DREW TIMME

Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, Auburn's Jabari Smith and Duke's Paolo Banchero are set to make it a forward-heavy start to the NBA draft.

JD Notae scored 21 points despite missing 20 shots and fourth-seeded Arkansas made Gonzaga miserable on both ends of the floor, bouncing the top overall seed from the NCAA Tournament with a 74-68 win.

NCAA Duke Basketball Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski watches his team during practice for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in San Francisco. Duke faces Texas Tech in a Sweet 16 game on Thursday. Texas Tech's top 10 field-goal defense and scoring defense can cover for its offensive shortcomings. The 59-53 win over Notre Dame was a truer picture of how coach Mark Adams' rugged team plays. So that’s why I really liked them.”NO RESPECTArkansas coach Eric Musselman is never shy about saying what's on his mind.

NCAA Duke Basketball Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski watches his team during practice for the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in San Francisco. Duke faces Texas Tech in a Sweet 16 game on Thursday. Never mind the school tournament record 97 points the Red Raiders scored against Montana State in the first round. The 59-53 win over Notre Dame was a truer picture of how coach Mark Adams' rugged team plays. So that’s why I really liked them.”NO RESPECTArkansas coach Eric Musselman is never shy about saying what's on his mind.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 26th, and final, appearance in the Sweet 16 is a classic matchup of offense vs.

9 seed Memphis 82-78 on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Trailing at the half for only the fourth time this season, Gonzaga leaned on its star junior to carry the Zags into its seventh straight Sweet 16. Williams scored 14 points for Memphis but sat a big chunk of the second half with foul trouble. The matchup between future NBA lottery picks Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga and Jalen Duren of Memphis never fully materialized because of foul trouble. Duren finished with seven points and seven rebounds but played just 19 minutes and sat for more than 10 minutes of the second half after picking up his fourth foul.

Drew Timme scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, and top overall seed Gonzaga rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat No. 9 seed Memphis 82-78 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before pulling away late for a 93-72 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Corey Allen led Georgia State (18-10) with 16 points, and Jalen Thomas and Kane Williams both added 12. Gonzaga led 64-58 when Holmgren scored on a putback and Nolan Hickman blocked a shot and scored in transition. Gonzaga coach Mark Few warned that in his view Georgia State didn’t fit the typical profile of a No. Foul trouble also caught up with Georgia State as Kaleb Scott committed his fifth foul with 10:26 left, one of three interior players to foul out for the Panthers.

Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half and top overall seed Gonzaga struggled to shake No. 16 seed Georgia State for 30 minutes before pulling away late for a 93-72 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Keegan Murray has given Iowa a first-team Associated press All-American for the third straight year.

College basketball fans hungering for a return to normal this March should feel happy.

Andrew Nembhard scored 19 points, Rasir Bolton added 18 and top-ranked Gonzaga outlasted No. 17 Saint Mary’s 82-69 to win its eighth West Coast Conference tournament title in nine years.

Gonzaga Saint Marys Basketball Gonzaga forward Drew Timme drives to the basket between Saint Mary's forward Matthias Tass, bottom, forward Kyle Bowen (14) and guard Alex Ducas (44) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. Gonzaga and Arizona remained the top two teams in the poll released Monday, holding steady despite both losing their most recent games. Gonzaga, Arizona, Auburn, Purdue, Kansas and Kentucky all lost on Saturday, marking the first time in the AP poll era (1948-49) that the top six teams lost on the same day. 9 Texas Tech also lost, setting another record for most top-10 teams losing in one day. 19 Saint Mary's to close out their regular season.

The top six and seven of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 lost on the same day last week, both records.

APTOPIX Gonzaga Saint Marys Basketball Saint Mary's guard Alex Ducas, middle, celebrates with fans after Saint Mary's defeated Gonzaga in an NCAA college basketball game in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. 23 Saint Mary’s beat No. Saint Mary's ended Gonzaga’s 17-game winning streak, beating a No. Two nights after thumping San Francisco 89-73, Gonzaga appeared sluggish and out of sync against Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s: Coach Randy Bennett spent the week telling anyone who would listen that he liked his team’s chances.

Tommy Kuhse had 14 points and six rebounds and No. 23 Saint Mary’s beat No. 1 Gonzaga 67-57 on Saturday night to prevent the Bulldogs from completing another undefeated run in the West Coast Conference.

PJ Pipes scored 27 points and Jalen Williams 15 for Santa Clara (18-10, 8-5), which ranks third in the WCC. “He hit a lot of tough shots.”The 12-point margin of victory was the lowest of the season in a WCC game for Gonzaga. But the Zags erupted for a 20-4 run and Santa Clara missed 10 of 11 field-goal attempts. Santa Clara got within single digits several times early in the second half, but the Bulldogs led 59-46 with 12 minutes left. “We battled all the way through until the end,” Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek said.

