ZAGS 360: Weeks 7 and 8 – Two wins and two Covid postponements

Teresa Powe   |  

Jan 3, 2022

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email

It’s started again. The Covid pandemic is causing teams to cancel/postpone games. In Week 8, it hits home with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs closed out this year with a monstrous win over the North Alabama Lions. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has reared its ugly head again. All NBA teams have to find players to compensate those out on protocol, and in the NCAA, team after team is postponing or canceling games…now Gonzaga has been hit and so must cancel the game with San Francisco. There hasn’t been a word on whether the postponements will continue.

Gonzaga Bulldogs 95 vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 49

Before going over the Bulldogs, let me say that the Northern Arizona Lumberjack’s Jalen Cone is an incredible ballplayer. In the first half, Cone led all players with 17 points. Cone couldn’t continue his tirade because the Gonzaga Bulldogs shut his second half down.

This game was all Anton Watson. The junior forward was like a kid who had just been let out of a timeout. Watson shot from the three-point line, although he didn’t make it. Instead, he stole the ball for an assist, and by the 8:00 point of the first half, he had 15 points! All together, Watson had 17 points, three rebounds, and two steals.

The high scorer for the Bulldogs was Chet Holmgren. I wish this young man would stay with the Bulldogs for at least another year, but the pull from the NBA will be too much. Holmgren will, at least, be the number two pick in the 2022 Draft. He scored 20 points, had nine rebounds and three blocks.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs starters are doing an incredible job so far this season. The Zags’ defense has gotten so much better, including every player. It’s in their demeanor, how they go into the paint, grab for rebounds, and second chances. Five of the Bulldogs’ 34 rebounds were offensive boards. They had five turnovers to Northern Arizona’s 20 as the entire Gonzaga Bulldogs squad contributed to the defensive effort.

Drew Timme is this team’s leader. There’s no doubt about that. He will be a late first-round or early second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The first couple of weeks in the 2021-22 season, I would yell at the television because of his terrible free throw attempts. This week he was five for five from the line. That was part of his 14 points, four rebounds, and one block. Timme’s hook shot was reminiscent of Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s.

Week 8 – The last win of 2021 and more postponements

Gonzaga Bulldogs 93 vs. North Alabama Lions 63

This game was another showing of the “new” Gonzaga Bulldogs. I knew playing the Power 5 teams would shake the players up. However, the losses to Duke and Alabama were a good thing for the players. According to Anton Watson, “They exposed our weaknesses. We can learn from those teams.” It must be true because going into WCC play; the Zags are 4-2 against Power 5 teams.

This Gonzaga/North Alabama game was another show of how tough Gonzaga’s defense has become. And their offense as well. Five of the Zags were in double figures.

UNA had 17 turnovers in the first half, which led to a 22 point Zags advantage. When the Bulldogs up by a significant amount, the second half seems to fly. In the first five minutes of the second half, the lead climbed to 31 points. Julian Strawther was Gonzaga’s high scorer with 15 points.

Next was Nolan Hickman. I love watching this young man play; this 18-year-old had a great game with 13 points. Hickman was three of four from beyond the arc, and his mid-range jumper wasn’t too shabby either. Hickman has been named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Week. I know he and his family will delight in this honor.

Timme had 12 points. He and Holmgren both had seven rebounds. Andrew Nembhard showed great athleticism when he pulled up his full length and blocked a shot. Rasir Bolton was quiet last week but gave his team 14 points this week. And Anton Watson had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

What’s next?

Thursday, January 6, the Bulldogs were scheduled to face San Francisco at the Kennel, but the game was postponed due to COVID. No word on the Pepperdine game yet.