# 2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, also unofficially nicknamed the "Zags", is led by head coach Mark Few, in his 23rd season as head coach. This is the Bulldogs' 18th season at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center and 42nd season as a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC). They finished the season 28-4, 13-1 in WCC Play to finish as WCC regular season champions. They defeated San Francisco and Saint Mary’s to be champions of the WCC tournament. They received the WCC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Georgia State and Memphis to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Arkansas.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulldogs finished the 2020–21 season 31–1 and 15–0 in WCC play to win the regular season championship. They defeated Saint Mary's and BYU in the WCC tournament to win the tournament championship and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. It was their 22nd straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Zags became the first Division I men's team since Kentucky in 2015 to enter the NCAA Tournament without a loss. They received the No. 1 seed in the West region where they beat Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton, and USC to advance to the Final Four. There they defeated UCLA to become the first undefeated team to advance to the national championship game since Indiana State in 1979. The Bulldogs lost their first game of the season to Baylor in the championship game, denying the Bulldogs a perfect season.

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

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) | Reason for departure |
| Tommy Lloyd | Associate Head Coach | 20th | Whitman (1998) | Head coach at Arizona |
| Ken Nakagawa | Video Coordinator | 5th | Long Beach State (2014) | Director of Advanced Scouting at Arizona |

#### Additions to staff

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) | Previous Job |
| Stephen Gentry | Assistant coach | 1st | Gonzaga (2006) | Assistant coach at Illinois |
| Kurt Bambauer | Video Coordinator | 1st | Gonzaga (2017) | Video Coordinator at Vanderbilt |

### Player 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. This in turn meant that seniors in the 2020–21 season had to declare themselves eligible for the 2021 NBA draft.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Aaron Cook Jr. | 4 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Senior (Redshirt) | St. Louis, MO | Transferred to Georgia |
| Corey Kispert | 24 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Edmonds, WA | Graduated; declared for 2021 NBA draft; selected 15th overall by the Washington Wizards |
| Joël Ayayi | 11 | G | 6'5" | 180 | Junior (Redshirt) | Bordeaux, France | Declared for 2021 NBA draft; undrafted |
| Pavel Zakharov | 10 | F | 7'0" | 235 | Sophomore | St. Petersburg, Russia | Transferred to California Baptist |
| Oumar Ballo | 21 | C | 7'0" | 260 | Freshman (Redshirt) | Koulikoro, Mali | Transferred to Arizona |
| Jalen Suggs | 1 | G | 6'4" | 205 | Freshman | West St. Paul, MN | Declared for 2021 NBA draft; selected 5th overall by the Orlando Magic |
| Evan Inglesby | 32 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Freshman | Gresham, OR | Walk-on; left team |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Remaining | Date Eligible |
| Rasir Bolton | 45 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Petersburg, VA | Iowa State | 2 | October 1, 2021 |

### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kaden Perry #8 C | Battle Ground, WA | Battle Ground | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jun 27, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Hunter Sallis #2 CG | Omaha, NE | Millard North | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Mar 26, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 ||||||
| Chet Holmgren #1 C | Minneapolis, MN | Minnehaha | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Apr 19, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 ||||||
| Nolan Hickman #6 PG | Seattle, WA | Wasatch Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | May 15, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 90 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 4 247Sports: 5 ESPN: 5 ||||||
| 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 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021. "2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021. ||||||

## Preseason
### Mark Few arrest and suspension

On September 6, 2021, head coach Mark Few was pulled over by police and arrested for driving under the influence in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Few refused sobriety tests on the scene, but was shown to have a blood alcohol level of .119 and .120 from breath tests, well over the legal limit of .08. Few later apologized for the incident and pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI. The school suspended Few for three games for his actions. However, the suspension notably included two exhibition games and the first game of the regular season, meaning he was able to coach the November 13 game against No. 5 Texas.

### Preseason rankings

Gonzaga was a near-unanimous selection as the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason AP and Coaches poll.

## Roster

* Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
* Matthew Lang was awarded a basketball scholarship for the second semester of the 2021–22 season.

### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at Gonzaga | Alma Mater (year) |
| Mark Few | Head coach | 23rd | Oregon (1987) |
| Brian Michaelson | Assistant coach | 9th | Gonzaga (2005) |
| Roger Powell Jr. | Assistant coach | 3rd | Illinois (2005) |
| Stephen Gentry | Assistant coach | 1st | Gonzaga (2006) |
| Jorge Sanz | Director of Basketball Operations | 4th | Florida Atlantic (2011) |
| Kurt Bambauer | Video Coordinator | 1st | Gonzaga (2017) |
| Gary Bell Jr. | Coordinator of Basketball Administration | 3rd | Gonzaga (2015) |
| Josh Therrien | Athletic Trainer | 6th | Washington State (2007) |
| Travis Knight | Strength & Conditioning Coach | 16th | Gonzaga (2000) |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 31, 2021* 1:00 p.m., SWX | No. 1 | Eastern Oregon | W 115–62 | | 18 – Strawther | 9 – Strawther | 4 – Hickman | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 5, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ | No. 1 | vs. Lewis–Clark State | W 112–62 | | 25 – Timme | 8 – Timme | 3 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | Dixie State | W 97–63 | 1–0 | 17 – Strawther | 13 – Holmgren | 7 – Watson | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 13, 2021* 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 1 | No. 5 Texas | W 86–74 | 2–0 | 37 – Timme | 7 – Timme | 8 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 15, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | Alcorn State | W 84–57 | 3–0 | 18 – Strawther | 6 – Holmgren | 6 – Timme | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 19, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | Bellarmine | W 92–50 | 4–0 | 25 – Timme | 6 – Tied | 7 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| November 22, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 1 | vs. Central Michigan Empire Classic | W 107–54 | 5–0 | 19 – Holmgren | 7 – Sallis | 5 – Bolton | T-Mobile Arena (7,029) Paradise, NV |
| November 23, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 1 | vs. No. 2 UCLA Empire Classic | W 83–63 | 6–0 | 24 – Nembhard | 9 – Strawther | 6 – Nembhard | T-Mobile Arena (12,795) Paradise, NV |
| November 26, 2021* 7:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 1 | vs. No. 5 Duke Continental Tire Challenge | L 81–84 | 6–1 | 20 – Strawther | 10 – Strawther | 11 – Nembhard | T-Mobile Arena (20,389) Paradise, NV |
| November 29, 2021* 7:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 3 | Tarleton State | W 64–55 | 7–1 | 17 – Bolton | 12 – Strawther | 2 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 4, 2021* 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 3 | vs. No. 16 Alabama Battle in Seattle | L 82–91 | 7–2 | 23 – Timme | 11 – Holmgren | 4 – Tied | Climate Pledge Arena (18,048) Seattle, WA |
| December 9, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 5 | Merrimack | W 80–55 | 8–2 | 22 – Timme | 15 – Holmgren | 5 – Watson | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 12, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 5 | Washington Rivalry | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington | McCarthey Athletic Center Spokane, WA |
| December 18, 2021* 10:00 a.m., CBS | No. 5 | vs. No. 25 Texas Tech Jerry Colangelo Classic | W 69–55 | 9–2 | 16 – Nembhard | 11 – Holmgren | 6 – Nembhard | Footprint Center (7,821) Phoenix, AZ |
| December 20, 2021* 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 4 | Northern Arizona | W 95–49 | 10–2 | 20 – Holmgren | 9 – Holmgren | 3 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 28, 2021* 2:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 4 | North Alabama | W 93–63 | 11–2 | 15 – Strawther | 10 – Watson | 3 – Timme | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| WCC Regular Season |||||||||
| January 1, 2022 4:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 4 | at Loyola Marymount | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, CA |
| January 8, 2022 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 2 | Pepperdine | W 117–83 | 12–2 (1–0) | 19 – Watson | 8 – Holmgren | 8 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 13, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | BYU Rivalry | W 110–84 | 13–2 (2–0) | 30 – Timme | 7 – Holmgren | 12 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 15, 2022 1:00 p.m., KAYU/RTNW+ | No. 2 | at Santa Clara | W 115–83 | 14–2 (3–0) | 32 – Timme | 12 – Holmgren | 7 – Bolton | Leavey Center (1,100) Santa Clara, CA |
