Josh Perkins Will Think About 'Bonehead' Technical Foul vs. Texas Tech 'Forever'
Mar 30, 2019
Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins reacts during the first half of the team's West Regional final against Texas Tech in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Saturday, March 30, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Gonzaga senior guard Josh Perkins told reporters that his technical foul late in the second half of his team's 75-69 loss to Texas Tech in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament will be on his mind "forever."
“Instinctively I reached at it. Bonehead play. Something I’ll think about forever.”
Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins explains his technical foul on the Texas Tech inbounds play. pic.twitter.com/6XiilBI5ZV
Texas Tech led 71-69 with 12 seconds remaining and was set to inbound the ball underneath its basket. However, Perkins accidentally knocked the ball from Texas Tech guard Matt Mooney's hands before it crossed the plane between the out-of-bounds area and the court.
The officials correctly called a technical foul, leading to two Red Raiders free throws and possession. Texas Tech then tacked on two more shots from the charity stripe after a Bulldogs foul, effectively sealing the Red Raiders' Final Four trip.
Perkins is not the reason Gonzaga lost this game, as 16 turnovers and a 26.9 three-point percentage were arguably the biggest culprits.
In fact, Perkins was the reason the Bulldogs had a chance to win.
The Bulldogs were down 69-62 with 52 seconds remaining, but Perkins scored five straight points to pull the Zags within two. He knocked down four three-pointers en route to his 16-point evening.
Perkins was also a four-year starter for the Bulldogs during an era when they went 130-19 and made the 2017 championship. He has nothing to be ashamed of as his collegiate career closes, even if Saturday's game ended in disappointment.
The Bulldogs end their 2018-19 campaign with a 33-4 record. Texas Tech will play the winner of No. 1 overall seed Duke and No. 2 Michigan State in the Final Four next Saturday.
Rui Hachimura, No. 1 Gonzaga Advance to Elite 8 with Win over Terance Mann, FSU
Mar 28, 2019
Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke celebrates after scoring against Florida State during the second half an NCAA men's college basketball tournament West Region semifinal Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
After elimination at the hands of Florida State in last season's NCAA men's basketball tournament, No. 1 Gonzaga avenged its loss Thursday with a 72-58 win over the No. 4 Seminoles.
The two battled in the Sweet 16 last year, and Florida State came away with a 75-60 victory. But 12 months later, the Bulldogs responded with a win in the same round against the same opponent.
Brandon Clarke was the star of this contest even without the scoring he had last game. He tallied 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Rui Hachimura helped out the scoring with 17 points to help the top-seeded squad reach the West region finals.
Trent Forrest was the leading scorer for Florida State with 20 in the loss, while Terance Mann was held to just five points on 1-of-8 from the field.
Coming into the game, the big discussion was about how Gonzaga's offense would fare against Florida State's defense. However, it was the Bulldogs' defense that shined to start the game.
Gonzaga can play a little defense too, it turns out
Florida State looks totally lost going against a set Gonzaga defense. That's where Gonzaga is winning this game. Don't let the ball go through the hoop and you don't have to deal with their fullcourt defense.
A clutch Zach Norvell three-pointer with 3:02 remaining then helped kickstart a 7-0 run to pull away and seal the victory.
It wasn't always pretty, but the Bulldogs matched their opponents' intensity and won the rebounding advantage 45-36 to get within one win of the Final Four.
Christ Koumadje being in foul trouble most of the game certainly helped in this regard.
The squad will advance to the Elite Eight Saturday to take on the winner of No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Texas Tech.
Adam Morrison Reflects on Legacy as College Basketball's Most Emotional Player
Mar 26, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZR8688C-MA
Adam Morrison, the former Gonzaga star, reflects on his legacy—from his "Dirk Diggler" hotel alias to his Larry Bird mustache, to infamously crying after Gonzaga's 2006 Sweet 16 loss.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 23: Brandon Clarke #15 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs react to a play against the Baylor Bears during their game in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Top-seeded Gonzaga defeated ninth-seeded Baylor 83-71 to advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Brandon Clarke led the Zags with 36 points—a school record in the Big Dance—on 15-of-18 shooting, while Rui Hachimura finished with six points and five boards.
