23 Power 5 opponents.