Every college basketball player yearns for their opportunity at ultimate success, for their chance to have a shining moment. Not everyone’s ultimate dream comes true, but there are still thousands of success stories across the nation. We celebrate the players who make the big shots or put up the amazing numbers for the best programs, but sometimes those other players slip through the cracks, especially of the national attention.
This major prospect has been identifying all kinds of great players. We’ve been taking a look at the best players of the last ten seasons from each conference, though this season has finally come to an end. Today we’re looking closely at the 32nd and final conference. After years of practice and hard work, these players established themselves in this game. After months of research, we’ve identified a full 800 names, finishing off with the WCC today.
Obviously, you can’t talk about WCC Basketball without mentioning Gonzaga, and you’ll surely see plenty of Bulldogs on today’s list. Former Gonzaga players make up nearly half the names today, but we won’t let that overshadow some of the other talents in the conference. Programs like BYU and Saint Mary’s have always had solid teams, while San Francisco and Santa Clara have had moments of excellence at times this past decade.
For the final time we offer a simple explanation at how this series works. We’re only considering players who have played since 2013, though those whose careers started before then can still be considered as long as they played and were noteworthy after that cutoff point. The same holds true for players who transferred into or out of the WCC; they can certainly be considered and exclusive. Let’s finish off this series strong as focus in on a lot of elite names from Gonzaga and the other schools in this league.
25. Joe Rahon
A 6’2 point guard from San Diego, Rahon actually got his college career started on the opposite coast, landing at Boston College. After two solid years as a starter with the Eagles, he decided to transfer after Steve Donahue was fired in 2014, landing back in his home state at Saint Mary’s. Rahon would become an impactful presence in the backcourt for his final two collegiate seasons.
In his junior season, Rahon averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, showing few signs of rust after sitting out the previous season. He helped lead the Gaels to a regular season title in the WCC and a pair of wins over Gonzaga, though they settled for the NIT. He’d put up consistent numbers in his senior year as well, guiding the Gaels to a second straight 29-win season. This time Saint Mary’s was picked for the NCAA Tournament, with Rahon scoring 16 points in their first round win over VCU.
Rahon was WCC Newcomer of the Year in that first season and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, earning First Team All-WCC honors in both seasons as well. He was a consistent ballplayer and talented point guard, leading the conference in assists as a senior. Rahon was never a top-level scorer, but he did the little things that set up Saint Mary’s for success, with a 58-11 mark during his time in Moraga.
24. Eli Scott
Scott is a 6’6 wing from Chino Chills, California who had a very decent run at Loyola Marymount. He originally joined the program back in 2017 under Mike Dunlap but also played for current head coach Stan Johnson in his final seasons. His time at Loyola spanned five seasons due to the pandemic season, with Scott having some really nice numbers late in his career.
Scott averaged 12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a freshman before struggling with illness as a sophomore. He did help Loyola win 22 games in that second season, their highest mark of the decade. During his junior year, Scott had a pair of triple-doubles against Grambling State and Portland and really bounced back nicely. He averaged at least 15 points and 6 rebounds a game in his final three seasons, scoring a career-high 37 points in a road win at Santa Clara late in his career.
After earning All-Freshman honors, Scott was named All-WCC in his final three seasons, including the First Team nod in his senior season. He accumulated over 2000 career points and was a very important part of the Lions program for half a decade. He was among the league’s leaders in rebounds and assists and was a very underrated piece for the Lions. They didn’t always win a ton of games, but they could count on Scott’s leadership.
23. Domantas Sabonis
A 6’10 center from Lithuania, Sabonis was a Top 100 prospect from the Class of 2014 that landed at Gonzaga under Mark Few. Sabonis was actually a bench piece early in his career but developed into an outstanding player as a sophomore, spending just those two seasons in the college game.
Off the bench, Sabonis averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds as a freshman in a season that ended in the Elite Eight. He even had 18 points in their second round win over Iowa. He’d develop into a rebounding machine, averaging 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds a game for the Bulldogs. Sabonis helped lead Gonzaga to the Sweet Sixteen and had plenty of breakout performances, including a 36-point, 16-rebound game against Tennessee and a 20-rebound performance at Pacific. He actually averaged 19.7 points and 14.3 rebounds in those three Tournament games as well.
