1-seed Gonzaga (24-3) vs. 4-seed San Francisco (24-8)
MONDAY, MATCH 7 | 6 P.M. | ORLEANS ARENA | LAS VEGAS
TELEVISION: ESPN
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THE TIP OFF
- No. 1/1 Gonzaga is the top seed in the 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament and opens the event in the tournament semifinals against fourth-seeded San Francisco Monday at 6 p.m. in the Orleans Arena.
- GU is 61-16 all-time in the WCC Tournament with 19 titles and 27 finals appearances, including each of the last 24 seasons. The Zags are 28-3 in the tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 13.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 24 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
- The Bulldogs are 27-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 13 in Las Vegas.
- GU is one victory from clinching its 15th straight 25-win season, and is currently the only program in the country with 14 straight 25-win seasons. Kansas (2005-20) owns the NCAA record with 15 straight 25-win seasons.
- Gonzaga is No. 1 in the AP Poll, the 40th week as the nation's top team and sixth this season. GU boasts a 64-8 record as No. 1 in the AP poll. Since 2017, Gonzaga has been No. 1 in 37 of the 112 AP polls (33 percent).
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (88.3), scoring margin (23.3), and defensive rebounds (32.5), second in field goal percentage (53.0), two-point percentage (60.6), third in rebound margin (9.5), field goal percentage defense (37.6) and win-loss percentage (88.9), fourth in assists per game (18.3), rebounds per game (42.3), and sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.55) and blocked shots per game (5.9).
- Andrew Nembhard is eighth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.04). Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme are seventh and 16th in the nation shooting 61.6 percent and 58.3 percent from the field. Holmgren is fourth with 97 blocks and fourth averaging 3.59 blocks per game. He's eighth grabbing 7.96 defensive rebounds per game.
- Timme was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, while Chet Holmgren was the Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year. Timme, Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard earned First Team All-WCC honors.
- GU is 10-3 versus Quad 1 and 2 teams, 8-2 vs. Quad 1, the fourth-most wins in the nation vs. Quad 1 teams.
- The Zags are first in KenPom's rankings (second offensive efficiency and sixth efficient defense).
- Gonzaga rides a national-best, and program-best, 67-game home win streak, with the last loss in 2018.
- The Bulldogs have won 76 of their last 81 games, and since the start of the 2019-20 season, GU has won a national-best 86 out of their last 92 games. Gonzaga is also 57-4 since the start of 2020-21.
 
SERIES INFO
- This is the 90th all-time meeting between Gonzaga and San Francisco. GU has a 67-22 advantage in the series.
- GU is 46-4 against San Francisco under Mark Few.
- The Zags have won 23 straight versus the Dons. USF's last win in the series came on Feb 18, 2012, 66-65, at USF.
- GU has won four of the five all-time meetings in the West Coast Conference Tournament, including the latest in the 2020 semifinals. Joel Ayayi scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs survived a scare to beat San Francisco 81-77.
- The Bulldogs won the latest meeting in San Francisco, Chet Holmgren had 21 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots, and No. 1 Gonzaga picked up its defensive pressure in the second half to beat San Francisco 89-73.
- Gonzaga won the meeting this season in Spokane, 78-62, on Jan. 20. Holmgren scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots. Drew Timme finished with 23 points.
- Gonzaga has won 33 in-a-row in Spokane in the series, including all 18 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- The Bulldogs are 38-2 against USF in Spokane all-time. The Dons last won in Spokane on Feb. 10, 1989, 67-64.
- GU is 25-18 all-time at San Francisco. The Bulldogs have won the last 10 matchups at USF.
- San Francisco edged GU, 64-62, in the first-ever meeting at USF on Jan. 28, 1961.
 
SCOUTING THE DONS
- San Francisco advanced to the WCC Tournament semifinals after a 75-63 win over fifth-seeded BYU Saturday. The Dons trailed for only four minutes. Khalil Shabazz led USF with 22 points with five three-pointers. Jamaree Bouyea had 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
- Bouyea and Yauhen Massalski were both named First Team All-West Coast Conference. Shabazz was second team.
- Bouyea averages a team-high 17.1 points per game, while dishing out a team-best 4.06 assists with 1.78 steals.
- Shabazz adds 13.6 points with a team-high 73 three-pointers. He is making 1.72 steals per outing.
- Massalski averages a team-best 9.4 rebounds per game, while scoring 13.5 points. He's blocking 2.19 shots a game.
- Gabe Stefanini is scoring 11.4 points per game over the last five games, while shooting 48.8 from the field.
 
