# 2022–23 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, also unofficially nicknamed the "Zags", was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 24th season as head coach, and played home games at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center as members of the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Zags finished the regular season 26–5, 14–2 in WCC play, to win a share of the regular season championship. They defeated San Francisco in the semifinals of the WCC tournament before defeating Saint Mary's to win the WCC championship. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, where they defeated Grand Canyon, TCU, and UCLA to advance to the Elite Eight. There they lost to UConn to finish their season 31–6.
On January 19, 2023, the Zags lost to Loyola Marymount at the McCarthey Athletic Center, ending their 76-game home winning streak, which was the longest in the nation at the time.

## Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2021–22 season 28–4, 13–1 in WCC play, to win the regular season championship. They defeated San Francisco and Saint Mary's in the WCC tournament to win the tournament championship. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West region. They were named the overall No. 1 seed for the second consecutive tournament. The Bulldogs defeated Georgia State and Memphis to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. In the Sweet Sixteen, they lost to Arkansas.

## Offseason
### Departures

Due to COVID-19, the NCAA ruled in October 2020 that the 2020–21 season would not count against the eligibility of any basketball player, thus giving all players the option to return in 2021–22.
Gonzaga Bulldogs departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Matthew Lang | 23 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Portland, OR | Transferred to Arizona |
| Will Graves | 35 | G | 6'5" | 185 | Senior | Eugene, OR | Transferred to Southern Oregon |
| Andrew Nembhard | 3 | G | 6'5" | 193 | Senior | Aurora, ON | Declared for 2022 NBA draft; selected 31st overall by the Indiana Pacers |
| Martynas Arlauskas | 5 | G | 6'7" | 205 | Junior | Kaunas, Lithuania | Signed with Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) |
| Chet Holmgren | 34 | C | 7'0" | 195 | Freshman | Minneapolis, MN | Declared for 2022 NBA draft; selected 2nd overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Reference: ||||||||

### Outgoing transfers

Gonzaga outgoing transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | New school |
| Matthew Lang | 23 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Portland, OR | Arizona |
| Will Graves | 35 | G | 6'5" | 185 | Senior | Eugene, OR | Southern Oregon |
| Reference: |||||||||

### Incoming transfers

Gonzaga incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school | Years remaining | Date eligible |
| Efton Reid | 15 | C | 7'0" | 240 | Sophomore | Richmond, VA | LSU | 3 | October 1, 2022 |
| Malachi Smith | 13 | G | 6'4" | 210 | Junior (Redshirt) | Belleville, IL | Chattanooga | 2 | October 1, 2022 |
| Reference: |||||||||||

### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Braden Huff #16 PF | Glen Ellyn, IL | Glenbard West | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Sep 27, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 3 247Sports: 4 ESPN: 4 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Gonzaga 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 27, 2021. "2022 Gonzaga Bulldogs Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 27, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 27, 2021. ||||||

## Roster

Note: Players' year is based on remaining eligibility. The NCAA did not count the 2020–21 season towards eligibility.
* Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
Source:

