Gonzaga takeways: Senior Night hits close to home for head coach Mark Few

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few is always an active participant on Senior Night with an address to the Kennel Club and a permanent grin watching the indelible images of seniors embracing their families.

If circumstances and the score permit, seniors exit in the closing minutes to a standing ovation and a hug from Few on the sideline. On Saturday, that happened when guards Andrew Nembhard and Rasir Bolton subbed out with 1:16 remaining in an 81-69 win over Santa Clara at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Saturday’s celebration hit even closer to home for Few when his son A.J., a senior manager, was introduced during pre-game festivities.

“It was crazy,” Few said. “I think he was born in my second year as the head coach. It’s been great to have him here every day. He’s always been part of our teams, but he’s really, really close with these guys. It’s been a fun ride.”

Now, more on another memorable Senior Night, Drew Timme’s thoughts on what’s ahead and a senior-laden starting lineup in our takeaways from Saturday’s win.

Senior moments

Few has seen just about everything in 23 Senior Nights as Gonzaga’s head coach. Perhaps the most unforgettable moment was in 2006 when J.P. Batista’s older brother, Anderson, made a surprise visit to see J.P. for the first time in four years.

Few readily admits he was worried how the players would perform with emotions running high against a capable foe in Santa Clara, which climbed three spots to No. 73 in the NET after the setback.

“I’m telling you what, I don’t know how I feel about it, especially when you’re playing a good team,” Few said. “There’s a lot of emotion and peripheral stuff going on that hits at your heart, and yet you have to get your competitive spirit and energy back up to its highest level, and that’s a challenge sometimes.”

The Zags didn’t have their ‘A’ game against the Broncos, but they did perform late, turning a 59-53 lead into an 81-62 cushion.

“It’s been so great having A.J. around, both A.J. and Joe (a walk-on freshman guard) has been great,” Few said. “It gives you at least two hours a day when you usually don’t see your college kids. A.J. lives and dies with the Zags. He always has since the day he was born.

“It made for a good night.”

Soaking it all in

Timme, one of several Zags facing decisions on returning next season or turning pro, doesn’t know if Saturday was his final home game, so he did what he does best and simply enjoyed the evening.

“Of course,” said Timme, when asked if he soaked up the Kennel atmosphere just in case. “Every game in here is special and every night I get the chance and the opportunity to put this Zags across my chest, especially at home and just take it all in, it’s truly special. No clue (about next season), but it’ll be fun for sure. It’s just fun every time.”

Timme had a busy evening, drawing heavy defensive attention from the Broncos, who crowded the paint after he scored 32 points in the first meeting last month. He made one of GU’s 12 3-pointers (on 35 attempts) and maneuvered inside for a team-high 23 points. He had nine rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers in 30-plus minutes.

He glanced at the stat sheet as he sat down for post-game interviews and mentioned to Nembhard, “Almost had a triple-double. Nine fouls drawn, nine rebounds.”

Senior starters

Few customarily juggles the starting lineup on Senior Night. After 24 games with the same starters of Nembhard, Bolton, Timme, Julian Strawther and Chet Holmgren, the first unit Saturday was seniors Nembhard, Bolton, Matthew Lang and Will Graves and Timme, a junior.

“It’s just kind of the tradition,” Few said. “Didn’t really want to mess with the tradition.”

Gonzaga led 10-7 when Lang and Graves were replaced by Strawther and Holmgren with 16:36 left. The 6-foot 3 Lang, who earned a scholarship for spring semester, battled 6-9, 220-pound All-WCC forward Josip Vrankic several times on the low block. Vrankic scored four points, but he also missed two shots and committed a turnover.

Lang and Graves, a walk-on, both missed 3-point attempts. Both entered the game shooting 37.5% from distance. Graves forced a turnover that led to a Bolton layup in transition.

“Talk about that defensive effort on Vrankic, that was great,” Timme marveled. “Those guys don’t get enough credit for what they’ve brought to this program. Those two dudes have given this team so many baskets in practice, I couldn’t even count it. It’s not easy being a walk-on. They work so hard and only get to play at the end of games. They put themselves before the team all the time.”

Will’s dad, Kelly, the former Gonzaga women’s basketball coach and current Oregon head coach, attended the game and then drove seven hours back to Eugene for the Ducks’ Senior Day game against No. 2 Stanford at 1 p.m. Sunday.