2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, also unofficially nicknamed the "Zags", is led by head coach Mark Few, in his 23rd season as head coach. This is the Bulldogs' 18th season at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center and 42nd season as a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC). They finished the season 28-4, 13-1 in WCC Play to finish as WCC regular season champions. They defeated San Francisco and Saint Mary’s to be champions of the WCC tournament. They received the WCC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Georgia State and Memphis to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Arkansas.

2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
WCC regular season and tournament champions
Empire Classic champions
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferenceWest Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 1
Record28–4 (13–1 WCC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaMcCarthey Athletic Center
Seasons
2021–22 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 1 Gonzaga 13 1   .929 28 4   .875
No. 18 Saint Mary's 12 3   .800 26 8   .765
Santa Clara 10 5   .667 21 12   .636
San Francisco 10 6   .625 24 10   .706
BYU 9 6   .600 24 11   .686
Portland 7 7   .500 19 15   .559
San Diego 7 9   .438 15 16   .484
Pacific 3 11   .214 8 22   .267
Loyola Marymount 3 12   .200 11 18   .379
Pepperdine 1 15   .063 7 25   .219
2022 WCC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

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In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulldogs finished the 2020–21 season 31–1 and 15–0 in WCC play to win the regular season championship.[1] They defeated Saint Mary's[2] and BYU[3] in the WCC tournament to win the tournament championship and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[4] It was their 22nd straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Zags became the first Division I men's team since Kentucky in 2015 to enter the NCAA Tournament without a loss. They received the No. 1 seed in the West region where they beat Norfolk State,[5] Oklahoma,[6] Creighton,[7] and USC to advance to the Final Four.[8] There they defeated UCLA to become the first undefeated team to advance to the national championship game since Indiana State in 1979.[9] The Bulldogs lost their first game of the season to Baylor in the championship game, denying the Bulldogs a perfect season.[10]

Offseason

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Coaching changes

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Departures

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Name Position Year at
Gonzaga
Alma Mater (year) Reason for departure
Tommy Lloyd Associate Head Coach 20th Whitman (1998) Head coach at Arizona[11]
Ken Nakagawa Video Coordinator 5th Long Beach State (2014) Director of Advanced Scouting at Arizona[12]

Additions to staff

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Name Position Year at
Gonzaga
Alma Mater (year) Previous Job
Stephen Gentry Assistant coach 1st Gonzaga (2006) Assistant coach at Illinois[13]
Kurt Bambauer Video Coordinator 1st Gonzaga (2017) Video Coordinator at Vanderbilt[14]

Player departures

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Due to COVID-19, the NCAA ruled in October 2020 that the 2020–21 season would not count against the eligibility of any basketball player, thus giving all players the option to return in 2021–22.[15] This in turn meant that seniors in the 2020–21 season had to declare themselves eligible for the 2021 NBA draft.

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Aaron Cook Jr. 4 G 6'1" 180 Senior (Redshirt) St. Louis, MO Transferred to Georgia[16]
Corey Kispert 24 F 6'7" 220 Senior Edmonds, WA Graduated; declared for 2021 NBA draft; selected 15th overall by the Washington Wizards[17]
Joël Ayayi 11 G 6'5" 180 Junior (Redshirt) Bordeaux, France Declared for 2021 NBA draft; undrafted[18]
Pavel Zakharov 10 F 7'0" 235 Sophomore St. Petersburg, Russia Transferred to California Baptist[19]
Oumar Ballo 21 C 7'0" 260 Freshman (Redshirt) Koulikoro, Mali Transferred to Arizona[20]
Jalen Suggs 1 G 6'4" 205 Freshman West St. Paul, MN Declared for 2021 NBA draft; selected 5th overall by the Orlando Magic[21]
Evan Inglesby 32 G 6'4" 200 Freshman Gresham, OR Walk-on; left team

Incoming transfers

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Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous
School
Years
Remaining
Date
Eligible
Rasir Bolton 45 G 6'3" 185 Senior Petersburg, VA Iowa State 2 October 1, 2021[22]

2021 recruiting class

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US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Kaden Perry
#8 C
Battle Ground, WA Battle Ground 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun 27, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 84
Hunter Sallis
#2 CG
Omaha, NE Millard North 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Mar 26, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 93
Chet Holmgren
#1 C
Minneapolis, MN Minnehaha 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Apr 19, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 97
Nolan Hickman
#6 PG
Seattle, WA Wasatch Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) May 15, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 5  ESPN: 5
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Gonzaga 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  • "2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