Sabonis put up awesome numbers in that second season, earning First Team All-WCC honors and becoming one of the nation’s best rebounders. He finished 4th in the conference in scoring and led it in field goal percentage, and really asserting himself as a star on a talented Gonzaga roster. Sabonis departed college after his sophomore season and became the 11th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft a few months later.
22. Emmett Naar
A 6’1 point guard from Sydney, Australia, Naar was responsible for plenty of success during his four-year run at Saint Mary’s. He crossed the ocean to Moraga back in 2014 and would become a full-time starter for the Gaels by his sophomore year. Naar put up very solid numbers during some years full of winning basketball.
After showing potential in that first season, Naar settled in as the star point guard for his final three years with a great sophomore season, averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 assists a game. He led the Gaels to the NIT as a sophomore and senior and got them into the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in between, scoring 13 points in their win over VCU. He had a 15-assist game against Pacific as a senior, averaging 9.5 points and 7.9 assists as an elite ball distributor in that final campaign.
Naar was named First Team All-WCC as a sophomore and senior and had great figures throughout his career. He was the national leader in assists as a senior and remains one of the all-time great ball distributors in the WCC. Not known as a traditional scorer, Naar still produced a lot of offense and played a major role in the Gaels’ success, as they’d win at least 29 games in each of those last three seasons.
21. Logan Johnson
A 6’2 combo guard from Mountain View, California, Johnson started off at Cincinnati back in 2018 but would spend just a season with the Bearcats. He was a minor piece early in his career, but would develop into a major weapon at Saint Mary’s spending four seasons with the Gaels up until this most recent year.
He didn’t play much off the bench in his first year in Moraga before averaging 13.3 points per game in his junior season, albeit a down year for the Gaels. Things were much better in his final two seasons at Saint Mary’s, as he’d lead the Gaels to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and first round victories. This final collegiate season saw him average 14.5 points and 3.6 assists and drop a pair of 30-point games in conference play. He put 20 points on Indiana in the 2022 NCAA Tournament before dropping a double-double on VCU in this most recent trip to the Big Dance.
Johnson was named All-WCC in each of those last three seasons, culminating in a standout final season that saw him First Team All-WCC and Defensive Player of the Year. Not only was it his best offensive season, but he was great in steals (leading the league as a senior) and defensive rebounding, playing a major role in the Gaels’ elite defense. Johnson was a major part of Saint Mary’s outstanding success in these last two seasons.
20. Khalil Shabazz
Shabazz is a 6’1 combo guard from Seattle who had four very solid seasons at San Francisco. He originally began his college career at Central Washington before transferring into the WCC, beginning his time with the Dons in 2019. A bench piece as a sophomore, Shabazz would then start every game of his final three seasons and become a major part of San Francisco’s recent revival as a program.
He actually averaged double-figures in that first season off the bench before putting up 15.0 points per game as a junior. Shabazz had solid shooting numbers and accumulated a fair amount of assists and steals in the back half of his career. He’d help lead the Dons into the NCAA Tournament in his senior year, with a pair of 20-point efforts in the WCC Tournament. In his bonus season, Shabazz averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, including a career-high 38 points against Santa Clara very late in the year.
Shabazz helped lead San Francisco to three 20-win seasons and was named All-WCC in three straight years. He led the conference in steals twice and a few other shooting metrics, while scoring over 1800 points in a major role for the Dons. While San Francisco wasn’t on par with a program like Gonzaga, Shabazz still showed incredible talent and growth during his time in this league and was a major part of those winning seasons in the Bay Area.
19. Andrew Nembhard
Considered a Top 25 prospect from the Class of 2018, Nembhard is a 6’5 point guard from Ontario who settled in at Florida to begin his career. After two very solid seasons with the Gators, he opted to transfer and would spend his last two years starring at Gonzaga. He was part of significant history with the Bulldogs and was a very useful backcourt weapon as well.
