N/A
Alex Toohey, an 18-year-old Australian forward who has been playing at the NBA Global Academy, has committed to Gonzaga over Villanova, Michigan and Davidson.
Toohey explained his decision to ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Tuesday.
"Gonzaga stood out with their history of winning and making international players better," Toohey said. "Being able to learn from a great coach in Mark Few will be special."
Givony called Toohey "one of the most promising international prospects committing to the college route" for the class of 2023.
The 6'8" Toohey made his debut for the Australian senior national team in Feb. 2021 and scored 12 points in 17 minutes during FIBA World Cup qualifiers in August 2022.
Givony provided highlights of the versatile Toohey:
The NBA Global Academy is based in Canberra, Australia. It is located in Basketball Australia’s (BA) Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Per NBA.com, the Centre of Excellence has been the home for numerous current and former NBA players, such as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey, who became the first-ever NBA Academy Graduate selected in the NBA draft.
The Centre of Excellence has also produced other players such as Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills.
As for Gonzaga, the Bulldogs have already received a commitment from 4-star forward Dusty Stromer, who is ranked 42nd overall on the 247Sports' composite list of prospects.
Now they add a player with high upside in Toohey, who should help keep Gonzaga's winning tradition going.
BYU basketball legend Jimmer Fredette played a hilarious prank on the BYU men's basketball team this week at walk-on tryouts.
In a video posted by ESPN, Fredette wore a wig, a fake mustache, heavy makeup and extra padding in his abdominal area before taking part in the BYU tryout:
Fredette introduced himself as Tim Schloss from Cincinnati, and told players and coaches that he went by the nickname "Slick Nick."
While the players were not aware of Fredette's identity until he shed his disguise after the tryout, his dominant performance may have clued them in to the idea that Slick Nick wasn't who he said he was.
Fredette knocked down shot after shot during the tryout, making it reminiscent of his run with the Cougars from 2007 to 2011.
During his time at BYU, Fredette was one of the best scorers in the nation, particularly in 2010-11 when he averaged 28.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per game.
The Cougars went 32-5 and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament that year, and Fredette was named the national college player of the year.
Fredette was selected 10th overall in the 2011 NBA draft, and went on to spend six years in the league with the Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.
He currently plays for the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanghai Sharks and was named CBA International MVP in 2017.
Two of the top programs in men's college basketball will face off in a home-and-home series across the upcoming two seasons.
The Kentucky Wildcats will travel to the Gonzaga Bulldogs for a Nov. 20 showdown, and the Bulldogs will complete the return trip to face the Wildcats on the road in 2023, as Kyle Tucker and Dana O'Neil of The Athletic relayed Tuesday.
Tucker and O'Neil noted Gonzaga head coach Mark Few called in to a telethon that Wildcats head coach John Calipari was participating in to raise money for those impacted by flooding in Kentucky and revealed the news.
While Kentucky and Gonzaga have played just once—a Wildcats win in 2002—the two coaches are friends and faced each other four times when Calipari was with Memphis.
"For us, Drew [Timme], Julian [Strawther], Rasir [Bolton], they all made the decision to come back," Few said. "These are the kinds of games they want to play in, so why not? It's fun for them. It's great for the sport. There are a thousand positives, and no negatives."
Marquee nonconference games are nothing new for Gonzaga, which attempts to build a strong resume before its slate is watered down by West Coast Conference play.
The Bulldogs next season will also play Michigan State, Texas, Baylor and Alabama and will participate in the PK85 tournament in a bracket that features Duke, Florida, Purdue and West Virginia, per Tucker and O'Neil.
The Wildcats will face Michigan State, Michigan, UCLA, Louisville and Kansas too.
The November showdown figures to be one of the best in college basketball during the upcoming season.
After all, Gonzaga checked in at No. 2 and Kentucky No. 4 in ESPN's Jeff Borzello's Top 25 rankings July 26. There will be no shortage of star power with Timme, Strawther and Bolton on the Bulldogs side and Oscar Tshiebwe leading the way for the Wildcats.
Kentucky will be looking to bounce back from its shocking first-round NCAA tournament loss to Saint Peter's, and a Top Five win early in the season would be a great way to do just that.
Gonzaga also lost earlier than expected in the tournament. The No. 1 overall seed reached the Sweet 16 but fell to Arkansas.