A 22-point effort from Makai Mason helped propel the Bears into the second round with a win over Syracuse, but the senior guard was unable to provide similar heroics Saturday. Mason shot 5-of-16 en route to 17 points.
Hachimura often grabs the headlines for Gonzaga. He's the team's leading scorer (20.1 points entering Saturday) and is widely considered the Bulldogs' best pro prospect. Against Baylor, Clarke showed why he was just as important to Gonzaga's success this season.
Two years ago, Clarke averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists for a San Jose State team that finished 14-16. On Saturday, he enjoyed arguably the best performance of his college career in his biggest game to date.
I know Gonzaga’s lauded redshirt development is a factor in why Brandon Clarke is Brandon Clarke, but seriously, how did he slip through the cracks and end up at San Jose State in the first place? Dude is such a stud.
In addition to his gaudy point total, Clarke had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks. According to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t ESPN.com'sJeff Borzello), he's the third player in tournament history with at least 35 points and five blocks—Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson being the others.
This will be a showing that NBA scouts and team executives look at frequently whenever the time comes for Clarke to enter the draft.
Brandon Clarke is, as they say, making himself (more) money tonight.
As great as he was, Baylor might have made this more of a game were it not for the team's dreadful offensive start. The Bears shot 8-of-27 from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc over the first 20 minutes.
Compounding matters, Clarke was scoring at will inside. He made eight of his 10 shots and dropped 18 points on Baylor in the first half. At 6'8", the junior forward doesn't possess overwhelming size, yet he feasted on a Bears defense that has struggled with rim protection for much of the season.
On occasion, Gonzaga turned its suffocating defense into quick points. Geno Crandall capitalized on an errant pass to get a steal and then find Clarke for a breakaway two-handed jam to put the Bulldogs ahead 23-11 with 9:48 left in the half.
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The Zags also used ball movement to get Baylor out of position and open up a lane to the basket for Clarke.
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Baylor stormed out of the gates to open the second half, going on a 10-0 run and trimming its deficit to six points.
It's a 10-0 run!!!! Bears needed only 1:52 of game time to cut the deficit from 16 to 6. Gonzaga timeout, Bears trail 39-33, 18:08 left. Let's goooooo!!!!!#SicGonzaga 🐻 | #1TGF 🏀 | #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/CpQBL03qYg
Shortly after the Bears' blistering run, though, Mark Vital, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, picked up his third and fourth fouls of the game, thus necessitating his move to the bench. The sophomore guard returned and tried to stem the tide by getting three points the hard way as Baylor trailed 55-44.
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Although putting Vital on the floor with four fouls made sense for Baylor, he had to hold back a bit, lest he get his fifth and foul out. That was a clear problem when Gonzaga switched Clarke onto Vital on defense.
Vital had to statue against Clarke on defense because he has four fouls. Even yelled to the bench, "I've got four fouls!"
The Bears continued to hang around throughout the second half but couldn't get within striking distance. Their 10-point run gave the fans some hope, but once that fizzled out, Gonzaga regained control.
For the Zags, Clarke essentially represented two automatic points on offense. As long as they funneled the ball inside to him, their possessions generally ended with a bucket.
By looking at Hachimura's stat line, one would've expected Gonzaga to be in serious danger of a second-round exit. Instead, Clarke stepped up, and the supporting cast did its part as well. Corey Kispert and Josh Perkins had 16 and 11 points apiece, and Killian Tillie's six rebounds helped the Bulldogs own a 39-27 edge on the glass.
What's Next?
Gonzaga will play No. 4 Florida State in the West Regional semifinals. The Seminoles beat Murray State 90-62 on Saturday.
Watch Brandon Clarke Clean Up Gonzaga Miss with Emphatic Putback Dunk
Mar 23, 2019
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Brandon Clarke halted Baylor's second-half momentum with a massive putback dunk for the No. 1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs.
After Killian Tillie was unable to finish an alley-oop pass from Josh Perkins, Clarke was waiting to put Gonzaga back up nine points.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 19 points in the first half before Baylor made a run to get back into it.
