#2/1 Gonzaga (17-2, 6-0 WCC) at San Diego (13-9, 6-3 WCC)
THURSDAY, FEB. 3 | 6 P.M. | JENNY CRAIG PAVILION | SAN DIEGO
TELEVISION: ESPN2
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THE TIP OFF
- No. 2/1 Gonzaga travels to San Diego for a West Coast Conference contest Thursday at 8 p.m. It's the 100th meeting between the programs and the Zags own the all-time series 77-22.
- GU has won 14 straight versus the Toreros. USD's last win in the series came in 2014, 69-66, at San Diego.
- The Zags have won 27 straight conference games, which is the longest active streak of its kind in the nation. Gonzaga's last league loss was a 91-78 setback at BYU on Feb. 22, 2020. The Bulldogs have won 24 consecutive WCC games by double-digits by an average margin of 24.4 points.
- GU has won eight straight true road games, which is the longest active streak in the country.
- Gonzaga is coming off a 104-72 home win over Portland Thursday. Six Zags finished in double-figure scoring led by Andrew Nembhard's 22 points with four made three-pointers. GU made a McCarthey Athletic Center record 18 shots from behind-the-arc. Chet Holmgren (12p/11r) and Drew Timme (16p/10r) both had double-doubles.
- GU is on a 10-game win streak, the sixth straight season the Zags have had a 10-game or better win streak.
- The Bulldogs are 6-0 in WCC play for the sixth straight season, they have been 7-0 the past three seasons.
- GU rides a national-best, and program-best, 64-game home win streak inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Zags appear in the Associated Press poll for the 108th consecutive ranking, the longest current streak in the nation, with Villanova second at 53. GU is the only program in the country to appear in every AP poll since 2017, with a No. 5 average ranking. The last time the Bulldogs were not in the Top 5 was Dec. 9, 2019 (No. 6).
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (90.8), field goal percentage (53.5), scoring margin (24.9), two-point percentage (63.0) and in defensive rebounds (31.79), second in assists per game (19.4), fourth in rebounds per game (42.16) and win-loss percentage (89.5), fifth in assist to turnover ratio (1.6), sixth in rebound margin (9.2), and 10th in defensive field goal percentage (37.7) and blocked shots per game (5.8).
- Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme is fifth and eighth in the nation shooting 63.3 percent and 62.1 percent from the field. Holmgren is seventh in the country averaging 3.37 blocks per game and seventh with 64 blocks. Holmgren is eighth in the nation shooting 74.2 percent inside-the-arc.
- The Zags are first in KenPom's rankings (second offensive efficiency and 17th efficient defense).
- The Bulldogs have won 69 of their last 73 games, and since the start of the 2019-20 season, GU has won a national-best 79 out of their last 84 games. Gonzaga is also 48-3 since the start of 2020-21.
 
SERIES NOTES
- This is the 100th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and San Diego. GU has a 77-22 lead in the series.
- GU has won 14 straight versus the Toreros, 25 of the last 26, and 47 of the last 50 matchups.
- The Bulldogs are 48-4 against San Diego under Mark Few.
- The Toreros' last win in the series came on Feb. 22, 2014, 69-66, at San Diego.
- In the last matchup, GU rolled to a 106-69 win at home on Feb. 20, 2021. Drew Timme scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half. The Zags led 51-22 at halftime.
- Gonzaga is 33-13 all-time at San Diego. The Zags have won 12 of their last 13 at USD.
- In the meeting last season at San Diego, Drew Timme scored 21 points and Corey Kispert had 19 for No. 1 Gonzaga, which routed USD, 90-62.
- Gonzaga is 37-5 at home versus San Diego all-time, including 18-0 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- GU has won 22 straight games at home in the series, dating back to an 82-70 loss on Feb. 17, 2000.
- The Zags won the first-ever meeting, 72-62, on Feb. 1, 1980, in San Diego.
 
SCOUTING THE TOREROS
- At the midway point of conference play, San Diego sits in third place in the league standings at 6-3 in WCC action. USD was picked ninth in the WCC Preseason Poll.
- The Toreros are coming off a 69-65 victory at Loyola Marymount Saturday. Joey Calcaterra led the way for USD with 16 points, followed by Josh Parrish's 12 points, and Marcellus Earlington's 11 points and game-high eight rebounds.
- Ellington leads San Diego averaging 13.5 points per game and Jase Townsend adds 10.7 points.
- Terrell Brown is grabbing a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game, while chipping in nine points. Bryce Monroe dishes out a 2.22 assists per outing.
- San Diego is 7-2 at home, with five straight wins at home.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 12-8 on Feb. 3 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- In their last game on this date, the Zags beat BYU in Spokane, 68-60, in 2018.
- GU has won seven straight games on Feb. 3.
- On this date, the Bulldogs lost at San Diego in 1990, 68-58, and beat the Toreros in Spokane in 1983, 64-55.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Chet Holmgren's 64 blocks rank sixth in program history for most in a single season, one from fifth, two from fourth, five from third and six from second.
- Andrew Nembhard is seven steals from 150 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is 12 steals from 100 in his career.
- Anton Watson is 15 steals from 100 in his career.
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Extend the nation's longest conference winning streak to 27 games, dating back to a loss at BYU on Feb. 22, 2019.
- Be the 10th straight GU win in February.
- Improve Mark Few's record in February to 154-23.
- Be the 71st in-a-row over an unranked foe.
- Extend the nation's longest true road win streak to 9 games
 
WHAT'S UP NEXT
- Gonzaga plays at Brigham Young Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
- It will be the 30th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and BYU. GU has a 22-7 advantage in the series.
- All 29 matchups have come under Mark Few.
- The Zags have won four straight vs the Cougars. BYU's last win in the series came on Feb. 22, 2020, 97-78, in Provo.
- Gonzaga won the first meeting this season in Spokane, 110-84. Drew Timme scored 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting. Andrew Nembhard had 22 points and 12 assists, and Julian Strawther added 20 points for Gonzaga, which shot 69% in the game and made 11 three-pointers.
- GU won last season's meeting in Provo, 82-71.
- The Bulldogs have won seven of the 10 meetings in Provo, including six of the last seven matchups at BYU.
- Gonzaga has won eight of the 11 Spokane matchups in
the series, all coming inside the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Cougars won the first-ever meeting, 89-67, in the third
round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament in Denver, Colo.
 
SAME OL' STORY
- Gonzaga has led the nation in scoring and scoring margin in each of the past three seasons, and currently lead in those stat categories this season.
- Additionally, the Zags have the top offense according to KenPom in each of the last three seasons. (2020-21: 126.4, 2019-20: 121.3, 2018-19: 124.5)
- GU has had the best field goal percentage in two of the last three seasons and was second in 2019-20 (51.5). The Bulldogs currently lead the nation in field goal percentage. (2020-21: 53.5, 2018-19: 52.6)
- Gonzaga led WCC in scoring in each of the past five seasons, scoring margin in every season since 2013, and field goal percentage in the past four seasons.
 
HOLMGREN AND TIMME ON WOODEN TOP 20 LIST
- Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme were named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list. The award is presented to the nation's most outstanding basketball player.
- Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2021-22 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor.
- All 20 players on the Wooden Watch were named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 earlier this month. Two schools have multiple players on the list, Gonzaga (Holmgren and Timme) and Purdue (Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey).
- The Wooden Award All American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
 
NEMBHARD NAMED TO COUSY AWARD TOP 10
- Andrew Nembhard was named one of the 10 candidates for the 2022 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
- A national committee of college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in November, which has now been narrowed to 10.
- Nembhard leads the West Coast Conference in assists per game (5.3) and is second in assist to turnover ratio (2.7). He's dishing out 6.8 assists per outing so far in conference play. The senior is third in the league with 1.7 steals per game. Nembhard is scoring 10.2 points per contest. He has three 20-point games this season and nine games where he has five or more assists.
- In late February, the watch list of 10 players for the Cousy Award will be narrowed to 5. In March those finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.
 
HOLMGREN NAMED WCC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
- Chet Holmgren earned WCC Freshman of the Week recognition for the seventh time this season Monday.
- During Thursday's 89-55 win over LMU, Holmgren collected 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, shooting 7-for-8, including making all three of his 3-point attempts.
- Holmgren added 12 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season during Gonzaga's 104-72 win over Portland on Saturday.
- He is currently shooting 65 percent (13-for-20) from the 3-point arc in six WCC games. Holmgren leads the WCC in 4 different statistical categories, including field goal percentage (63.3) and he also ranks fifth in the nation in that category.
 
CHET'S HEATING UP
- Chet Holmgren has a team-high 55 points on 18-of-24 shooting from the field in his last three games. He's made nine of his 13 three-pointers during those games.
- Over the last six games, the freshman averages 16 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.17 blocks and a steal. During that span he's shooting a team-best 68.1 percent from the field, 65 percent from three-point range (13-of-20), and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.
- His 68.1 field goal percentage during WCC play tops the conference, followed by Hunter Sallis (66.7), Drew Timme (63.9) and Anton Watson (61.4) who are second, third and fifth in the league.
 
LONG DISTANCE DIALING
- The Zags made 18 of their 41 shots from behind-the-perimeter against Portland on Jan. 29.
- The 18 made threes and 41 attempts were both McCarthey Athletic Center records.
- Both were also program highs under Mark Few.
- Four Zags made at least three shots from three-point range.
 
SHARING IS CARING
- Over the last six games, Gonzaga has dished out 26, 28, 26, 19, 21 and 20 assists. Prior to the last six games, the Zags had four 20-assist games this season, with the last coming against Duke (22).
- Andrew Nembhard has 6, 12, 8, 7, 4 and 4 assists over the last six games. He has nine turnovers to his 41 assists.
- Rasir Bolton dished out 16 assists in the last five games, to just six turnovers.