Chet Holmgren remains in contention to be the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NBA draft for the Orlando Magic, but he and his agent, Bill Duffy, reportedly would prefer to go No. 2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ryen Russilo provided the latest intel on his podcast (h/t Cody Taylor of The Rookie Wire):
"I've been told this is where Duffy and Chet want to go. They want to go to Oklahoma City because … [of] the opportunities and he has way more freedom because of the roster in front of him than maybe he would in Orlando. … That’s the preference that I’ve heard, and it makes a lot of sense from a basketball standpoint of being brought along but also getting more opportunities."
Holmgren still reportedly met with the Magic front office on Wednesday and Thursday last week, according to Taylor.
Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Holmgren are considered the top three prospects in the class and will likely land among the Magic, Thunder or the Houston Rockets at No. 3, barring a trade.
Holmgren remains an intriguing prospect because of his versatility at 7'0". The center was a star defensively for Gonzaga, averaging 3.7 blocks and 9.9 rebounds per game, but his offensive game is also exciting with 14.1 points per game and a 39.0 three-point percentage.
The two-way ability would be a huge boost for the Thunder, which finished 24-58 last season and are still developing their core for a rebuild.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a clear go-to option and Josh Giddey showed potential last year, but there are few long-term commitments on the roster and no proven options in the frontcourt. Holmgren could easily step into the lineup and see a massive role in his first season in Oklahoma City.
The role wouldn't be as clear with Orlando, with center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Jonathan Isaac both under contract for at least three more years (though Isaac's contract is only partially guaranteed).
There are also several ball-dominant guards on the roster in Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Markelle Fultz. Adding Franz Wagner, there could be limited touches to go around.
While any No. 1 pick would certainly get playing time, the path to stardom might be more difficult in Orlando.
Gonzaga forward Drew Timme has decided to forgo the 2022 NBA draft and return to the Bulldogs for his senior season, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.
Timme confirmed the news on Twitter.
The 21-year-old initially declared for the draft in April, writing that his "dream has always been to play professionally." It's unclear why he decided to change his mind and return to Gonzaga.
Timme averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in his first three seasons with the Bulldogs, shooting 61.9 percent from the field for his college career. But the modern NBA has moved away from centers whose primary value comes from scoring in the post. Even great scorers at the position like Joel Embiid (elite rim-protector) and Nikola Jokic (visionary facilitator) offer other valuable skills.
Given that Timme seemed unlikely ever to develop into a top-notch rim-protector and will be undersized (6'9") at the position, NBA teams likely wanted to see if he could add a perimeter jumper to his repertoire and operate as a stretch 5 in the modern floor-spacing game.
He gave scouts a hint that such development might be possible in the Friday scrimmage at the NBA combine, hitting four threes in five attempts. That will be his swing skill at the next level—if he can continue to develop it during his senior season at Gonzaga, Timme will offer enough offensively for teams to potentially overlook his defensive deficiencies come 2023.
Potential No. 1 overall pick Chet Holmgren has declared for the 2022 NBA draft.
"After a season where we accomplished a lot of great things as both a team and an individual, I feel like I'm in a position to be able to chase my lifelong dream to play in the NBA," Holmgren told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Gonzaga star entered college as the No. 1 player in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and he did not disappoint upon arrival.
Holmgren averaged 14.1 points per game as a freshman, shooting an incredible 60.7 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from three-point range. He showcased an impressive skill set that featured the ability to hit an outside shot, finish in the post or create his own look from anywhere on the court.
The NBA wants big men who can shoot threes, but few players this size have as versatile a repertoire as Holmgren.
On the defensive end, the 7'0" center was arguably more impressive with averages of 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Holmgren had 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and two steals in an all-around dominant game.
His athleticism and natural timing make him an elite rim-protector who can impact nearly every possession.
NBA scouts may have some concern about his strength, especially after much of his success came against lesser competition in the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga struggled against more athletic teams in the postseason and eventually lost in the Sweet 16 to Arkansas.
This class is also loaded at the top with high-upside talents Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith challenging to be the first overall pick.
Holmgren is still primed for success as he prepares himself for the next stage of his career.
For the first time since 2019, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have lost to the Saint Mary's Gaels.
The No. 23 Gaels dominated the No. 1 Bulldogs from start to finish Saturday at University Credit Union Pavilion for a 67-57 win. Saint Mary's improved to 24-6 with the victory, while Gonzaga dropped to 24-3.