Video: Watch Brandon Clarke's 2-Handed Windmill Fast-Break Dunk vs. Baylor
Mar 23, 2019
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While casual college basketball fans might not have seen Gonzaga play much during the year, the No. 1 seed is doing its best to show what it can do on the national stage.
Brandon Clarke sent a message early in Saturday's game against No. 9 Baylor with a huge windmill dunk less than seven minutes into the game.
The big play started with a steal by Geno Crandall, who tossed it ahead to Clarke for the thunderous jam.
Clarke has been one of the most underrated players in the country this season as the Bulldogs' second-leading scorer. Those watching him for the first time are getting a show in Round 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Rui Hachimura, No. 1 Gonzaga Crush FDU, Advance to 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament
Mar 21, 2019
Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura (21) celebrates after Gonzaga scored against Fairleigh Dickinson during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Thursday, March 21, 2019, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The Gonzaga Bulldogs may have been one of the original Cinderellas, but they have no time for underdogs anymore.
The West Region's top seed in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament defeated No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson 87-49 on Thursday in Salt Lake City. Gonzaga is now one victory away from its fifth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
Rui Hachimura led a balanced attack with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Killian Tillie (17 points and four assists off the bench), Brandon Clarke (14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks) and Zach Norvell (11 points, seven dimes and five boards) provided effective support.
Elyjah Williams spearheaded the losing effort for the Knights with 10points and nineboards.
Consistent Defense Key to Unlocking Gonzaga's Championship Potential
Nobody plays offense better than Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs led the country in points per game at 88.8 and check in at No. 1 inKenPom's offensive efficiency rankings. They used pace early and often in the victory, overwhelming the New Jersey school with a drastic talent difference and not leaving a single doubt.
Gonzaga can turn toward a number of options, including Hachimura, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. He scored 20.1 points a night with the ability to find the basket in the lane, slash into openings when defenders collapse on ball-handlers and hit from the outside.
While the go-to scorer doesn't shoot from deep often, he connected on a blistering 46.9 percent of his triples this season.
The Bulldogs also have Norvell (15.3 PPG) and Josh Perkins (11.0 PPG) as capable playmakers on the outside, and second-leading scorer Clarke (16.5 PPG) to light up the scoreboard. It is nearly impossible to effectively double Hachimura with so many other players who can capitalize on the openings he creates.
That type of offense means Gonzaga doesn't have to play shutdown defense every night, but it will win the national championship if it does.
For as excellent as the offense was against the Knights, the defense was suffocating when the game was still hanging in the balance. FDU shot 5-of-26 from the field (20 percent) with 10 turnovers in the first half, struggling to create any open looks against the Bulldogs.
Darnell Edge and Jahlil Jenkins were unstoppable in their victory over Prairie View on Tuesday with a combined 55 points but were a mere 1-of-9 from the field in the opening 20 minutes and never had a chance.
Gonzaga is absolutely annihilating FDU on defense. Four possessions by my count that the Knights have had to take a shot with the clock within single digits.
The Zags have no real weaknesses—hence the No. 1 seed and 30-3 record—but the defense was not as effective as their offense during the regular season. It was 16th in KenPom's rankings and struggled in a handful of high-profile games outside of the WCC.
Gonzaga allowed 103 points to North Carolina, 92 points to Creighton and 87 to Duke, although it is a testament to its offensive brilliance that it won the latter two games. Cameron Johnson, Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Ty-Shon Alexander all scored more than 20 points against the Bulldogs.
That could be a problem for the West's top seed if it faces Murray State's Ja Morant in the Sweet 16. The NBA-ready point guard notched a triple-double in a win over Marquette on Thursday and is talented enough to turn small openings into game-changing plays in a pressure-packed tournament setting.
The Bulldogs will need to play better defense than they did against North Carolina and others, and the fact they turned on the postseason switch and played so well on that end in a game they could have easily overlooked Thursday bodes well for their chances in the later rounds.
This is a Final-Four-or-bust season for the No. 1 seed that has established itself as one of the best programs in college basketball. The offense will be there all tournament, so the defense holds the key to cutting down the nets.
What's Next?
Gonzaga faces either No. 8 Syracuse or No. 9 Baylor in the round of 32 on Saturday.