In his junior year, his first in Spokane, Nembhard was part of the Gonzaga squad that marched to the national title game with an unbeaten record. He himself only started half the games, but Nembhard averaged 9.2 points a game and was a solid contributor. As a senior, he averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 assists per game, leading Gonzaga to WCC titles and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Nembhard had a career-high 14 assists in a win over Pepperdine and dropped 23 points in a Tourney win against Memphis.
He was named WCC Sixth Man of the Year during that historic first season and earned both First Team All-WCC and Tournament MVP honors as a senior. Nembhard helmed the point and did his role well, finishing among the national leaders in assists in that final season. Frankly, he was great on offense and defense for the Bulldogs and really fit in well after transferring from Florida.
18. Brandon Clarke
Clarke is a 6’8 center from Phoenix who only spent a single season in the WCC but he really made it count. He began his collegiate career at San Jose State and had a pair of standout seasons with the Spartans. Clarke then decided to transfer and landed at Gonzaga. After sitting out, he joined the squad for the 2018-19 season and was masterful for the Bulldogs.
He was a focal point for Gonzaga as a redshirt junior and averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. He had a 27-point effort early in the year at Creighton and had a 20-point, 16-rebound performance against San Francisco, but saved his best for the Big Dance. After Gonzaga won the WCC regular season title and were upset in the conference tournament, Clarke dropped 36 points on Baylor in the second round and led the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight.
Clarke was a dominant frontcourt player and was named WCC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for that incredible campaign. Not only was he one of the best scorers and rebounders in the WCC, he also led the entire nation in both field goal percentage and blocks, a remarkable achievement. Clarke went late in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, satisfied with his work in Spokane after standing out as an absolute force all season long.
17. Jared Brownridge
Though Santa Clara struggled mightily earlier in the decade, they had a fantastic backcourt player in Brownridge in the rotation. A 6’2 guard from Aurora, Illinois, he joined Kerry Keating’s program back in 2013 and would start all but one of the 129 games he played as a Bronco. He was a major offensive threat, while the program really peaked in his final season, the first under current coach Herb Sendek.
Brownridge already averaged 17.2 points per game as a freshman while making 43% of his 3-pointers. His aptitude for long-range shooting would not go away across the next four seasons, while his free throw shooting was also at an elite level. Though Santa Clara finished under .500 in his first three years, Brownridge made himself known, actually averaging more than 20 points a game as a junior. In his senior season, Santa Clara finished 4th in the WCC and took advantage of another impressive year out of Brownridge.
After being named WCC Rookie of the Year, Brownridge earned First Team All-WCC honors in each of his final three seasons. His teams didn’t have the same success as Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s, but Brownridge was a bigtime player regardless. He was the league’s top 3-point shooter in multiple seasons, was Top 5 in scoring in all four years, and had a significant impact in this Broncos program.
16. Kevin Pangos
A 6’2 point guard from Ontario, Pangos played his entire college career at Gonzaga, dating back to 2011. The full-time starter for that entire four-year stretch, Pangos was actually WCC Rookie of the Year and was an impactful presence from the beginning for Mark Few’s program. We’re only able to focus on his upperclassman years today, but that’s still plenty of buzz.
In year in Spokane, Pangos put up 14.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, having his best offensive season which included a career-high 34-point effort against Arkansas. He actually shot at least 40% from outside the arc in all four seasons, peaking at a 43% mark as a senior. Additionally, he’d help lead Gonzaga to the Elite Eight in that senior season, scoring in double-figures in all three NCAA Tournament games.
Not only was Pangos named First Team All-WCC in those last two seasons, he was actually the league’s Player of the Year as a senior. He spent his collegiate career establishing himself not only as a fantastic long-range shooter but as a great ball distributor and leader for the Bulldogs. Among a slew of impressive Gonzaga players from recent seasons, Pangos stands out for those shooting numbers and other performances, ending his career on a high note.
15. Colbey Ross
A 6’1 point guard from Aurora, Colorado, Ross spent his entire career at Pepperdine and was immensely important to his program during that four-year stretch. He arrived in Malibu in 2017 and was gleefully inherited when Lorenzo Romar was hired prior to his sophomore season. Ross put up monster numbers in the WCC for a program that really wasn’t in the same class as Gonzaga, but you wouldn’t know it just watching him play.
