Gonzaga Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Bulldogs

By Karl Heiser | Nov 7, 2021

Apr 5, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few reacts on the bench against the Baylor Bears in the second half during the national championship game in the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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Gonzaga Basketball James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

If you paid even a little bit of attention to college basketball last season, you’ll know that Gonzaga Basketball felt like a team of destiny. They breezed through the regular season despite a challenging non-conference slate, winning their first 31 games of the season including the WCC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. In the national title game, the Zags fell short of history in an 86-70 defeat to the Baylor Bears. Unbelievably, a 31-1 season just wasn’t good enough.

When all was said and done, there were only three games the Zags didn’t win by double digits last season: an early five-point win against West Virginia, the Final Four overtime victory over UCLA, and the loss to Baylor in the national title game. That is an unparalleled run of dominance, headlined by the No. 1 offense in the country per KenPom’s metrics.

In the offseason, the Zags lost three incredible starters in Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, and Joel Ayayi. For most programs, losing two consensus All-Americans in Suggs and Kispert and a First Team All-WCC performer in Ayayi would be crippling. Gonzaga enters the 2021-22 season as the No. 1 team in the country. How is that possible?

Despite big-time departures, Mark Few returns a ton of talent. Foremost among the group is yet another All-American in Drew Timme, who is expected to be in the running for National Player of the Year this season. Andrew Nembhard comes back to run the point after successfully fulfilling the sixth man role last season. Anton Watson was a major contributor last season and will act as a glue guy yet again. Additionally, Few secured commitments from Chet Holmgren, the No. 1 overall player in the 2021 class, top-20 recruit Hunter Sallis, and top-five point guard Nolan Hickman.

Gonzaga seems to have done the impossible in replenishing the talent lost in the offseason. Their No. 1 preseason ranking kicks off another year of high expectations. Let’s take a look at the Bulldogs’ starters for next season.