ZAGS Wednesday: Spotlight on Andrew Nembhard
Teresa Powe
|
Today, Andrew Nembhard is my focus because he has been the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ silent weapon for some time. I think it’s time to shout out his name.
If you watched last night’s Gonzaga vs UCLA game, you understand my feelings. It seems Andrew Nembhard came out of nowhere and rose into a defensive strong man that limited the UCLA Bruins to 63 points. The game between the No.1 and No. 2 ranked teams was highly anticipated. I have to admit I was a little anxious about it. The team as a whole was incredible, but we’re not here to talk about the team today. That’s Monday.
Where Nembhard’s from
Andrew Nembhard was born on January 16, 2000, in Aurora, Canada. Nembhard attended high school at Vaughan Secondary School in Ontario.
Andrew went to college first in Florida and played for the Florida Gators for two seasons, 2018-1020. He declared for the NBA Draft in 2019 but dropped out and returned to Florida. Nembhard declared for the draft again in 2020, this time getting an NCAA agent, which allowed him to go back to Florida for a second time. He didn’t stay but entered the transfer portal and with an immediate waiver, landed at Gonzaga.
Nembhard’s first season at Gonzaga
Andrew came off the bench his first season at Gonzaga. However, the 2020-21 undefeated regular season was an amazing one for the team and their fans. Nembhard averaged 9.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He was 48 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three. His defensive basketball knowledge and how he can run the floor were also why the Zags’ were unbeaten. At the end of the season, Nembhard was awarded the WCC Sixth Man of the Year trophy.
So far this season
You can see that Nembhard is always working hard on his game. All of his averages and percentages are up. Andrew is 52.3 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He is averaging 2.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 9.8 points per game.
In Tuesday night’s game against the UCLA Bruins, Andrew Nembhard’s performance was the key to Gonzaga’s victory. He scored 24 points, had five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Of Nembhard’s game, UCLA coach Mick Cronin said,
“He was clearly the best player on the floor tonight. Before I even looked at the stats, I don’t even need to see the stats. He was clearly the best player on the floor tonight, hands down. I don’t think anybody’s going to disagree with that, not if you were at the game.”
His coach, Mark Few, said of Nembhard’s performance,
“I consider him usually the best player pretty much every night, and it’s just such a comforting thing to have as a coach when you have the best point guard in the country because you know the stuff you want done out there is going to get done. He’s got a great understanding of the game. You don’t have to call a lot of stuff or do a lot of stuff, direct a lot of stuff because your point guard’s so well-schooled in it.”
That sums it up. Coach Few feels he has the “best point guard in the country.” Not one of, but “the best.” After last night I can agree with him on this one.
Gonzaga has one more game in Las Vegas, and that’s against the Duke Blue Devils on Friday. So have a happy holiday and stay safe. I will be back on Monday with ZAGS 360!