Color Scheme

Subscribe now
Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren wins third consecutive WCC Freshman of Week award

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren waits for his introduction before the Continental Tire Challenge Friday, Nov. 27, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

For at least seven more days, the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Week award will stay in Spokane.

After claiming the award the first two weeks of the 2021-22 season, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren won it for a third time after leading the Bulldogs in scoring during their week-long stay in Las Vegas.

Holmgren scored 50 points and led Gonzaga with 16.7 points per game against Central Michigan, No. 2 UCLA and No. 5 Duke. The 7-footer from Minneapolis shot 21 of 30 from the field and 4 of 11 from three-point range. He’s eighth in the country with a field goal percentage of 69.1%.

During the three-game stretch, Holmgren also had 18 rebounds and blocked 10 shots. He currently ranks second in the country with 26 blocks and is eighth at 3.71 blocks per game.

In a 53-point win over Central Michigan, Holmgren scored 19 points to go with five rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and notched one block in GU’s 83-63 win over UCLA, then posted 16 points with seven rebounds and three blocks in Friday’s loss to Duke and Paolo Banchero.

Holmgren’s averaging 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.6 assists in seven games this season.

Saint Mary’s forward Dan Fotu earned WCC Player of the Week honors after helping lead the Gaels to wins over Notre Dame and Oregon at the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas.