No. 1 Gonzaga creamed No. 2 UCLA 83-63 in an intriguing early-season matchup and proved for now that they are a very deserving No. 1 team. Chet Holmgren also showed he is worthy of the hype.
The freshman center scored 15 points with six rebounds and four blocks in his team’s win. He showed off a variety of skills during the game.
In a postgame interview with ESPN’s Sean Farnham, Holmgren was asked about his “unicorn” ability. Rather than tooting his own horn, Holmgren turned the focus to something more important than individual status: being a winner.
He told Farnham he wants to be known for something else with his game.
“Just a winner. Whatever it takes to win, whatever it might be … whether I have to block shots, dribble down and dunk the ball, it doesn’t matter if it’s screen coverages, switches on guards, making the right pass, it doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to win,” Holmgren said.
NBA teams will love hearing that.
Holmgren may be a top recruit and future NBA prospect, but he is a team-first player.
In addition to Holmgren, Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard delivered big games for Gonzaga. Timme had 18 points and 8 rebounds, while Nembhard added 24 points.
Gonzaga once again looks like the real deal.
Photo: Oct 31, 2021; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs center Chet Holmgren (34) points to the guy he was covering during a game against the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Bulldogs won 115-62. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