| January 20, 2022 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+ | No. 1 | at Pacific | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled | Alex G. Spanos Center Stockton, CA |
| January 20, 2022 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 1 | San Francisco | W 78–62 | 15–2 (4–0) | 23 – Timme | 9 – Holmgren | 7 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 27, 2022 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 2 | Loyola Marymount | W 89–55 | 16–2 (5–0) | 21 – Holmgren | 9 – Holmgren | 5 – Bolton | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| January 29, 2022 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 2 | Portland | W 104–72 | 17–2 (6–0) | 22 – Nembhard | 11 – Holmgren | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 3, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | at San Diego | W 92–62 | 18–2 (7–0) | 23 – Holmgren | 12 – Holmgren | 7 – Nembhard | Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,433) San Diego, CA |
| February 5, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 2 | at BYU Rivalry | W 90–57 | 19–2 (8–0) | 20 – Holmgren | 17 – Holmgren | 6 – Holmgren | Marriott Center (18,987) Provo, UT |
| February 10, 2022 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 2 | Pacific | W 89–51 | 20–2 (9–0) | 20 – Bolton | 10 – Timme | 3 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 12, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 2 | No. 22 Saint Mary's Rivalry | W 74–58 | 21–2 (10–0) | 25 – Timme | 13 – Holmgren | 7 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 16, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 1 | at Pepperdine | W 86–66 | 22–2 (11–0) | 19 – Timme | 17 – Holmgren | 14 – Nembhard | Firestone Fieldhouse (2,412) Malibu, CA |
| February 19, 2022 6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW | No. 1 | Santa Clara | W 81–69 | 23–2 (12–0) | 23 – Timme | 10 – Holmgren | 8 – Nembhard | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| February 24, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 1 | at San Francisco | W 89–73 | 24–2 (13–0) | 21 – Holmgren | 15 – Holmgren | 8 – Timme | War Memorial Gymnasium (3,138) San Francisco, CA |
| February 26, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 1 | at No. 23 Saint Mary's Rivalry | L 57–67 | 24–3 (13–1) | 16 – Bolton | 8 – Timme | 2 – Timme | University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500) Moraga, CA |
| WCC Tournament |||||||||
| March 7, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | (1) No. 1 | vs. (4) San Francisco Semifinals | W 81–71 | 25–3 | 22 – Timme | 10 – Watson | 9 – Nembhard | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| March 8, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | (1) No. 1 | vs. (2) No. 17 Saint Mary's Championship | W 82–69 | 26–3 | 21 – Nembhard | 8 – Holmgren | 7 – Nembhard | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2022* 1:15 pm, TNT | (1 W) No. 1 | vs. (16 W) Georgia State First Round | W 93–72 | 27–3 | 32 – Timme | 17 – Holmgren | 11 – Nembhard | Moda Center (14,343) Portland, OR |
| March 19, 2022* 6:40 p.m., TBS | (1 W) No. 1 | vs. (9 W) Memphis Second Round | W 82–78 | 28–3 | 25 – Timme | 14 – Timme | 5 – Nembhard | Moda Center (17,907) Portland, OR |
| March 24, 2022* 4:00 p.m., CBS | (1 W) No. 1 | vs. (4 W) No. 17 Arkansas Sweet Sixteen | L 68–74 | 28–4 | 25 – Timme | 14 – Holmgren | 3 – Tied | Chase Center (17,514) San Francisco, CA |
| *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 |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Final |
| AP | 1 (55) | 1 (55) | 1 (55) | 3 (1) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 (25) | 2 (13) | 2 (12) | 2 (13) | 1 (56) | 1 (61) | 1 (46) | 1 (52) | 1 (54) | Not released |
| Coaches | 1 (29) | ^ | 1 (30) | 3 | 5 | 4т | 4т | 4 | 2 | 1 (23) | 1 (18) | 1т (16) | 1 (18) | 1 (30) | 1 (32) | 1 (20) | 1 (27) | 1 (31) | 5 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings. ^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.