Gonzaga entered Saturday's game having not lost since a 91-82 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 4. This weekend's upset could affect their ranking in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll.
Both Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme had underwhelming performances for the Bulldogs. Holmgren finished with six points, six rebounds and one assist while shooting 3-of-7 from the floor.
Timme, meanwhile, had one of his worst games of the season as he finished with six points, eight rebounds and two assists on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor. If the duo had played even slightly better, things could have turned out differently on Saturday night.
As a team, the Bulldogs struggled on offense, shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor. In addition, they turned the ball over 14 times.
As for Saint Mary's, Tommy Kuhse and Matthias Tass combined for 27 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Performances off the bench from Mitchell Saxen and Jabe Mullins were also critical in the Gaels' victory.
With the Gaels' upset of Gonzaga, every team ranked in the top six of the AP Top 25 lost on Saturday. It is the first time ever that the top six ranked teams all lost in the same day.
Paolo Banchero scored 21 points Saturday night to pace No. 5 Duke in an 84-81 victory over No. 1 Gonzaga in the 2021 Continental Tire Challenge at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Wendell Moore Jr. added 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals for the Blue Devils, who improved to 7-0 on the 2021-22 season. Mark Williams chipped in 17 points and nine boards.
"This was a really big-time game," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. "What a great crowd."
Julian Strawther (20 points), Drew Timme (17), Chet Holmgren (16) and Rasir Bolton (15) all scored in double figures for the Zags, but it wasn't enough to prevent their first loss of the campaign as they fell to 6-1.
Saturday's early-season clash of national championship contenders lived up to the hype with a back-and-forth battle that went right down to the wire.
The key sequence came when a Jeremy Roach layup gave Duke a three-point lead with 42 seconds remaining and Gonzaga failed to score on the ensuing possession. A subsequent pair of Moore free throws extended the advantage to five for the Blue Devils, who held on for the minor upset.
"It felt like a Final Four-type game," Timme told reporters. "The atmosphere was great, and it was two Goliaths going at it."
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few gave credit to Duke not only for Saturday's win but also for Krzyzewski's work creating a program that's one of the nation's gold standards. Coach K is set to retire at season's end.
"We've always asked over the years before we've had to make decisions on anything—how we travel, how we operate, how we schedule, facility-wise—the first question always is, 'What's Duke doing?'" Few said. "I don't think I can pay any higher respect than that."
The Bulldogs finished the game with more fouls (24-15), which helped Duke hold an eight-point edge from the free-throw line, and more than double the turnovers (17-8). Those two categories were key in a game that wasn't decided until the final minute.
It's the second top-10 win of the campaign for the Blue Devils, who opened the season with a triumph over No. 10 Kentucky on Nov. 9. They don't have another game against a currently ranked opponent on their schedule as part of what's shaping up as a down year for the ACC.
Next up for Duke is a visit to Value City Arena on Tuesday to face off with Ohio State (4-2) as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Meanwhile, Gonzaga probably won't lose its status as the title favorite despite the loss, as it already had wins over No. 5 Texas and No. 2 UCLA under its belt.
The Zags return home to the McCarthey Athletic Center to face off with Tarleton State (1-5) on Monday.
Drew Timme posted a career-high 37 points on 15-of-19 shooting to lead the No. 1 Gonzaga men's basketball team to a 86-74 win over the No. 5 Texas Longhorns on Saturday from McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.
Timme started the game with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the first 4:15 of game action. He finished with 22 points by halftime as the Bulldogs led the Longhorns 47-27 at halftime.
He added 15 more points in the second half as the Bulldogs led the final 20 minutes by double digits the entire way.
Timme began the year as the Associated Press' lone unanimous selection for its All-American team as well as The Athletic's choice for the men's preseason player of the year.
Those picks are looking good through two games as Gonzaga looks for its first-ever national title.
It was an off-night for Gonzaga even-footer Chet Holmgren, who is a candidate to be called first on the next NBA draft night.
He finished with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting alongside five rebounds, two blocks and four fouls.
However, Holmgren started his collegiate career with a 14-point, 13-rebound, seven-block, six-assist night as the Bulldogs beat Dixie State 97-63. Evenings like Saturday should be few and far between as the talented big man traverses through this season.
For Texas, Timmy Allen led the way with 18 points.
Gonzaga will now host Alcorn State on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