There were no complaints as he averaged 14.0 points and 5.6 assists a game as a freshman, but things got even more special after Romar was rehired by the program. Ross would average no less than 17.5 points and 7.0 assists per game in each of his final three seasons with the Waves. He was a solid shooter, a great point guard, and had some phenomenal performances. Perhaps the finest highlight was a 43-point double overtime performance against Saint Mary’s in the 2020 WCC Tournament just days before the pandemic cancelled the season. He also had 30-point performances against both UCLA and USC in his career.
Ross was named First Team All-WCC for his last three seasons and actually led the league in assists in those years. Not only was he a fantastic scorer, he was among the nation’s leaders in assists, finishing Top 6 in each of those seasons. Ross put up 2236 points across four years in Malibu and was a real inspiration for a Waves program that’s largely been an afterthought in the WCC. The standings didn’t matter for Ross, who was also primed for a great performance and ended his college career in 2021 with a CBI title.
14. Jordan Ford
Ford is a 6’1 combo guard from Folsom, California who developed into quite the player while at Saint Mary’s. Not only was he part of a great winning culture with the Gaels, but he’d transform from a meager bench piece as a freshman into one of the WCC’s best offensive players less than four years later.
His career began in 2016 as that aforementioned bench piece, but he was already a major contributor as a sophomore, putting up 11.1 points per game in a 30-win season for the Gaels. He took another major step forward as an upperclassman, averaging at least 21 points a game in each of his final two seasons, shooting 41% from beyond the arc. Ford led the Gales to the WCC Tournament title as a junior and would score a career-high 42 points on Pepperdine the following season, with the pandemic cutting his career short in 2020.
Ford was phenomenal during his time in Moraga, earning First Team All-WCC honors as both a junior and senior. He was actually 4th in the nation in scoring as a senior and established himself as one of the best long-range shooters in recent memory in the WCC. Not only were those last two seasons really special, but Ford helped Saint Mary’s win 107 games and played a major role in their success on and off the court.
13. Yoeli Childs
Childs is a 6’8 forward from South Jordan, Utah who was considered a Top 100 recruit back in 2016. He opted to stay close to home at BYU and was a major piece in the Cougars’ frontcourt over the course of four seasons in Provo.
Childs was more than serviceable early in his career, starting most of the games he played at BYU. He was already averaging 17.8 points a game as a sophomore but was even more sensational as an upperclassman. He averaged greater than 21 points and 9 rebounds a game in each of his final two seasons, helping BYU to a pair of 2nd place finishes in the WCC. Though he’d miss the first month of his senior year, he made up for it with fantastic play, including a career-high 38 points against Pepperdine in his final regular season game.
Three straight seasons saw Childs named First Team All-WCC, developing quickly into a dynamic frontcourt weapon for the Cougars. BYU was clearly better off with Childs anchoring their rotation, and he was one of the top scorers and rebounders in each of those final seasons. Unfortunately, Childs never played in the Big Dance during his career, with the pandemic likely preventing a trip in his senior season. Still, he put up some incredible numbers, cleared 2000 career points, and was certainly a leader at BYU.
12. Filip Petrusev
A 6’11 center originally from Serbia, Petrusev was considered a 4-star prospect before landing at Gonzaga back in 2018. He would actually come off the bench in a more minor role in his freshman year before developing into a massive performer for the Bulldogs in his second season.
Petrusev had some nice performances early in the season but wasn’t much of a factor in the Bulldogs’ run to the Elite Eight. Though the pandemic would shorten his sophomore year, Petrusev had a much more impactful role as a starter for Gonzaga. He averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds (the team’s best in both categories) and put the Bulldogs in a great position, winning the WCC regular season title. He’d have a career-high 31 points against Santa Clara and a couple of 15-rebound efforts early in the season, quickly establishing himself.
After providing depth as a freshman, Petrusev made a major sophomore leap and was named WCC Player of the Year. He led the conference in field goal percentage and efficiency rating and was nearly the top scorer and rebounder as well. He’d play a fantastic role on a fantastic team, becoming one of Gonzaga’s go-to guys and clearly standing out in the WCC. It’s just a shame that the pandemic would hinder his career, though he would be drafted in the NBA a year later.