Preseason

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Mark Few arrest and suspension

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On September 6, 2021, head coach Mark Few was pulled over by police and arrested for driving under the influence in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[23] Few refused sobriety tests on the scene, but was shown to have a blood alcohol level of .119 and .120 from breath tests, well over the legal limit of .08.[23] Few later apologized for the incident and pled guilty to misdemeanor DUI.[24] The school suspended Few for three games for his actions.[25] However, the suspension notably included two exhibition games and the first game of the regular season, meaning he was able to coach the November 13 game against No. 5 Texas.[26]

Preseason rankings

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Gonzaga was a near-unanimous selection as the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason AP[27] and Coaches poll.[28]

Roster

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2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 23 Matthew Lang 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Jesuit Portland, OR
G 35 Will Graves (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr South Eugene
Lane CC
Eugene, OR
G 3 Andrew Nembhard 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 193 lb (88 kg) Sr Montverde Academy
Florida
Aurora, ON
G 45 Rasir Bolton 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Massanutten Military Academy
Penn State
Iowa State
Petersburg, VA
F 22 Anton Watson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jr Gonzaga Prep Spokane, WA
G 5 Martynas Arlauskas 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr President Valdas Adamkus Gymnasium Kaunas, Lithuania
F 2 Drew Timme 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jr Pearce Richardson, TX
G 55 Dominick Harris   6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Rancho Christian Murrieta, CA
G 0 Julian Strawther 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So Liberty HS Las Vegas, NV
F 30 Abe Eagle (W)   6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) So Chaminade Prep Los Angeles, CA
F 25 Colby Brooks (W)   6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Loyola HS Los Angeles, CA
F 33 Ben Gregg 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr Clackamas Clackamas, OR
F 20 Kaden Perry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr Battle Ground Battle Ground, WA
G 10 Hunter Sallis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Millard North Omaha, NE
C 34 Chet Holmgren 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Minnehaha Minneapolis, MN
G 11 Nolan Hickman 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Wasatch Academy Seattle, WA
G 15 Joe Few (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr Gonzaga Prep Spokane, WA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: January 27, 2022

  • Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
  • Matthew Lang was awarded a basketball scholarship for the second semester of the 2021–22 season.


Coaching staff

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Name Position Year at
Gonzaga
Alma Mater (year)
Mark Few Head coach 23rd Oregon (1987)
Brian Michaelson Assistant coach 9th Gonzaga (2005)
Roger Powell Jr. Assistant coach 3rd Illinois (2005)
Stephen Gentry Assistant coach 1st Gonzaga (2006)
Jorge Sanz Director of Basketball Operations 4th Florida Atlantic (2011)
Kurt Bambauer Video Coordinator 1st Gonzaga (2017)
Gary Bell Jr. Coordinator of Basketball Administration 3rd Gonzaga (2015)
Josh Therrien Athletic Trainer 6th Washington State (2007)
Travis Knight Strength & Conditioning Coach 16th Gonzaga (2000)

