# 2019–20 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2019–20 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team (also informally referred to as the Zags) represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 21st season as head coach. This was the Bulldogs' 16th season at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center and 40th season as a member of the West Coast Conference. They finished the season 31–2, 15–1 in WCC play to be WCC regular season champions. They defeated San Francisco and Saint Mary's to be champions of the WCC tournament. They earned the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. However, all postseason play, including the NCAA Tournament, was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, making this season the first one under Mark Few that they did not play in the NCAA Tournament.

## Previous season

The Bulldogs team finished the 2018–19 season 33–4, 16–0 in WCC play to win the WCC regular season championship. After losing to Saint Mary's in the WCC tournament, they received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, where they defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the Round of 64, Baylor in the Round of 32, and then Florida State in the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes
#### Departures

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) | Reason for Departure |
| Donny Daniels | Assistant coach | 9th | Cal State Fullerton (1976) | Director of player development at Utah |
| Riccardo Fois | Coordinator of Analytics & Video Operations | 5th | Pepperdine (2009) | Player Development Coach at Phoenix Suns |
| Stephen Gentry | Director of Basketball Operations | 2nd | Gonzaga (2006) | Assistant coach at Illinois |

#### Additions to staff

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) | Previous Job |
| Jorge Sanz | Director of Basketball Operations | 2nd | Florida Atlantic (2011) | Graduate Assistant at Gonzaga |
| Roger Powell Jr. | Assistant coach | 1st | Illinois (2005) | Assistant coach at Vanderbilt |
| Gary Bell Jr. | Graduate Assistant | 1st | Gonzaga (2015) | Pro Basketball Player at Aris Thessaloniki |

### Player departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Jeremy Jones | 22 | F | 6'7" | 213 | Senior (Redshirt) | San Antonio, TX | Graduated |
| Josh Perkins | 13 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Senior (Redshirt) | Park Hill, CO | Graduated |
| Geno Crandall | 0 | G | 6'4" | 185 | Senior (Redshirt) | Minneapolis, MN | Graduated |
| Brandon Clarke | 15 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Junior (Redshirt) | Phoenix, AZ | Declared for 2019 NBA draft; selected 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Jack Beach | 2 | G | 6'3" | 180 | Junior (Redshirt) | San Diego, CA | Graduated |
| Alex Martin | 5 | G | 6'5" | 205 | Junior (Redshirt) | Overland Park, KS | Left team |
| Rui Hachimura | 21 | F | 6'8" | 230 | Junior | Toyama, Japan | Declared for 2019 NBA draft; selected 9th overall by the Washington Wizards |
| Zach Norvell | 23 | G | 6'5" | 205 | Sophomore (Redshirt) | Chicago, IL | Declared for 2019 NBA draft; undrafted |
| Greg Foster | 4 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Freshman | Milwaukee, WI | Transferred to Saint Joseph's |
| Paul Pennington | 20 | G | 5'10" | 160 | Freshman | Boise, ID | Transferred to San Diego |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Remaining | Date Eligible |
| Admon Gilder | 1 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Senior (Redshirt) | Dallas, TX | Texas A&M | 1 | Oct. 1, 2019 |
| Ryan Woolridge | 4 | G | 6'3" | 175 | Senior (Redshirt) | Mansfield, TX | North Texas | 1 | Oct. 1, 2019 |
| Will Graves | 35 | G | 6'5" | 180 | Sophomore | Eugene, OR | Lane CC | 3 | Oct. 1, 2019 |

### Left program before playing

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Brock Ravet | 32 | G | 6'1" | 175 | Freshman | Kittitas, WA | Kittitas |

### 2019 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Anton Watson #11 SF | Spokane, WA | Gonzaga Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jun 21, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Brock Ravet #17 SG | Kittitas, WA | Kittitas | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 23, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Martynas Arlauskas #13 SF | Kaunas, Lithuania | President Valdas Adamkus Gymnasium | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sep 20, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Drew Timme #14 C | Richardson, TX | Pearce | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Nov 14, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Pavel Zakharov #10 C | St. Petersburg, Russia | Montverde Academy | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Nov 19, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Oumar Ballo #16 C | Koulikoro, Mali | NBA Academy Latin America | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | Feb 23, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| 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 Commit List for 2019". Rivals.com. "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

## Roster

* Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
* Oumar Ballo was ruled as an academic redshirt prior to the start of the 2019–20 season. He will have 4 years of eligibility remaining at the start of the 2020–21 season.
* Brock Ravet left the team due to personal reasons before the 2019–20 regular season began.
* Matthew Lang was awarded a basketball scholarship for the second semester of the 2019–20 season.

### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) |
| Mark Few | Head coach | 21st | Oregon (1987) |
| Tommy Lloyd | Associate head coach | 19th | Whitman (1998) |
| Brian Michaelson | Assistant coach | 7th | Gonzaga (2005) |
| Roger Powell Jr. | Assistant coach | 1st | Illinois (2005) |
| Jorge Sanz | Director of Basketball Operations | 2nd | Florida Atlantic (2011) |
| Gary Bell | Graduate Assistant | 1st | Gonzaga (2015) |
| Ken Nakagawa | Video coordinator | 4th | Long Beach State (2014) |
| Josh Therrien | Athletic Trainer | 4th | Washington State (2007) |
| Travis Knight | Strength and Conditioning Coach | 14th | Gonzaga (2000) |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 1, 2019* 6:00 pm, KHQ | No. 8 | Lewis–Clark State | W 116–61 | – | 28 – Watson | 9 – Tied | 5 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 5, 2019* 5:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 8 | Alabama State | W 95–64 | 1–0 | 28 – Kispert | 7 – Ayayi | 7 – Ayayi | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 9, 2019* 5:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 8 | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | W 110–60 | 2–0 | 25 – Petrušev | 13 – Ayayi | 9 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 12, 2019* 6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 8 | North Dakota | W 97–66 | 3–0 | 20 – Kispert | 15 – Petrušev | 5 – Kispert | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 15, 2019* 6:00 pm, SECN | No. 8 | at Texas A&M | W 79–49 | 4–0 | 16 – Tied | 10 – Petrušev | 6 – Ayayi | Reed Arena (10,344) College Station, TX |
| November 19, 2019* 6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 8 | UT Arlington Battle 4 Atlantis campus-site game | W 72–66 | 5–0 | 19 – Woolridge | 10 – Timme | 5 – Gilder | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 23, 2019* 5:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 8 | Cal State Bakersfield | W 77–49 | 6–0 | 15 – Petrušev | 7 – Petrušev | 4 – Petrušev | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 27, 2019* 4:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 8 | vs. Southern Miss Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals | W 94–69 | 7–0 | 28 – Kispert | 12 – Ayayi | 7 – Woolridge | Imperial Arena (1,459) Nassau, BS |
| November 28, 2019* 1:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | vs. No. 11 Oregon Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals | W 73–72 $^{OT}$ | 8–0 | 22 – Petrušev | 15 – Petrušev | 3 – Ayayi | Imperial Arena (1,432) Nassau, BS |
| November 29, 2019* 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 8 | vs. Michigan Battle 4 Atlantis championship | L 64–82 | 8–1 | 20 – Tillie | 9 – Petrušev | 5 – Woolridge | Imperial Arena (1,503) Nassau, BS |
| December 4, 2019* 6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 9 | Texas Southern | W 101–62 | 9–1 | 17 – Kispert | 9 – Ayayi | 5 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 8, 2019* 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | at No. 22 Washington Rivalry | W 83–76 | 10–1 | 17 – Petrušev | 10 – Petrušev | 6 – Tillie | Alaska Airlines Arena (9,268) Seattle, WA |
| December 14, 2019* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | at No. 15 Arizona | W 84–80 | 11–1 | 18 – Kispert | 8 – Kispert | 7 – Ayayi | McKale Center (14,644) Tucson, AZ |
| December 18, 2019* 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | North Carolina | W 94–81 | 12–1 | 26 – Kispert | 10 – Ayayi | 9 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 21, 2019* 2:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 2 | Eastern Washington | W 112–77 | 13–1 | 24 – Petrušev | 9 – Tied | 5 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 30, 2019* 6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | Detroit Mercy | W 93–72 | 14–1 | 22 – Petrušev | 7 – Timme | 8 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| WCC Regular Season |||||||||