11. Brandin Podziemski
A 6’5 wing from Muskego, Wisconsin, Podziemski was considered a Top 100 recruit in the Class of 2021 before deciding on Illinois. However, he barely saw the court in his freshman year and decided to transfer for better opportunities. This turned out to be an extremely profitable idea, as Podziemski is coming off a stunning sophomore season at Santa Clara under Herb Sendek.
After doing nothing as a freshman, Podziemski became a star at Santa Clara, averaging 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in his only year with the Broncos. He guided Santa Clara to a 23-win season and a 4th place finish in the league, with several great efforts along the way. Not only did he make 44% of his 3-pointers, Podziemski had four 30-point efforts, put up 23 points and 18 rebounds against Pepperdine in his final home game, and lead the Broncos to the NIT.
Podziemski was named First Team All-WCC and the league’s co-Player of the Year, an extremely impressive accomplishment for this first season with Santa Clara. He was one of the nation’s best long-range shooters, and finished Top 5 in the conference in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. In actuality, Podziemski was one of the greatest developments across the season and was drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors a few months later.
10. Tyler Haws
Haws is a 6’5 wing from Alpine, Utah who had a very successful basketball career at BYU. He arrived on campus back in 2009 but left for his two-year LDS mission after his freshman season. When he returned, Haws fit right back in with the Cougars, becoming one of the WCC’s best offensive players across the final three years of his career. We’re looking at just those two final seasons today, but know he was already elite as a sophomore.
In his junior year, Haws averaged 23.2 points per game, made 40% of his 3-pointers, and led BYU to a 2nd place finish in the WCC. He had a 48-point game in triple-overtime against Portland and helped lead the Cougars to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 against Oregon. Haws remained a scoring menace, averaging 22.2 points and 4.5 rebounds as a senior while ending the year with a 33-point game against Ole Miss in the Big Dance.
Haws was named WCC Player of the Year in his junior season and earned First Team All-WCC in both of these seasons. Not only did he lead the entire nation in points as a senior, but his 2720 career points is among the Top 25 all-time scorers. He was an elite shooter from all over the court, the WCC’s top offensive threat after returning from his mission, and a leader for a BYU squad that made a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament.
9. Kyle Collinsworth
A 6’6 guard from Provo, Utah, Collinsworth stayed right at home, becoming a major player at BYU. He got on campus in 2010 and had a decent freshman season before leaving for his two year LDS mission. Back in Provo in 2013, Collinsworth would become a massive piece for the Cougars, becoming a not just a full-time starter in the backcourt but a stat stuffer as well.
Back on the court as a sophomore, Collinsworth averaged 14.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, carving out a major role on offense with the Cougars. It’s not just that he helped lead BYU to the NCAA Tournament, he would put up six triple-doubles in his junior season and that was just the beginning. Though BYU settled for a deep NIT run, his senior season was all kinds of special, as Collinsworth averaged 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.0 steals a game, including six more triple-doubles.
First and foremost, his 12 triple-doubles is twice what any player has accumulated in the history of men’s college basketball for a career. Collinsworth was First Team All-WCC in those three post-mission seasons and was WCC Player of the Year for a fantastic senior year. He not only scored and produced offense, but he also led the conference in steals in back-to-back seasons, contributing to the total success for BYU earlier this decade.
8. Nigel Williams-Goss
A 6’3 guard from Happy Valley, Oregon, Williams-Goss starred at the high school level in Las Vegas before eventually landing at Washington, beginning his college career back in 2013. After two really solid seasons as the Huskies’ starting point guard, he opted to transfer, sitting out the next season before landing at Gonzaga. He would spend just one year in Spokane, but it was clearly a pretty successful season.
As a redshirt junior, Williams-Goss settled right in as a star at Gonzaga. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game and helped lead the Bulldogs to their greatest season to-date in program history. He had a 36-point outing against San Francisco and a few double-doubles while leading the Bulldogs to the WCC titles and the program’s first ever trip to the national championship game. Williams-Goss scored 23 points in both of Gonzaga’s victories in the Elite Eight over Xavier and Final Four over South Carolina.