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 31, 2021*
1:00 p.m., SWX
No. 1 Eastern Oregon W 115–62 
 18  Strawther   9  Strawther   4  Hickman  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
November 5, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ
No. 1 vs. Lewis–Clark State W 112–62 
 25   Timme   8   Timme   3   Tied  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Non-conference regular season
November 9, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 1 Dixie State W 97–63  1–0
 17  Strawther   13  Holmgren   7  Watson  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
November 13, 2021*
7:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 1 No. 5 Texas W 86–74  2–0
 37  Timme   7  Timme   8  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
November 15, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 1 Alcorn State W 84–57  3–0
 18  Strawther   6  Holmgren   6  Timme  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
November 19, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 1 Bellarmine W 92–50  4–0
 25  Timme   6  Tied   7  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
November 22, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPNU
No. 1 vs. Central Michigan
Empire Classic
W 107–54  5–0
 19  Holmgren   7  Sallis   5  Bolton  T-Mobile Arena (7,029)
Paradise, NV
November 23, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 2 UCLA
Empire Classic
W 83–63  6–0
 24  Nembhard   9  Strawther   6  Nembhard  T-Mobile Arena (12,795)
Paradise, NV
November 26, 2021*
7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 5 Duke
Continental Tire Challenge
L 81–84  6–1
 20  Strawther   10  Strawther   11  Nembhard  T-Mobile Arena (20,389)
Paradise, NV
November 29, 2021*
7:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 3 Tarleton State W 64–55  7–1
 17  Bolton   12  Strawther   2  Tied  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
December 4, 2021*
5:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 3 vs. No. 16 Alabama
Battle in Seattle
L 82–91  7–2
 23  Timme   11  Holmgren   4  Tied  Climate Pledge Arena (18,048)
Seattle, WA
December 9, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+
No. 5 Merrimack W 80–55  8–2
 22  Timme   15  Holmgren   5  Watson  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
December 12, 2021*
2:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 Washington
Rivalry
Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols from Washington McCarthey Athletic Center 
Spokane, WA
December 18, 2021*
10:00 a.m., CBS
No. 5 vs. No. 25 Texas Tech
Jerry Colangelo Classic
W 69–55  9–2
 16  Nembhard   11  Holmgren   6  Nembhard  Footprint Center (7,821)
Phoenix, AZ
December 20, 2021*
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 4 Northern Arizona W 95–49  10–2
 20  Holmgren   9  Holmgren   3  Tied  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
December 28, 2021*
2:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 4 North Alabama W 93–63  11–2
 15  Strawther   10  Watson   3  Timme  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
WCC Regular Season
January 1, 2022
4:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+
No. 4 at Loyola Marymount Canceled Gersten Pavilion 
Los Angeles, CA
January 8, 2022
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+
No. 2 Pepperdine W 117–83  12–2
(1–0)
 19  Watson   8  Holmgren   8  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
January 13, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 BYU
Rivalry
W 110–84  13–2
(2–0)
 30  Timme   7  Holmgren   12  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
January 15, 2022
1:00 p.m., KAYU/RTNW+
No. 2 at Santa Clara W 115–83  14–2
(3–0)
 32  Timme   12  Holmgren   7  Bolton  Leavey Center (1,100)
Santa Clara, CA
January 20, 2022
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW+
No. 1 at Pacific Canceled Alex G. Spanos Center 
Stockton, CA
January 20, 2022
8:00 p.m., CBSSN
No. 1 San Francisco W 78–62  15–2
(4–0)
 23  Timme   9  Holmgren   7  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
January 27, 2022
8:00 p.m., CBSSN
No. 2 Loyola Marymount W 89–55  16–2
(5–0)
 21  Holmgren   9  Holmgren   5  Bolton  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
January 29, 2022
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 2 Portland W 104–72  17–2
(6–0)
 22  Nembhard   11  Holmgren   4  Tied  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
February 3, 2022
6:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 at San Diego W 92–62  18–2
(7–0)
 23  Holmgren   12  Holmgren   7  Nembhard  Jenny Craig Pavilion (5,433)
San Diego, CA
February 5, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 at BYU
Rivalry
W 90–57  19–2
(8–0)
 20  Holmgren   17  Holmgren   6  Holmgren  Marriott Center (18,987)
Provo, UT
February 10, 2022
6:00 p.m., CBSSN
No. 2 Pacific W 89–51  20–2
(9–0)
 20  Bolton   10  Timme   3  Tied  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
February 12, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 2 No. 22 Saint Mary's
Rivalry
W 74–58  21–2
(10–0)
 25  Timme   13  Holmgren   7  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
February 16, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 1 at Pepperdine W 86–66  22–2
(11–0)
 19  Timme   17  Holmgren   14  Nembhard  Firestone Fieldhouse (2,412)
Malibu, CA
February 19, 2022
6:00 p.m., KHQ/RTNW
No. 1 Santa Clara W 81–69  23–2
(12–0)
 23  Timme   10  Holmgren   8  Nembhard  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
February 24, 2022
6:00 p.m., ESPN2
No. 1 at San Francisco W 89–73  24–2
(13–0)
 21  Holmgren   15  Holmgren   8  Timme  War Memorial Gymnasium (3,138)
San Francisco, CA
February 26, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 at No. 23 Saint Mary's
Rivalry
L 57–67  24–3
(13–1)
 16  Bolton   8  Timme   2  Timme  University Credit Union Pavilion (3,500)
Moraga, CA
WCC Tournament
March 7, 2022
6:00 p.m., ESPN
(1) No. 1 vs. (4) San Francisco
Semifinals
W 81–71  25–3
 22  Timme   10  Watson   9  Nembhard  Orleans Arena 
Paradise, NV
March 8, 2022
6:00 p.m., ESPN
(1) No. 1 vs. (2) No. 17 Saint Mary's
Championship
W 82–69  26–3
 21  Nembhard   8  Holmgren   7  Nembhard  Orleans Arena 
Paradise, NV
NCAA tournament
March 17, 2022*
1:15 pm, TNT
(1 W) No. 1 vs. (16 W) Georgia State
First Round
W 93–72  27–3
 32  Timme   17  Holmgren   11  Nembhard  Moda Center (14,343)
Portland, OR
March 19, 2022*
6:40 p.m., TBS
(1 W) No. 1 vs. (9 W) Memphis
Second Round
W 82–78  28–3
 25  Timme   14  Timme   5  Nembhard  Moda Center (17,907)
Portland, OR
March 24, 2022*
4:00 p.m., CBS
(1 W) No. 1 vs. (4 W) No. 17 Arkansas
Sweet Sixteen
L 68–74  28–4
 25  Timme   14  Holmgren   3  Tied  Chase Center (17,514)
San Francisco, CA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
W=West.
All times are in Pacific Time.

