Feb. 25—Gonzaga debuted its three-big lineup on Jan. 18 in opposition to Pepperdine, eradicating freshman guard Dusty Stromer from the beginning unit in favor of the scale and expertise of junior ahead Ben Gregg.
The impetus for that transfer? Mark Few was most likely mulling it for awhile, however Gonzaga’s coach lastly pulled the set off after watching Santa Clara pound the Bulldogs on the glass in a 77-76 street loss on the Leavey Heart.
The Broncos picked up one other win within the rebounding column in sport two, but it surely wasn’t as obvious — Santa Clara was plus-13 once they met final month, in comparison with plus-1 on Saturday — and Gonzaga received the consequence that mattered, choosing up a 94-81 victory on the McCarthey Athletic Heart.
“Clearly I really feel like our offense is extra purposeful and we’ve got a greater understanding, particularly once we play the three bigs,” Few stated. “We had that on the market at occasions throughout that sport and it was somewhat bit disjointed. Ryan (Nembhard) is used to taking part in now with Graham (Ike) and Graham’s used to play with Ben and form of all these totally different mixtures.”
Gonzaga’s midseason change continues to repay.
Gregg, regardless of not reaching double figures within the scoring column, was strong on the glass, grabbing six rebounds to go together with six factors and 5 assists. Stromer, in the meantime, continues to develop in his new function and gave the Zags invaluable minutes off the bench.
For the second time this week, the freshman will get a point out in our day-after rewind. We additionally check out how Gonzaga sharpened its protection within the second half in opposition to Santa Clara and revisit one other side of Anton Watson’s particular Senior Night time.
Buckling down
Even after holding Santa Clara’s Adama Bal and Carlos Marshall Jr. — gamers who mix to common almost 27 factors per sport — to zero factors on 0 of 4 taking pictures, Gonzaga did not essentially enter halftime with a commanding lead.
The Broncos’ less-heralded frontcourt picked up a lot of the slack on the offensive finish, with forwards and facilities combining to attain 41 of Santa Clara’s 46 first-half factors. That included a 13-point half from 6-foot-10 Johnny O’Neil, who damage the Zags with a trio of 3-pointers, and 18 extra from 7-footers Christoph Tilly and Francisco Caffaro, who mixed to go 7 of seven from the sphere.
“We simply haven’t bumped into groups with that measurement and that willingness actually to go at us in and out like they did,” Few stated.
Gonzaga’s halftime changes included closing out on O’Neil from the 3-point line and limiting simple seems to be for Santa Clara’s bigs across the paint. That freed up Bal and Marshall Jr., who mixed on 16 second-half factors, however finally labored in Gonzaga’s favor because the Bulldogs held O’Neil, Tilly and Caffaro to solely 13 factors after the break.
Santa Clara scored 35 factors within the second half after tallying 46 within the first and the Broncos’ area aim proportion dropped from 54% to 37%.
“It is positively powerful, they have quite a lot of massive guys, sturdy guys,” Watson stated. “However I feel we’ve got the suitable mindset form of going into the second half of, they’ll get drained and we have got to win the glass within the second half as a result of I feel we had been dropping the primary half on the boards.
“I feel our guards did a great job of too of coming in and serving to us rebound. I feel we want that from them. Then Benny, Graham, myself, we have got to carry it down and ensure the massive guys do not get any putbacks.”
Stromer settling in
In his first two video games coming off the bench, Stromer dealt with his new task in addition to the Zags may’ve hoped. The freshman totaled 17 factors, eight rebounds and 5 assists whereas taking part in 53 minutes at Pepperdine and San Diego.
Then got here a lull.
Stromer scored 15 whole factors over the subsequent 9 video games, making 4 of twenty-two photographs from the sphere throughout that stretch whereas watching his minutes fluctuate. The very best instance of that got here throughout a two-game dwelling stint in opposition to Saint Mary’s and Portland, when Stromer logged a season-low eight minutes in opposition to the Gaels earlier than taking part in 31 in opposition to the Pilots.
The Southern California native rediscovered his early-season kind and seemingly regained confidence final week in opposition to Portland and Santa Clara, scoring 17 factors on 7 of 11 from the sphere whereas contributing eight rebounds in GU’s newest convention wins.
“Actually I informed the staff afterwards, that is the Dusty we recruited, that is the man who began the yr for us, making performs like that and simply doing all the pieces,” Few stated. “That is the great thing about Dusty. It is not the three’s, it is the flying round getting putbacks, making performs on protection, simply doing all the pieces. He fills each field. We would have liked all the pieces tonight as a result of we received in somewhat little bit of foul bother.”
Issues may’ve gone south for Gonzaga when Nembhard picked up his third foul with below 16 minutes left, however Stromer changed the purpose guard and scored eight factors whereas grabbing two rebounds over the subsequent 5 minutes to assist the Bulldogs keep a double-digit lead.
Even when Nembhard returned with roughly 10 minutes remaining, Few elected to maintain Stromer on the ground and did not sub the freshman out of the sport till the 3-minute, 18-second mark.
“I simply hope that will get his confidence going, as a result of he ain’t been taking part in the way in which he is needed to play so it was much-needed for him,” Hickman stated.
Passing a terrific
Usually we would not spotlight a Gonzaga participant shifting as much as No. 25 on the college’s all-time scoring listing, however we’re making an exception this time.
Watson’s dwelling finale was particular for a handful of causes. Amongst them, the fifth-year senior ahead surpassed one of many program’s greats, John Stockton, on the profession scoring listing and now has 1,352 factors after a 13-point outing in opposition to Santa Clara.
Stockton, a Spokane native who, like Watson, attended Gonzaga Prep earlier than shifting on to a standout profession at Gonzaga, coached the senior ahead’s AAU staff in center faculty. Watson’s stated on a number of events that Stockton, who nonetheless resides in Spokane and owns a basketball gymnasium near GU’s campus, continues to play a mentorship function for the fifth-year participant.
“He’ll get some smack discuss, I’ll ship him a textual content proper after this,” Watson stated after a reporter knowledgeable the ahead he’d moved previous Stockton. “I did not even know that, however he is all the time watching from behind the scenes. If I am taking part in unhealthy or doing one thing not proper, he’ll ship me somewhat textual content simply to remind me. That relationship, it is all the time going to be there.”
Stockton and Watson are the one members of one other unique Gonzaga membership, each recording 200 profession steals. Watson is unlikely to catch Stockton on the steals listing, needing 56 extra to tie the NBA Corridor of Famer.
“It goes again to John teaching him in AAU and all of the coaches that had been with him, his highschool coach,” Few stated of Watson. “They did a terrific job as a result of he is not a one-trick pony. He does all the pieces actually, rather well and it is getting increasingly uncommon to search out gamers like that, fairly frankly.”
