Sunday, October 31
Spokane, WA
1 p.m.
Gonzaga University
vs
Eastern Oregon (Exh.)
No. 1/1 MBB Opens Season Sunday versus Eastern Oregon
10/28/2021 9:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Zags host Mountaineers in exhibition
#1/1 Gonzaga (0-0, 0-0 WCC) vs. Eastern Oregon (2-1)
SUNDAY, OCT. 31 | 1 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: SWX
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga opens the 2021-22 season hosting Eastern Oregon in an exhibition for both teams Sunday at 1 p.m.
- The Zags are No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll entering the season. Its the second-ever No. 1 preseason ranking in program history, but also the second straight season GU achieved the honor.
- The Zags have a history of cruising in their season-opening exhibitions. Gonzaga has an average margin of victory of 40 points in exhibition wins over the past 13 games.
- In their last exhibition in 2019, the Bulldogs eased to a 116-61 exhibition win over Lewis-Clark State. In his collegiate debut, Anton Watson led Gonzaga with 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field. He grabbed nine rebounds, had five assists and three steals. Fellow freshman, Drew Timme, added 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. He was 9-of-10 from the field. The Zags made 67.6 percent of their shots from the field, and outscored LCSC in the paint, 74-12. On the defensive side, GU forced 24 turnovers and finished with 18 steals. With the score tied 11-11 at the 16:16 mark of the first half, GU went on a 28-2 run over the next six minutes. The Bulldogs led 65-29 at halftime.
- In 2016-17, GU opened its season with a 122-76 victory over West Georgia. The Zags' 122 points were the most points scored by Gonzaga in any game since a 123-72 exhibition victory over Northwest Sports in 2003.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to the national championship game following a 31-0 start to the season. Gonzaga won the league regular season title for a national-best ninth straight season. The Bulldogs became the first team in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 30 wins in five straight seasons.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and nine letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' ninth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2020-21, the Bulldogs advanced to their 22nd straight NCAA Tournament, and sixth consecutive Sweet 16.
- Gonzaga won 33 games last season, including 16-0 in West Coast Conference play. It was the third straight 30-win season, fourth in the last five seasons and fifth in the last seven seasons.
- The Zags own the country's longest home win streak with 51 consecutive victories inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, breaking the previous program record of 50.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS:
- Eastern Oregon has already played three regular season games, including a 67-61 home victory over Montana Western Saturday.
- EOU held Montana Western to 36.7 percent shooting from the field. Phillip Malatare led Eastern with 15 points.
- The Mountaineers opened the season with a 92-82 victory over Montana Tech, before falling at Carroll, 77-74.
- Max McCullough made eight three-pointers and scored 38 points for EOU in the win over Montana Tech. He then tallied 26 points against Carroll. His 64-point weekend came on 66.7 percent (18-of-27) shooting from the field, including 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from three-point range. The redshirt senior made 18 of his 19 free throws.
- McCullough is Eastern Oregon's all-time leading scorer, totaling over 2,100 points. The Post Falls, Idaho native averaged 21.1 points per game last season and was an NAIA All-American.
- Eastern Oregon's roster features four NCAA transfers, including former Gonzaga player, Paul Pennington. Six other Mountaineers were junior college players.
- Along with McCullough, the Mountaineers bring back their top-five scorers, all of which were double figure players.
- The Mountaineers will look to bounce back this year after a 2020-21 season that saw the team go just 8-12 overall and 3-9 in Cascade Collegiate Conference spring season play.
- Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Chris Kemp was elevated to interim head coach for EOU after spending the previous four seasons as the top assistant.
- Going into this season, the Mountaineers are preseason picked to finish eighth in the CCC coaches' poll.
ZAGS ENJOY PACKED KRAZINESS:
- Gonzaga put on a show in front of a standing-room only crowd at the 2021 Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel.
- After tying in the three-point contest finals, Nolan Hickman edged out Andrew Nembhard in a sudden-death shoot-off for the title. Anton Watson rallied for the skills challenge title, defeating Drew Timme. Hunter Sallis held off Rasir Bolton for the dunk contest crown.
- Julian Strawther led all scorers in the 15-minute scrimmage with 11 points. He made five of his nine shots from the field for the Navy team. He grabbed five rebounds and had two steals. Timme and Bolton both scored seven points.
- Andrew Nembhard paced the White Team with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Ben Gregg chipped in eight points. Sallis pulled down a game-high six rebounds.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ...
