ZAGS 360: And just like that… the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ season is over
And just like that, the season is over. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are out of the NCAA Tournament after being defeated by the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sweet Sixteen.
It’s taken me a minute to write this, even though the game was on Thursday. There are no tears, no broken hearts. The Gonzaga Bulldogs lost.
Sweet Sixteen (1) Gonzaga Bulldogs 68 vs. (4) Arkansas Razorbacks 74
It was as bad as when the Baylor Bears defeated them in the Finals. This season’s March Madness is truly mad. The defending champion Baylor Bears were gone the first weekend. The number one team in the country is gone the following weekend.
The Bulldogs looked as if they didn’t know what hit them. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are a second-half team, so this first half wasn’t so scary. But, yes, it was scary. Chet Holmgren did not score in the first half! The Bulldogs couldn’t get a shot! Chet was constantly challenged in the paint. Fifteen team turnovers resulted in ten Arkansas points. I won’t speak on the personal fouls because then I’d have to start on the state of the officiating, and I don’t want to use them as an excuse for this loss.
Holmgren scored 11 points, had 14 rebounds, two blocks, and fouled out with 3:29 left. Julian Strawther had 12 points and 3 rebounds. Rasir Bolton contributed 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs’ floor general, Andrew Nembhard, had 7 points (yes, 7 points), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 turnovers. The bench, consisting of Anton Watson, Hunter Sallis, and Nolan Hickman, had 5 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, and 2 steals.
Arkansas’ JD Notae led his team with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Drew Timme
Unfortunately, he couldn’t do it by himself, and he couldn’t get his team to do any more than they did. Arkansas was too much for them. I guess it’s not enough for Gonzaga to play Power Five teams at the beginning of their season. So maybe they can tack on a couple of games before the tournament.
Drew Timme led his team with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 turnovers. He only missed 1 free throw and was 7 of 8 from the line. To his teammates, he said:
…thanks for being my teammates, thanks for being here…thank your families and Zag Nation for all the love and support they’ve had through all the goods, ups and downs of this season.
What’s next?
Next month, I will see you as we go over who’s declaring for the draft and any high school recruits on Gonzaga’s radar. Also, we’ll go over how many starters Coach Mark Few will have to replace next season.
It’s been a pleasure to cover the Gonzaga Bulldogs for Zag Nation and the country this season, and I can’t wait for the next season. So until my next piece, please stay safe and healthy out there.