Williams-Goss certainly filled his trophy case as a junior, earning Second Team All-American honors, WCC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, as well as a place on the NCAA All-Tournament team. He was one of the WCC’s top scorers, led the league in steals and minutes played, and was clearly a major asset as Gonzaga marched ever close to their elusive national title. After leading the Bulldogs to the Final Four, he was taken late in the 2017 NBA Draft.
7. Kyle Wiltjer
Wiltjer won a national championship as a bench piece at Kentucky, but his best days clearly came in the WCC. He was considered a 5-star prospect back in 2011 and this 6’10 forward from Portland, Oregon played a pair of seasons for John Calipari’s program, mostly as a reserve. After sitting out the next season as a transfer, he arrived at Gonzaga and became a national name.
During his redshirt junior season, Wiltjer averaged 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds with very impressive shooting numbers, including 47% from outside the arc. He had a 45-point outburst against Pacific late in the season before leading Gonzaga to WCC titles and a trip to the Elite Eight. Back again as a senior, Wiltjer had another fantastic season, now averaging more than 20 points a game, and got Gonzaga to a 35-win season and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Wiltjer was named First Team All-WCC and Tournament MVP during both seasons while he also a Second Team All-American as a junior. He was the WCC’s top scorer during those two years and was the league’s top shooter as well. While he showed potential with the Wildcats, his decision to transfer to Gonzaga helped Wiltjer become quite the incredible figure with the Bulldogs. He’d lead the Bulldogs to two very successful seasons and was yet another one of Gonzaga’s incredible talents in recent years.
6. Jalen Suggs
Suggs is a 6’4 combo guard from West St. Paul, Minnesota who was considered one of the top prospects in the nation in the Class of 2020. This 5-star recruit chose Mark Few and Gonzaga and would have quite the memorable freshman season on the West Coast.
In that lone collegiate season, Suggs averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, becoming quite the stat-stuffer for the Bulldogs. He dropped 24 points on Kansas on opening night and had a career-high 27 a few weeks later against a talented Iowa squad. Suggs was a major part of Gonzaga not just starting the season unbeaten, but marching all the way to the national championship game with a perfect record. Most notably, Suggs hit the game-winning buzzer beater against UCLA in overtime in the Final Four, a moment that will live on in March Madness forever.
Suggs was named First Team All-WCC, Tournament MVP, Rookie of the Year, and a Second Team All-American. He certainly lived up to his preseason billings, becoming one of the national leaders in steals and a major force on the nation’s best team. Suggs lost just a single game in his collegiate career and has one of the most memorable NCAA Tournament moments of the decade. He declared for the 2021 NBA Draft after the season and became the 5th overall pick by the Orlando Magic.
5. Chet Holmgren
Considered by many a generational talent, Holmgren was the #1 recruit in the high school class of 2021. A 7’0 center from Minneapolis, he chose Gonzaga and would become a monster in the frontcourt for the Bulldogs in his lone season playing college ball.
His stats were really solid, putting up 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game, while also hitting 39% of his long-range attempts. Holmgren had a slew of impressive performances during another season where Gonzaga won regular season and tournament titles in the WCC. He had a number of 20-point outings in conference play then had a 19-point, 17-rebound, 7-block effort against Georgia State in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs would fall in the Sweet Sixteen, ending their season 28-4.
Holmgren led the nation in effective field goal percentage, was one of the best shot blockers, and was honored as a Second Team All-American. In the conference, he was clearly the best big man, earning WCC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. This impressive athlete did great work in his lone year in Spokane and was drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
4. Jock Landale
A 6’11 center from Australia, Landale had himself a prosperous college career over at Saint Mary’s, one of many talented international prospects who had success with the Gaels. Randy Bennett and his staff have a knack for hitting on those types of players, especially from Australia, and they hit another home run with Landale. Though he’d be a bench piece in his first two seasons, he developed into a national menace by the end of his career.
He didn’t see much time as a freshman and was only starting to put the pieces together as a sophomore, but Landale showed brilliance in his junior year, averaging 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He turned into a double-double machine and led Saint Mary’s to a 29-win season that included an NCAA Tournament win over VCU. Landale had 18 points and 13 rebounds in that win. An even more impressive scorer as a senior, he put up 21.1 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, taking the Gaels to 30 wins and a deep run in the NIT.
Landale was the WCC’s best rebounder and earned First Team All-WCC honors in those last two seasons, being clearly a major contributor to Saint Mary’s’ success. For that dynamic senior season, he was named WCC Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American, getting much deserve national attention for his talent and skills. He was one of the best interior scorers in the nation and was the Gaels’ best standout of the last decade.
3. Rui Hachimura
A 6’8 wing originally from Japan, Hachimura spent three years in Gonzaga and developed into one of their finest and most appreciated players in recent memory. He didn’t see much playing time in his freshman season, which ended with a trip to the national title game, but Hachimura became a major frontcourt weapon for the Bulldogs in his final two years of college ball.
After small contributions off the bench early on, he carved out his role as a sophomore as their sixth man, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as Gonzaga won another WCC title and reached the Sweet Sixteen. Junior year was Hachimura’s final season and by far his finest effort. He averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, becoming the focal offensive threat for the Bulldogs. He scored a career-high 33 points on opening night against Idaho State and would put up great numbers throughout the year, leading Gonzaga to the Elite Eight.
Hachimura was named First Team All-WCC for those final two seasons and really moved the needle as a junior. Not only did he become WCC Player of the Year and his conference’s leading scorer, he was named First Team All-American and received the Julius Erving Award as well. An incredibly talented basketball player from Japan, Hachimura spent those three seasons in Spokane honing his craft and took advantage of his opportunities, achieving great success, including an early first round selection in the 2019 NBA Draft.
2. Corey Kispert
Kispert is a 6’7 wing from Edmonds, Washington who spent four years at Gonzaga and truly was a big-time contributor for the Bulldogs. Mark Few’s program has clearly had a plethora of talented players all over the court in recent years, but Kispert was achieving great success for a majority of that time in the WCC.
He wasn’t yet a double-digit scorer as an underclassman, but did contribute on a pair of NCAA Tournament runs. His junior year was a big step forward, as Kispert would average 13.9 points per game in the season shortened by the pandemic. He’d actually make 44% of his 3-point attempts, a figure he’d repeat as a senior. Additionally, Kispert played a huge role in Gonzaga’s unbeaten march to the title game, averaging 18.6 points and 5.0 rebounds. He was great throughout that 2021 NCAA Tournament, though his career-high 32-point effort came against a great Virginia squad three months earlier.
An important part of the roster for multiple seasons, it really was that senior year where everything came together for both Kispert and the Bulldogs. He was a First Team All-American, WCC Player of the Year, and won the Julius Erving Award. Kispert finished fifth in the nation in points, was one of the country’s best shooters, and played an enormous role in their 31-0 start to the season. He was drafted in the middle of the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft after having a collegiate career full of memories and success.
1. Drew Timme
Considered a four-star prospect, this 6’10 forward from Richardson, Texas spent the last four seasons becoming synonymous with success for Gonzaga’s program. Timme was a major factor for the Bulldogs ever since arriving on campus in 2019, even though he mainly played off the bench in his freshman season. After the pandemic, he took his game to another level and has gone down in program history.
There’s a lot to say about Timme, who helped lead Gonzaga to the national title game as a sophomore, averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds during a near-unbeaten season. He’d lead Gonzaga to a Sweet Sixteen as a junior with another prosperous season before putting up his best numbers in year four. Timme dropped a career-high 38 points on Pacific, part of a monster year where he averaged 21.2 points per game. He’d lead the Bulldogs to the Elite Eight after putting up 36 points and 13 rebounds in their Sweet Sixteen win against UCLA.
The accolades speak for themselves: Timme was three times named an All-American, including First Team billing as a senior. He was twice named WCC Player of the Year, leading the league in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage in multiple seasons. Timme’s 2307 career points is the all-time record in Gonzaga history. Not only did he put up outrageous numbers, he helped the program win 121 games and establish Gonzaga’s role as one of the nation’s best teams.