ESPN.com:
- Ranked Gonzaga No. 1 in way-too-early rankings.
- Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, Paul Gasaway and Joe Lunardi all picked the Zags to win the WCC.
- Ranked Rasir Bolton No. 45 top transfer.
DICK VITALE ON ESPN.com:
- Ranks Gonzaga as No. 1 in his preseason ranking.
- Named Drew Timme to his preseason All-American First Team.
- Lists Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme in his "Sweet 16" players he's excited to watch.
- Lists games versus UCLA and Duke as two of his "Sweet 16" nonconference games he wants to watch.
JOE LUNARDI ON ESPN.com:
- In his preseason bracketology, has Gonzaga as his No. 1 overall seed for the second straight season, and the top seed in the West Region.
CBS SPORTS:
- Has the Bulldogs No. 1 in their preseason Top 25 and 1 poll.
- Named Drew Timme the preseason national player of the year and first team All-American.
- Ranked Gonzaga's non-conference schedule the third-most difficult in the nation.
- Games Against Duke and UCLA Listed as "Most Anticipated Non-Conference Matchups".
THE ATHLETIC:
- Ranked Andrew Nembhard as the fifth-best guard in the country.
- Seth Davis ranks Gonzaga No. 1 in his preseason ballot.
- Selected Drew Timme as the preseason player of the year and unanimous First Team All-American selection.
ANDY KATZ ON NCAA.com:
- Ranks Gonzaga second behind UCLA in preseason poll.
- Predicts the Zags as the top-seed in the Midwest, and the second overall seed.
- Includes Gonzaga's games versus UCLA (No. 1), Texas (No. 4), Duke (No. 5), and Alabama (No. 9) in his top non-conference matchups of the season.
- Ranks Drew Timme as his second top returning player in the nation.
- Named Gonzaga's 2021 Recruiting Class "Gonzaga's Most Talented Freshman Class Ever".
- Projected to Tie NCAA Record of 15 Consecutive 25-Win Seasons in 2021-22.
SPORTING NEWS:
- Ranks Gonzaga No. 1 in its preseason poll.
STADIUM:
- Lists Gonzaga's games versus Duke (No. 3), UCLA (No. 4), Alabama (No. 20) and at BYU (No. 30) among its Top-40 games of the season.
SUNDAY, OCT. 31 | 1 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER | SPOKANE
TELEVISION: SWX
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga opens the 2021-22 season hosting Eastern Oregon in an exhibition for both teams Sunday at 1 p.m.
- The Zags are No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll entering the season. Its the second-ever No. 1 preseason ranking in program history, but also the second straight season GU achieved the honor.
- The Zags have a history of cruising in their season-opening exhibitions. Gonzaga has an average margin of victory of 40 points in exhibition wins over the past 13 games.
- In their last exhibition in 2019, the Bulldogs eased to a 116-61 exhibition win over Lewis-Clark State. In his collegiate debut, Anton Watson led Gonzaga with 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field. He grabbed nine rebounds, had five assists and three steals. Fellow freshman, Drew Timme, added 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. He was 9-of-10 from the field. The Zags made 67.6 percent of their shots from the field, and outscored LCSC in the paint, 74-12. On the defensive side, GU forced 24 turnovers and finished with 18 steals. With the score tied 11-11 at the 16:16 mark of the first half, GU went on a 28-2 run over the next six minutes. The Bulldogs led 65-29 at halftime.
- In 2016-17, GU opened its season with a 122-76 victory over West Georgia. The Zags' 122 points were the most points scored by Gonzaga in any game since a 123-72 exhibition victory over Northwest Sports in 2003.
- Last season, the Zags advanced to the national championship game following a 31-0 start to the season. Gonzaga won the league regular season title for a national-best ninth straight season. The Bulldogs became the first team in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 30 wins in five straight seasons.
- Gonzaga returns two starters and nine letterwinners from last season's squad that claimed the Zags' ninth consecutive West Coast Conference regular season title.
- In 2020-21, the Bulldogs advanced to their 22nd straight NCAA Tournament, and sixth consecutive Sweet 16.
- Gonzaga won 33 games last season, including 16-0 in West Coast Conference play. It was the third straight 30-win season, fourth in the last five seasons and fifth in the last seven seasons.
- The Zags own the country's longest home win streak with 51 consecutive victories inside the McCarthey Athletic Center, breaking the previous program record of 50.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS:
- Eastern Oregon has already played three regular season games, including a 67-61 home victory over Montana Western Saturday.