| January 2, 2020 7:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | at Portland | W 85–72 | 15–1 (1–0) | 22 – Tillie | 8 – Petrušev | 4 – Tied | Chiles Center (4,633) Portland, OR |
| January 4, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | Pepperdine | W 75–70 | 16–1 (2–0) | 20 – Tillie | 10 – Petrušev | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 9, 2020 7:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | at San Diego | W 94–50 | 17–1 (3–0) | 20 – Ayayi | 10 – Tillie | 6 – Woolridge | Jenny Craig Pavilion (4,549) San Diego, CA |
| January 11, 2020 1:00 pm, KAYU/RTNW | No. 1 | at Loyola Marymount | W 87–62 | 18–1 (4–0) | 16 – Petrušev | 11 – Timme | 5 – Woolridge | Gersten Pavilion (3,534) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 16, 2020 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | Santa Clara | W 104–54 | 19–1 (5–0) | 19 – Ayayi | 11 – Timme | 5 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 18, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 1 | BYU Rivalry | W 92–69 | 20–1 (6–0) | 22 – Tillie | 10 – Tillie | 6 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 25, 2020 7:00 pm, KAYU/RTNW | No. 2 | Pacific | W 92–59 | 21–1 (7–0) | 22 – Tillie | 8 – Tillie | 4 – Ayayi | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 30, 2020 7:30 pm, CBSSN | No. 2 | at Santa Clara | W 87–72 | 22–1 (8–0) | 31 – Petrušev | 9 – Petrušev | 6 – Woolridge | Leavey Center (4,200) Santa Clara, CA |
| February 1, 2020 1:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 2 | at San Francisco | W 83–79 | 23–1 (9–0) | 23 – Petrušev | 11 – Petrušev | 3 – Timme | War Memorial Gymnasium (3,006) San Francisco, CA |
| February 6, 2020 8:00 pm, CBSSN | No. 2 | Loyola Marymount | W 85–67 | 24–1 (10–0) | 21 – Petrušev | 8 – Timme | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 8, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at Saint Mary's Rivalry | W 90–60 | 25–1 (11–0) | 20 – Timme | 11 – Petrušev | 5 – Gilder | University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500) Moraga, CA |
| February 15, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at Pepperdine | W 89–77 | 26–1 (12–0) | 27 – Petrušev | 12 – Petrušev | 5 – Tied | Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104) Malibu, CA |
| February 20, 2020 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | San Francisco | W 71–54 | 27–1 (13–0) | 22 – Tillie | 9 – Tillie | 7 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 22, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | at No. 23 BYU Rivalry | L 78–91 | 27–2 (13–1) | 18 – Tillie | 8 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Marriott Center (18,987) Provo, UT |
| February 27, 2020 6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW | No. 3 | San Diego | W 94–59 | 28–2 (14–1) | 21 – Petrušev | 9 – Tied | 6 – Woolridge | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 29, 2020 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 3 | Saint Mary's Rivalry | W 86–76 | 29–2 (15–1) | 27 – Petrušev | 8 – Ayayi | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| WCC Tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2020 6:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 2 | vs. (5) San Francisco Semifinals | W 81–77 | 30–2 | 19 – Tillie | 10 – Tillie | 3 – Petrušev | Orleans Arena (7,471) Paradise, NV |
| March 10, 2020 6:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 2 | vs. (3) Saint Mary's Finals | W 84–66 | 31–2 | 17 – Tied | 14 – Petrušev | 5 – Petrušev | Orleans Arena (7,471) Paradise, NV |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = 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 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 2 (15) | 1 (54) | 1 (63) | 1 (54) | 1 (30) | 2 (31) | 2 (19) | 2 (15) | 2 (15) | 2 (14) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Coaches | 7 | 7^ | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 2 (4) | 1 (23) | 1 (30) | 1 (27) | 1 (16) | 1 (19) | 2 (17) | 2 (12) | 2 (13) | 2 (11) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.