PJ Pipes scored 27 points and Jalen Williams 15 for Santa Clara (18-10, 8-5), which ranks third in the WCC. But the Zags erupted for a 20-4 run and Santa Clara missed 10 of 11 field-goal attempts. Santa Clara got within single digits several times early in the second half, but the Bulldogs led 59-46 with 12 minutes left. Pipes' 3-pointer drew Santa Clara to 59-53 with just under 10 minutes left, but a 13-6 run by the Zags made it 72-59. A pair of 3-pointers by Nembhard lifted Gonzaga to a 78-62 lead with just over two minutes left, and Santa Clara did not threaten again.

Drew Timme had 23 points and nine rebounds, Andrew Nembhard added 21 points, and top-ranked Gonzaga beat Santa Clara 81-69 to win its 10th straight West Coast Conference regular-season title.

San Francisco Gonzaga Basketball Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) shoots over San Francisco forward Patrick Tapé (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) (Young Kwak)SPOKANE, Wash. — (AP) — On a night when shots weren't dropping for Drew Timme, freshman center Chet Holmgren stepped up to lift top-ranked Gonzaga. Holmgren scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots in the Bulldogs' 78-62 victory over San Francisco on Thursday night. Jamaree Bouyea scored 25 points and Khalil Shabazz 15 for San Francisco (15-4, 2-2), which is off to its best start in decades. “I thought we played a really good game,” San Francisco coach Todd Golden said. SHOOTING WOESGonzaga shot 46.7% for the game, but San Francisco managed to shoot just 36% from the floor.

San Francisco Gonzaga Basketball Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) shoots over San Francisco forward Patrick Tapé (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) (Young Kwak)SPOKANE, Wash. — (AP) — Drew Timme scored 23 points, Chet Holmgren added 22 and top-ranked Gonzaga beat San Francisco 78-62 on Thursday night in a makeup game after their Jan. 6 contest was postponed by COVID-19 issues. Anton Watson scored 11 points and Andrew Nembhard 10 for Gonzaga (15-2, 4-0 West Coast), which regained the No. Jamaree Bouyea scored 25 points and Khalil Shabazz 15 for San Francisco (15-4, 2-2), which is off to its best start in decades. Gonzaga opened the second half with a 20-7 run, led by nine points by Holmgren, for a 56-40 lead. ... Gonzaga leads the nation in scoring at 90.9 points per game and in field goal shooting at 53.9%.

Drew Timme scored 23 points, Chet Holmgren added 22 and top-ranked Gonzaga beat San Francisco 78-62 in a makeup game after their Jan. 6 contest was postponed by COVID-19 issues.

2 Gonzaga beat rival BYU 110-84 on Thursday night to extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 61 games. Alex Barcello scored 19 points to lead BYU (14-4, 2-1), which was the last WCC team to beat Gonzaga in February of 2020. BYU jumped to an early 18-16 lead, but Gonzaga replied with a 15-4 run — 11 points by Nembhard — to take a 31-22 lead midway through a fast-paced first half. Gonzaga withstood a late 3-point barrage by BYU to lead 61-49 at halftime. An 11-2 run midway through the second — with nine points by Timme — gave Gonzaga a 20-point lead at 80-60.

Drew Timme scored 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting and No. 2 Gonzaga beat rival BYU 110-84 to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak to 61 games.

Purdue is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time.

Jaden Shackelford scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half, Jahvon Quinerly and JD Davison both hit key 3-pointers later, and No. 16 Alabama held off Gonzaga’s big second-half rally for a 91-82 win over the third-ranked Bulldogs.

Paolo Banchero scored 21 points to lead No. 5 Duke over No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Friday night.

Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points, freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set and top-ranked Gonzaga overwhelmed No. 2 UCLA 83-63 to win the Empire Classic.

Bellarmine Gonzaga Basketball Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) shoots next to Bellarmine forward Curt Hopf (42) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Spokane, Wash. Gonzaga won 92-50. "I was breaking down last night watching our UCLA game — they literally have their whole team back," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. San Diego State takes on Georgetown the same night in the Wooden Legacy. EMERALD COAST CLASSICElsewhere in Florida, LSU plays Penn State and Oregon State faces Wake Forest on Friday in the main bracket of the Emerald Coast Classic hosted by Northwest Florida State College. ___For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.

The rise of exempt tournaments the past few years has turned the week of Thanksgiving into a reason to give thanks for some college hoops.

Gonzaga and UCLA continue their hold on the top two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll, setting the stage for their highly anticipated showdown this week.

The destination is the summer pro-am run by former NBA star Jamal Crawford. “It was unreal to see a unicorn in real life!” Crawford tweeted in August. “Chet Holmgren is special.” Fast-forward three months and as much as top-ranked Gonzaga might be downplaying all the “unicorn” talk, it’s clear Holmgren is a special talent unlike any that’s come through the Bulldogs’ program.

Gonzaga, UCLA and Kansas hold the top three spots in first regular-season AP Top 25.

