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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren sweeps weekly WCC awards

Gonzaga Bulldogs center Chet Holmgren (34) rebounds the ball against Brigham Young Cougars during the first half of a college basketball game on Saturday, Feb 5, 2022, at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utaho. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

The most productive week of Chet Holmgren’s freshman season helped Gonzaga pick up a road sweep of San Diego and there were more rewards in store for the 7-footer on Monday morning.

Holmgren was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week, along with the Freshman of the Week, after scoring 43 points, grabbing 29 rebounds, blocking nine shots and dishing out seven assists in a 92-62 win over San Diego Thursday at Jenny Craig Pavilion and a 90-57 win over BYU Saturday at the Marriott Center.

He was also named the Lute Olson National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com.

It was the eighth WCC Freshman of the Week honor for Holmgren this season, but the first time the Minnesota native has been recognized Player of the Week. Gonzaga has claimed POW honors on two other occasions this season, with Drew Timme winning it Nov. 15 and Jan. 16.

Holmgren became the second WCC player to sweep the awards this season after BYU’s Foussenyi Traore accomplished the same feat on Dec. 27.

Holmgren continued his midseason scoring surge – a stretch that’s seen him score 20-plus points in four of GU’s last five games – with a season-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting on Thursday against San Diego. At one point in the second half, Holmgren outscored San Diego’s team 11-1 over a span of less than two minutes. He made 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc and had 12 points to go with four blocks.

Forty-eight hours later, Holmgren scored 20 points against BYU and pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds. He also matched a season-high with six assists and blocked five shots – his second-highest block total in a game this season. Holmgren became the fifth Division I player since 2010 to assemble at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game.

Holmgren’s 14.6 points per game now rank sixth in the WCC and the freshman continues to lead the conference in rebounds per game (9.2), blocks per game (3.4) and field goal percentage (64.2). He’s also shooting 46.3% from three-point range this season and has made 18-of-30 (60%) during WCC games.