Source[29]

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314151617Final
AP1 (55)1 (55)1 (55)3 (1)554421 (25)2 (13)2 (12)2 (13)1 (56)1 (61)1 (46)1 (52)1 (54)Not released
Coaches1 (29)^1 (30)35421 (23)1 (18)(16)1 (18)1 (30)1 (32)1 (20)1 (27)1 (31)5

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings.
^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.

References

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  1. ^ "2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - March 8, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Brigham Young vs. Gonzaga Box Score, March 9, 2021". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Recap and highlights: No. 1 Gonzaga roars back, beats BYU for WCC Tournament title | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "Norfolk State vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - March 20, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Oklahoma vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - March 22, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  7. ^ "Creighton vs. Gonzaga - Game Summary - March 28, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  8. ^ "USC vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - March 30, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  9. ^ "UCLA vs. Gonzaga - Game Recap - April 3, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Forde, Pat. "Baylor's Beatdown Spoils Gonzaga's Chance at Perfection". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "Arizona Names Tommy Lloyd as Men's Basketball Head Coach" (Press release). Arizona Wildcats. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "Arizona hires three staffers with Gonzaga ties to work under Tommy Lloyd". SB Nation. April 28, 2021.
  13. ^ "Former Gonzaga Bulldogs player Stephen Gentry hired as assistant basketball coach". ESPN. May 24, 2021.
  14. ^ "Kurt Bambauer". gozags.com. September 2021.
  15. ^ "DI Council extends eligibility for winter sport student-athletes" (Press release). NCAA. October 14, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  16. ^ "Crean adds Gonzaga point guard Aaron Cook". Rivals.com. May 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "2021 NBA Draft: Corey Kispert Taken at No. 15 by Washington". July 29, 2021.
  18. ^ "Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi declares for NBA draft". ESPN. April 9, 2021.
  19. ^ "Pavel Zakharov Transferring From Gonzaga". SB Nation. April 9, 2021.
  20. ^ "Arizona Basketball adds Zaga transfer, Oumar Ballo". FanSided. April 20, 2021.
  21. ^ "Jalen Suggs Declares for NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. April 19, 2021.
  22. ^ "Gonzaga adds Iowa State transfer Rasir Bolton to men's hoops team". ESPN. April 30, 2021.
  23. ^ a b Salvador, Joseph. "Gonzaga's Mark Few Cited With DUI". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  24. ^ "Gonzaga's Few fined after pleading guilty to DUI". ESPN.com. October 20, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  25. ^ Gastelum, Andrew. "Gonzaga Suspends Mark Few for Season Opener, Preseason". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  26. ^ Bumbaca, Chris. "Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few suspended to start season after DWI". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  27. ^ "Zags runaway No. 1 in AP preseason Top 25 poll". ESPN.com. October 18, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  28. ^ "Gonzaga ranked #1 on USA Today's preseason coaches poll". KXLY. October 27, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  29. ^ "gozags.com :: Gonzaga Official Athletic Site :: Men's Basketball". gozags.com.