No. 1 Gonzaga Upset by Jordan Ford, Unranked St. Mary's in WCC Tournament Final
Mar 12, 2019
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 12: Zach Norvell Jr. #23 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against Tanner Krebs #00 of the Saint Mary's Gaels during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 12, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Saint Mary's Gaels punched their ticket to the 2019 NCAA tournament with a 60-47 upset of the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference championship game.
This is the first time since 2012 that Gonzaga has failed to win the conference tournament.
Gaels guard Jordan Ford was one of three Saint Mary's players to score in double figures. He led the team with 17 points, while center Jordan Hunter (12 points, 15 rebounds) posted a double-double.
The Gaels held the Gonzaga offense to nearly half its scoring average (90.2 points). The Bulldogs shot 38.3 percent from the field and went 2-of-17 (11.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
Although Brandon Clarke had 16 points in the defeat, fellow Zags stars Rui Hachimura and Zach Norvell Jr. were largely invisible. Hachimura attempted just six shots en route to a nine-point night, while Norvell shot 1-of-11 and finished with two points.
Tuesday's result is bound to have a domino effect on the seeding for the NCAA tournament.
From Gonzaga's perspective, the selection committee may not look kindly upon such a heavy defeat this close to the Big Dance. The Bulldogs might be the No. 1 team in the country, but their hold on a No. 1 seed is far from airtight.
While slipping to a No. 2 seed wouldn't be the worst outcome for Gonzaga, it would make the team's road to the Final Four a little more difficult.
The Gaels' win was the worst-case scenario for any at-large teams on the bubble. In his most recent edition of Bracketology, ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected Saint Mary's as one of his "next four out." Now, the squad is guaranteed a place in the 68-team field.
Bubble Teams across America just realized there's not going to be a lot of sleep between now and Sunday night. Saint Mary's just cost somebody a chance to experience the NCAA Tournament.
The Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, ACC, SEC and Pac-12 tournaments haven't even started yet, with all six set to tip off Wednesday. Bubble teams still have an opportunity to either impress the selection committee or claim a guaranteed tournament berth.
Conversely, a few more schools may emulate Saint Mary's and play the role of spoiler, shrinking the margin for error even further for those programs with work to do in the coming days.
Gonzaga's Best Team Ever Can Finally Break Small-School March Madness Drought
Feb 22, 2019
Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke (15) blocks a shot by San Diego forward Isaiah Pineiro (0) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
One of these years, a small school is going to win the men's college basketball national championship again.
Loyola-Chicago made it to the Final Four last year, becoming the eighth non-major conference team to get there in the past 13 years. VCU, Wichita State, Butler and others fell short of the ultimate goal, but Gonzaga is ready, willing and able to end that drought this year.
It's impossible to argue that Gonzaga is a small school, mid-major or long shot anymore, but the Bulldogs will always feel like the original Cinderella story to a generation of college hoops fans.
Loyola Marymount went to the Elite Eight in 1990 and George Mason shocked everyone by getting to the 2006 Final Four. But in between those incredible performances, Gonzaga's run to the 1999 Elite Eight as a No. 10 seed—and subsequent trips to the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed in 2000 and 2001—will forever be remembered as one of the biggest triumphs for the little guys.
Two decades later, David has become Goliath.
The glass slipper has been replaced with steel-toed boots, good for stomping a mudhole through the West Coast Conference on an annual basis. After dismantling Pepperdine Thursday night, Gonzaga has now won 17 straight games by at least 12 points. With five more wins (three in the regular season and two in the WCC tournament), the Zags will lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the third time in seven years.
Yet there's hardly any chatter about this being Gonzaga's best team ever, even though it undeniably is.
Yes, this team is even better than the one from two years ago that almost went undefeated during the regular season and likely would've beaten North Carolina in the national championship if the referees hadn't neutralized Zach Collins with questionable calls.
How has this dominant Bulldogs team flown the radar? Because all of the focus this season has been on Duke.
The Blue Devils are the overwhelming favorite to win the national championship, and understandably so. They've lost only two games in the past three months, and early first-half injuries to key starters played a major role in both losses. Factor in the Blue Devils' 23-point comeback at Louisville from last week, and it's going to take guts to pick against this team in the tourney.
