Gonzaga rewind: Zags season ‘something we can be proud of’ after Sweet 16 exit
DETROIT – Pride and disappointment, the latter enters every locker room except one after the 67 games of an NCAA Tournament, were on display Friday as Gonzaga players processed a season-ending 80-68 loss to Purdue.
The Zags wrestled with a variety of emotions inside a quiet locker room at Little Caesars Arena – the last dance in the distinguished five-year career of Anton Watson, another loss to the Boilermakers and star center Zach Edey, and the satisfaction of turning a season on the brink in early February into one with considerable achievement.
Junior center Graham Ike took a deep breath to organize his thoughts on the Zags’ five-month odyssey.
“Losing is never fun, but the effort we played with is something we can be proud of,” Ike began. “You can’t control everything in the game, foul trouble, shots going in sometimes, their shots going in, but we can be proud of the effort and collective grit and toughness we played with.
“Not just today, but the whole year as our backs were against the wall early in the season. Super proud of this team, man, and how close we stayed together through everything.”
And watching Watson walk off the court? “Heartbreaking,” Ike said. “He is a legend.”
Our last rewind of the season covers the sizable challenge presented by the 7-foot-4, 300-pound Edey and the similarities and differences between the Gonzaga-Purdue and Gonzaga-Kansas games.
Edey presents big issues
GU players chose their words carefully when asked about the task of defending Edey while also being quick to compliment the talented big man.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few protested several whistles that went Edey’s way and against GU’s four-man frontcourt rotation, including fouls late in the second half against Ike and Watson, and a no call in the first half when Edey fell on point guard Ryan Nembhard in pursuit of a rebound.
“I think I got a boxout foul and I didn’t know what I did,” Watson said. “I was just trying to get him out of the paint. I don’t know if it was a foul or not, but I’m trying my best just to push him out.
“He’s heavy, he’s a tank, but he’s a good player. He deserves it.”
“It’s super tough. He’s so big and wide and tall,” Ben Gregg said. “You have to stay in front of him and the basket, and you have to stay vertical, but at the end of the day he’s not seeing your contest. I think the refs got a little emotional with what Graham was saying to them after his fourth (foul) was called and just blew the whistle no matter what and gave him his fifth.
“But we fought the whole game. It’s just a hard guard. You have to do your best and hope he misses some shots.”
Edey, who had 25 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-63 win over the Zags at the Maui Invitational in November, made 10 of 15 shots from the floor, 7 of 10 at the foul line and finished with 27 points and 14 boards. He committed all three of his turnovers in the first half when GU often brought a second defender.
Five Boilermakers guards/wings combined for nine 3-pointers. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Lance Jones and Mason Gillis each made two. Starting forward Trey Kaufman-Renn had three field goals at the outset of the second half, but Purdue typically went with four perimeter players around Edey.
“Every single one of them shoots it except Kaufman-Renn,” Ike said. “So when they sub him out and put in Gillis, it changes up our scheme a little bit to where we have to guard a little more in space, and can’t help as much on the ball screen because they’re skipping to the corner.”
No GU-KU redo
The first half of Gonzaga-Purdue mirrored the Gonzaga-Kansas game. Easy on the eye, precise offensive execution and high-level shot- and play-making by both teams.
The second half had the feel of GU-KU, only this time it was the Zags who wore down and their offense dried up – reminiscent of the Jayhawks’ final 20 minutes in an 89-68 loss to Gonzaga last week – while Purdue was full throttle at both ends of the court.
The No. 1-seeded Boilermakers are legitimate national championship contenders partly because they limit mistakes and don’t beat themselves. They had 24 assists and just nine turnovers. They hit 57% of their shots, including 45% on 3-pointers.
The coaching staff worked in the offseason to add more athleticism and perimeter shooting around 2023 national player of the year Edey – the soon-to-be 2024 national POY. Their 32-4 record reflects an improved roster from last year, when they suffered a stunning first-round loss to Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Boilermakers’ win over GU bumped their record to 8-0 against teams in this year’s Sweet 16. Next up is Tennessee, which fell to Purdue 71-67 in November at the Maui Invitational, one day after the Boilermakers beat GU.
“Wish him the best,” Few said of Purdue coach Matt Painter. “They’re primed and focused. They’re hungry. They’re hunting right now. They’re not being hunted. I think that’s how you get to Final Fours and that’s how you get to national championship games.”