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 28, 2022* 6:00 p.m., PPV.com | No. 2 | vs. No. 11 Tennessee Legends of Basketball Charity Classic | L 80–99 | | 17 – Timme | 10 – Watson | 4 – tied | Comerica Center (2,738) Frisco, TX |
| November 2, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ | No. 2 | Warner Pacific | W 101–70 | | 21 – Timme | 8 – Timme | 4 – Bolton | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 2 | North Florida | W 104–63 | 1–0 | 22 – Timme | 8 – Reid III | 5 – Hickman | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 11, 2022* 3:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 2 | vs. Michigan State Armed Forces Classic | W 64–63 | 2–0 | 22 – Timme | 13 – Timme | 4 – Timme | USS Abraham Lincoln (3,572) San Diego, CA |
| November 16, 2022* 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | at No. 11 Texas | L 74–93 | 2–1 | 18 – Timme | 9 – Timme | 2 – tied | Moody Center (11,313) Austin, TX |
| November 20, 2022* 4:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 2 | vs. No. 4 Kentucky | W 88–72 | 3–1 | 24 – Bolton | 14 – Strawther | 3 – Timme | Spokane Arena (12,333) Spokane, WA |
| November 24, 2022* 9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | vs. Portland State Phil Knight Legacy quarterfinals | W 102–78 | 4–1 | 23 – Smith | 6 – tied | 8 – Bolton | Veterans Memorial Coliseum (4,512) Portland, OR |
| November 25, 2022* 8:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | vs. No. 24 Purdue Phil Knight Legacy semifinals | L 66–84 | 4–2 | 22 – Timme | 10 – Strawther | 5 – Hickman | Moda Center (8,090) Portland, OR |
| November 27, 2022* 4:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 6 | vs. Xavier Phil Knight Legacy 3rd-place game | W 88–84 | 5–2 | 23 – Strawther | 9 – Strawther | 7 – Timme | Veterans Memorial Coliseum Portland, OR |
| December 2, 2022* 5:00 p.m., Peacock | No. 14 | vs. No. 6 Baylor Peacock Classic | L 63–64 | 5–3 | 16 – Smith | 13 – Watson | 8 – Hickman | Sanford Pentagon (3,448) Sioux Falls, SD |
| December 5, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 18 | Kent State | W 73–66 | 6–3 | 29 – Timme | 17 – Timme | 4 – tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 9, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 18 | Washington Rivalry | W 77–60 | 7–3 | 22 – Timme | 12 – Strawther | 6 – Bolton | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 12, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 15 | Northern Illinois | W 88–67 | 8–3 | 26 – Timme | 8 – Watson | 4 – Hickman | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 17, 2022* 10:00 a.m., CBS | No. 15 | vs. No. 4 Alabama C.M. Newton Classic | W 100–90 | 9–3 | 29 – Timme | 10 – Timme | 4 – tied | Legacy Arena (15,847) Birmingham, AL |
| December 20, 2022* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 11 | Montana | W 85–75 | 10–3 | 32 – Timme | 11 – Timme | 5 – Timme | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 28, 2022* 2:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 10 | Eastern Oregon | W 120–42 | 11–3 | 18 – Timme | 10 – Smith | 5 – Harris | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 31, 2022 2:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 10 | Pepperdine | W 111–88 | 12–3 (1–0) | 35 – Timme | 10 – Timme | 8 – Watson | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 5, 2023 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 9 | at San Francisco | W 77–75 | 13–3 (2–0) | 21 – Bolton | 6 – Strawther | 4 – Timme | War Memorial Gymnasium (3,313) San Francisco, CA |
| January 7, 2023 7:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 9 | at Santa Clara | W 81–76 | 14–3 (3–0) | 20 – tied | 8 – Gregg | 4 – tied | Leavey Center (4,200) Santa Clara, CA |
| January 12, 2023 6:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 8 | at BYU Rivalry | W 75–74 | 15–3 (4–0) | 19 – Timme | 13 – Timme | 5 – tied | Marriott Center (18,987) Provo, UT |
| January 14, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 8 | Portland | W 115–75 | 16–3 (5–0) | 27 – Smith | 8 – Smith | 7 – Sallis | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 19, 2023 6:00 p.m., KHQ/WCC Network | No. 6 | Loyola Marymount | L 67–68 | 16–4 (5–1) | 17 – Timme | 7 – Timme | 6 – Hickman | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 21, 2023 7:00 p.m., KAYU/RTNW+ | No. 6 | at Pacific | W 99–90 | 17–4 (6–1) | 38 – Timme | 13 – Watson | 4 – tied | Alex G. Spanos Center (6,000) Stockton, CA |
| January 28, 2023 4:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 14 | at Portland | W 82–67 | 18–4 (7–1) | 40 – Strawther | 6 – Strawther | 5 – Timme | Chiles Center (4,497) Portland, OR |
| February 2, 2023 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 12 | Santa Clara | W 88–70 | 19–4 (8–1) | 18 – Watson | 11 – Timme | 5 – Timme | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 4, 2023 7:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 12 | at No. 18 Saint Mary's Rivalry | L 70–78 $^{OT}$ | 19–5 (8–2) | 23 – Timme | 5 – tied | 2 – Sallis | University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500) Moraga, CA |
| February 9, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 16 | San Francisco | W 99–81 | 20–5 (9–2) | 23 – Bolton | 10 – Watson | 6 – Bolton | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 11, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 16 | BYU Rivalry | W 88–81 | 21–5 (10–2) | 26 – Strawther | 7 – Timme | 8 – Timme | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 16, 2023 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 13 | at Loyola Marymount | W 108–65 | 22–5 (11–2) | 30 – Strawther | 6 – Timme | 5 – Hickman | Gersten Pavilion (2,772) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 18, 2023 4:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 13 | at Pepperdine | W 97–88 | 23–5 (12–2) | 34 – Timme | 7 – tied | 4 – Hickman | Firestone Fieldhouse (3,108) Malibu, CA |
| February 23, 2023 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 12 | San Diego | W 97–72 | 24–5 (13–2) | 22 – Timme | 13 – Timme | 7 – Bolton | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 25, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 12 | No. 15 Saint Mary's Rivalry/College Gameday | W 77–68 | 25–5 (14–2) | 19 – Timme | 8 – Watson | 3 – tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| March 1, 2023* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 10 | Chicago State | W 104–64 | 26–5 | 17 – Timme | 7 – Smith | 7 – Watson | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| WCC tournament |||||||||
| March 6, 2023 8:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (2) No. 9 | vs. (6) San Francisco Semifinals | W 84–73 | 27–5 | 20 – Watson | 8 – Timme | 5 – Timme | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| March 7, 2023 6:00 p.m., ESPN | (2) No. 9 | vs. (1) No. 16 Saint Mary's Championship/Rivalry | W 77–51 | 28–5 | 18 – Timme | 10 – Watson | 5 – Watson | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2023* 4:35 p.m., TruTV | (3 W) No. 9 | vs. (14 W) Grand Canyon First Round | W 82–70 | 29–5 | 28 – Strawther | 11 – Watson | 3 – tied | Ball Arena Denver, CO |
| March 19, 2023* 6:40 p.m., TBS | (3 W) No. 9 | vs. (6 W) No. 22 TCU Second Round | W 84–81 | 30–5 | 28 – Timme | 12 – Watson | 4 – Watson | Ball Arena (19,229) Denver, CO |
| March 23, 2023* 6:45 p.m., CBS | (3 W) No. 9 | vs. (2 W) No. 7 UCLA Sweet Sixteen | W 79–76 | 31–5 | 36 – Timme | 13 – Timme | 4 – Timme | T-Mobile Arena (18,544) Paradise, NV |
| March 25, 2023* 5:49 p.m., TBS | (3 W) No. 9 | vs. (4 W) No. 10 UConn Elite Eight | L 54–82 | 31–6 | 12 – Timme | 10 – Timme | 5 – Hickman | T-Mobile Arena (18,119) Paradise, NV |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Pacific Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 2 (12) | 2 (14) | 6 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Not released |
| Coaches | 2 (5) | 2 (7) | 5 | 12 | 18т | 15 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | |