10 Observations from Gonzaga’s Big Win Over BYU

Playing BYU sure is fun, isn’t it? Gonzaga’s 26-point beatdown of the Cougars had no shortage of highlights and plenty to observe, so let’s get down to business.

1. BYU came out with that 7-0 run to start the game, but the Zags responded well. They didn’t press, and I’m sure the energy from the home crowd helped them as they grabbed the lead back in short order.
2. Julian Strawther’s hot shooting at the start of the game also helped Gonzaga’s run. He has continued to improve and is a certified bucket whenever he steps on the court. His “microwave” performances are Zack Norvell-esque, and his rebounding is no slouch either.
3. Both teams shot the absolute lights out from three in the first half. They combined to go 20-33 from behind the arc in the half, which is ridiculous, even by NBA standards. It was certainly fun to watch too.
4. I think it’s fair to say Caleb Lohner has officially reached Matthew Dellavedova levels of annoyance among the Zag faithful, and I have to agree. And he doesn’t look like a statue, or at least not that one.
5. Drew Timme had another Drew Timme game with 30, five boards, and four assists. BYU left the paint open pretty much all night, and that just can’t happen when Timme Time is on the calendar.
6. Andrew Nembhard put on one of his passing clinics last night. He also had 22 points, but 12 assists and no turnovers (!) is crazy impressive even by his standards. His prowess on pick-and-rolls and ability to play under control in the Zags’ high paced offense were both on display. Not to mention he (and Timme) probably added to the population of the Ybanez household.
7. It says a lot about your team when the seven foot unicorn and five star recruit has a great game but gets buried in the headlines. Chet Holmgren finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, and two steals and had numerous highlight reel plays, but is already the fourth player mentioned in this article. This team is just loaded and they all came out last night.
8. This Hunter Sallis dunk was awesome. This was the first big dunk I’ve seen him throw down this year, and it came as the Zags were already rolling over the Cougs, in front of the Kennel crowd. Bliss.
9. Joe Few scoring his first collegiate points was the underrated highlight of the night, and certainly got the crowd as loud as it was an any point, but I have to imagine Mark Few turned from coach mode to dad mode then. I’m sure that was a proud moment for him and it’s great that it got to happen at home.
10. According to basketball “experts”, Gonzaga would struggle to keep up playing in a major conference. If that’s the case, all I can say is good luck in the Big XII, BYU.

- Bonus 11th observation: Coach Few and Mark Pope need to make a non-conference series of some sort happen once the Cougars dip out of the WCC. These games are always circled on the schedule, and it would be a shame to see the rivalry go away.