NOTABLES AGAINST THE DONS
- Drew Timme averages 15.9 points in seven games versus San Francisco. He has scored 28, 23 and 20 points in his last three outings against USF.
- Timme is shooting 55.1 percent (43-78) in his career against the Dons.
- Andrew Nembhard has played USF four times and averages 12.3 points and 5.5 assists. He has 13 assists in the two meetings this season with the Dons.
- In his two lone games versus San Francisco, Chet Holmgren scored 22 and 21 points, while making 15-of-22 from the field. He totaled 24 rebounds and 10 blocks in those games.
 
ZAGS IN THE WCC TOURNAMENT
- Gonzaga is 61-16 all-time in the West Coast Conference Tournament with 19 titles and 27 finals appearances, including each of the last 24 seasons.
- The Bulldogs are 47-5 under Mark Few in the WCC Tournament with title-game appearances in all 22 seasons.
- The Zags are 28-3 in the WCC Tournament since 2009, when the event moved to Las Vegas.
- GU's three losses in the event in Las Vegas have all been to Saint Mary's, the 2010, 2012 and 2019 finals.
- The Bulldogs were 33-13 in the conference tournament prior to it coming to Vegas.
- The Zags have never lost an opening game of the tournament in Las Vegas, winning all 13.
- Gonzaga has won the opening game of tournament the past 24 years, dating back to a loss in 64-59 in the 1997 quarterfinals to fourth-seeded San Diego as a fifth-seed.
- The Bulldogs are 29-6 in opening games at the event, including 14-6 in the quarterfinals (nine straight wins).
- Gonzaga has won in the WCC tournament semifinals in each of the past 24 years. The Zags last loss in the WCC semifinals was 1994, 83-75, to San Diego in Santa Clara.
- The Bulldogs are 27-2 in semifinal games at the tournament, winning all 13 in Las Vegas.
- Gonzaga is 10-3 in the WCC Tournament finals played in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs are 19-8 in championship games at the tournament.
 
TOP DOG IN VEGAS
- Gonzaga has clinched the one seed in the 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
- The top two seeds earn triple byes in the event to the semifinals on March 7.
- GU has been the top seed in the WCC Tournament in 10 of the 13 years that the event has been in Las Vegas since 2009. The other three years, GU has been the two-seed.
- Gonzaga has been the top seed in the WCC Tournament 20 times in program history.
- GU is 41-6 in the WCC Tournament as the one-seed.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 9-4 on March 7 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- In their last game on this date, the Zags beat Saint Mary's, 74-56, in the 2017 WCC Tournament Finals in Las Vegas.
- The Bulldogs have won seven straight games on March 7.
- GU beat BYU on this date in 2016 (88-84) and San Francisco in 2015 (81-72).
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Chet Holmgren's 97 blocks rank second in program history for most in a season. Brandon Clarke set the record in 2018-19 with 117. Clarke had 82 blocks after 27 games that season, averaging 3.04 per outing.
- Holmgren is two blocks from matching Tim Ruff (1981-85) for seventh for most in a career in program history at 99.
- Rasir Bolton is four steals from 100 in his career.
- Anton Watson is seven steals from 100 in his career.
- Drew Timme is at 1,401 points in his career. He is 23 points away from 21st all-time at Gonzaga.
- Drew Timme is 25 rebounds from 600 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is 20 assists from 300 in his career.
 
A ZAG WIN WOULD ...
- Advance GU to its 25th straight WCC Tournament Championship, the longest active streak of its kind in the nation.
- Improve Mark Few's record in March to 91-24.
 
WHAT'S UP NEXT
- A win would move the Bulldogs to the West Coast Conference Tournament Championships Tuesday at 6 p.m.
 
ZAGS CLOSE TO 25 WINS ... AGAIN
- Gonzaga has won at least 25 games in each of the last 14 consecutive seasons.
- The Zags have reached the 25-win plateau in 17 of the last 18 seasons, and 21 of the last 23.
- Kansas owns the NCAA Div. 1 record with 15 straight 25-win seasons from 2005 to 2020.