Here's an important reminder, though: Gonzaga beat a full-strength Duke on a neutral court back in November.
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Josh Perkins #13 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs takes a foul shot during the finals of the Maui Invitational college basketball game against the Duke Blue Devils at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina Hawaii. (Ph
Not only did the Bulldogs beat the Blue Devils, but they had a 15-point lead midway through the second half before Duke began a furious comeback that fell just short.
Zion Williamson provided his typical allotment of stat-sheet stuffing (22 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists). RJ Barrett scored more than 20 points, as per usual. Tre Jones, Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden all had solid performances. Save for an off night from Cam Reddish—which there have been plenty of throughout the season, one might add—it was standard fare for Duke.
If anything, it was Gonzaga who had the ready-made excuse for a loss. Star player Brandon Clarke was limited to only 23 minutes by early foul trouble, and the Zags were still figuring out how to best utilize Jeremy Jones and Filip Petrusev in the absence of Killian Tillie.
They have only gotten better since then. Heading into Thursday night's game, the Zags boasted the most efficient offense in KenPom.com history—and it wasn't even close.
The top five teams in pre-tournament adjusted offensive efficiency in the KenPom era are:
Gonzaga (currently) 128.0
Villanova (2017-18) 127.4
Creighton (2013-14) 125.5
Wisconsin (2014-15) 124.8
Oklahoma State (2016-17) 124.8
Take out the "adjusted" part and look at plain offensive efficiency, and the gap is even wider:
Gonzaga (currently) 125.1
Villanova (2017-18) 122.8
Creighton (2013-14) 121.4
Notre Dame (2014-15) 121.3
UCLA (2016-17) 120.7
That latter list is ridiculous. We're talking last year's unstoppable national champion, elite offenses led by Doug McDermott and Lonzo Ball and a Notre Dame squad that won four games against Duke and North Carolina before coming one shot away from ending Kentucky's perfect season.
And those are only the honorable mentions looking up at what Gonzaga is doing this year.
That offense is why Gonzaga could become the first non-major conference team to win the national championship since UNLV in 1990. Those Rebels were a mid-major squad with several NBA players who averaged more than 90 points per game.
Sound familiar?
Gonzaga is leading the nation in scoring at 90.2 points per game thanks in large part to Clarke and Rui Hachimura, two of the 10 best players in the country.
Rui Hachimura
Clarke has been a force of nature on both ends of the floor, blocking shots, grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring in the paint as well as anyone. And Hachimura is basically a cheat code, especially in transition.
For all of the fuss about Williamson's physics-defying leaping ability, players built like Hachimura aren't supposed to be able to run the floor like a gazelle before executing a flawless Eurostep. His mid-range game is also a thing of beauty, even as the college game gravitates further toward threes and layups.
Along with that frontcourt duo, Gonzaga's starting five consists of a fifth-year senior at point guard (Josh Perkins), a sniper at shooting guard (Zach Norvell Jr.) and one hell of a fifth-most-noteworthy starter in Corey Kispert.
If you're still clinging to the misguided notion that Perkins will be this team's downfall in a clutch moment, it's time to wake up. The veteran leader is averaging nearly 3.6 assists per turnover and is a much better on-ball defender and free-throw shooter than he used to be. If he's the weak link on this team, that's a damn strong chain.
Factor in the valuable depth that Petrusev, Jones and Geno Crandall provide—perhaps even Tillie, too?—and this is more than some fun West Coast Conference titan bound to fall short of the Final Four for the 20th time in 21 years.
This is an army ready for a title run through blue-blood waters, punctuated by a second win over Duke should the Blue Devils hold serve and make it that far.
It would only be fitting, right?
Duke always seems to be the final dragon the mid-major hopeful needs to slay. UNLV destroyed Duke in the 1990 championship, and the Blue Devils returned the favor by upsetting the 34-0 Rebels in the 1991 Final Four. Duke survived the Gordon Hayward half-court heave at the end of Butler's run to the 2010 title game. And in 2015, Duke was the big bad boss that put an end to Gonzaga's deepest tournament run in 15 years.
But this season, even Duke might not be able to stop Gonzaga from completing a journey 21 years in the making.