- EOU held Montana Western to 36.7 percent shooting from the field. Phillip Malatare led Eastern with 15 points.
- The Mountaineers opened the season with a 92-82 victory over Montana Tech, before falling at Carroll, 77-74.
- Max McCullough made eight three-pointers and scored 38 points for EOU in the win over Montana Tech. He then tallied 26 points against Carroll. His 64-point weekend came on 66.7 percent (18-of-27) shooting from the field, including 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from three-point range. The redshirt senior made 18 of his 19 free throws.
- McCullough is Eastern Oregon's all-time leading scorer, totaling over 2,100 points. The Post Falls, Idaho native averaged 21.1 points per game last season and was an NAIA All-American.
- Eastern Oregon's roster features four NCAA transfers, including former Gonzaga player, Paul Pennington. Six other Mountaineers were junior college players.
- Along with McCullough, the Mountaineers bring back their top-five scorers, all of which were double figure players.
- The Mountaineers will look to bounce back this year after a 2020-21 season that saw the team go just 8-12 overall and 3-9 in Cascade Collegiate Conference spring season play.
- Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Chris Kemp was elevated to interim head coach for EOU after spending the previous four seasons as the top assistant.
- Going into this season, the Mountaineers are preseason picked to finish eighth in the CCC coaches' poll.
ZAGS ENJOY PACKED KRAZINESS:
- Gonzaga put on a show in front of a standing-room only crowd at the 2021 Numerica Kraziness in the Kennel.
- After tying in the three-point contest finals, Nolan Hickman edged out Andrew Nembhard in a sudden-death shoot-off for the title. Anton Watson rallied for the skills challenge title, defeating Drew Timme. Hunter Sallis held off Rasir Bolton for the dunk contest crown.
- Julian Strawther led all scorers in the 15-minute scrimmage with 11 points. He made five of his nine shots from the field for the Navy team. He grabbed five rebounds and had two steals. Timme and Bolton both scored seven points.
- Andrew Nembhard paced the White Team with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Ben Gregg chipped in eight points. Sallis pulled down a game-high six rebounds.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ...
ESPN.com:
- Ranked Gonzaga No. 1 in way-too-early rankings.
- Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, Paul Gasaway and Joe Lunardi all picked the Zags to win the WCC.
- Ranked Rasir Bolton No. 45 top transfer.
DICK VITALE ON ESPN.com:
- Ranks Gonzaga as No. 1 in his preseason ranking.
- Named Drew Timme to his preseason All-American First Team.
- Lists Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme in his "Sweet 16" players he's excited to watch.
- Lists games versus UCLA and Duke as two of his "Sweet 16" nonconference games he wants to watch.
JOE LUNARDI ON ESPN.com:
- In his preseason bracketology, has Gonzaga as his No. 1 overall seed for the second straight season, and the top seed in the West Region.
CBS SPORTS:
- Has the Bulldogs No. 1 in their preseason Top 25 and 1 poll.
- Named Drew Timme the preseason national player of the year and first team All-American.
- Ranked Gonzaga's non-conference schedule the third-most difficult in the nation.
- Games Against Duke and UCLA Listed as "Most Anticipated Non-Conference Matchups".
THE ATHLETIC:
- Ranked Andrew Nembhard as the fifth-best guard in the country.
- Seth Davis ranks Gonzaga No. 1 in his preseason ballot.
- Selected Drew Timme as the preseason player of the year and unanimous First Team All-American selection.
ANDY KATZ ON NCAA.com:
- Ranks Gonzaga second behind UCLA in preseason poll.
- Predicts the Zags as the top-seed in the Midwest, and the second overall seed.
- Includes Gonzaga's games versus UCLA (No. 1), Texas (No. 4), Duke (No. 5), and Alabama (No. 9) in his top non-conference matchups of the season.
- Ranks Drew Timme as his second top returning player in the nation.
- Named Gonzaga's 2021 Recruiting Class "Gonzaga's Most Talented Freshman Class Ever".
- Projected to Tie NCAA Record of 15 Consecutive 25-Win Seasons in 2021-22.
SPORTING NEWS:
- Ranks Gonzaga No. 1 in its preseason poll.
STADIUM:
- Lists Gonzaga's games versus Duke (No. 3), UCLA (No. 4), Alabama (No. 20) and at BYU (No. 30) among its Top-40 games of the season.
Players Mentioned
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