Dixie St Gonzaga Basketball Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson directs his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Dixie State, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) (Young Kwak)SPOKANE, Wash. — (AP) — Julian Strawther had 17 points and 10 rebounds as top-ranked Gonzaga beat Dixie State 97-63 in their season opener Tuesday night without coach Mark Few on the sideline. Rasir Bolton added 15 points for Gonzaga (1-0), which was undefeated last season before losing to Baylor in the national title game. Cameron Gooden had 15 points and Dancell Leter scored 13 to lead Dixie State (0-1), a member of the Western Athletic Conference from St. George, Utah. Dixie State, however, made only one of its first 13 and trained 23-4 with 8:50 left in the first half. Brock Gilbert's 3-pointer pulled Dixie State to 47-35 early in the second.

Julian Strawther had 17 points and 10 rebounds as top-ranked Gonzaga beat Dixie State 97-63 in their season opener without coach Mark Few on the sideline.

Preseason All-America Basketball FILE - These are 2020 and 2021 file photos showing, from left; Illinois' Kofi Cockburn, Villanova's Collin Gillespie, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, UCLA's Johnny Juzang and Gonzaga's Drew Timme. Drew Timme of Gonzaga is the lone unanimous selection on The Associated Press preseason All-America NCAA college basketball team, announced Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. He was joined by Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn, UCLA guard Johnny Juzang, Villanova point guard Collin Gillespie and Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. There was an added benefit, too: Timme was the lone unanimous selection by a 63-person media panel on The Associated Press preseason All-America team released Monday. The 7-foot center averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season to earn a second-team spot on the AP All-America team.

Preseason All-America Basketball FILE - These are 2020 and 2021 file photos showing, from left; Illinois' Kofi Cockburn, Villanova's Collin Gillespie, Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis, UCLA's Johnny Juzang and Gonzaga's Drew Timme. Drew Timme of Gonzaga is the lone unanimous selection on The Associated Press preseason All-America NCAA college basketball team, announced Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/File) (Uncredited)Drew Timme could have left for the NBA after leading Gonzaga into last season's national title game. There was an added benefit, too: Timme was the lone unanimous selection by a 63-person media panel on The Associated Press preseason All-America team released Monday. The 7-foot center averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season to earn a second-team spot on the AP All-America team.

Drew Timme of Gonzaga is the lone unanimous selection on The Associated Press preseason All-America team.

At one point during Gonzaga's yearlong run at No. 1 last season, coach Mark Few felt so comfortable with the leadership he had on the floor, he could have left a rack of basketballs on the court, walked away and the Bulldogs could have run practice themselves. The talent is certainly there, it’s just a matter of how quickly Gonzaga can fit the pieces together.

The Zags were the runaway top choice in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball preseason poll released Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. The Zags were the runaway top choice in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball preseason poll released Monday. They are starting with their first top-10 preseason ranking since 2009 and their first top-10 ranking in any AP poll since spending 13 weeks there during the 2016-17 season. THE CHAMPSBaylor has a second straight top-10 preseason ranking despite losing four starters from last year’s title winner, including AP All-Americans Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http;//www.twitter.com/aaronbeardapCopyright 2021 The Associated Press.

Gonzaga is the preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll.

Baylor knew it would need to play to near-perfection to end Gonzaga’s flawless season.

The fresh-as-can-be Baylor Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to perfection in an 86-70 runaway in the national title game.

Baylor is the national champion in college basketball.

Gonzaga has given fans the NCAA championship game they wanted with a shot for the ages.

On Saturday in the national semifinals, the Zags will face 11th-seeded UCLA, which beat Michigan 51-49 in a later Elite Eight game. All-American Corey Kispert had 18 points and eight boards on an “off” night — only 6 for 19 from the floor. “We just tried to stay moving,” Suggs said about attacking the USC zone, which had been shutting down teams all month in Indy. “It was a little surprising," USC coach Andy Enfield said, “because we'd been playing great basketball.”The Zags have a way about doing that to people. ALL-WEST TEAMThe All-region team included both Mobley brothers, Suggs, Kispert and Timme, who was named the West's most outstanding player.

The scary part is, he thinks that also might be true for the undefeated Zags. Nembhard had 17 points and eight assists, both season highs, to keep the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed rolling with Sunday's 83-65 rout of fifth-seeded Creighton in the West Region semifinals. Defensively, the Zags held Creighton to 40 points over the final 30 minutes as they methodically turned a 27-25 game into a blowout. “They just play so fast, so efficient with everything they do," said Marcus Zegarowski, who led Creighton with 19 points. That just about finished off Creighton as the Zags moved within three wins of becoming the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976.

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammate Corey Kispert (24) after defeating Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Monday, March 22, 2021. Drew Timme scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the top-seeded Bulldogs beat No. “Thought we got a little better feel for the pace of things in the second half,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. SECOND WEEKENDThe last time Gonzaga was eliminated before the tournament's second weekend was in 2015, when the Bulldogs were a No. Oklahoma failed to reach the second week for the third straight tournament appearance since reaching the Final Four in 2016.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)Gonzaga and Baylor spent almost the entire season holding down the top two spots in the Top 25. Makes sense they'd hold down a bunch of spots on The Associated Press All-America teams. The Bulldogs' Corey Kispert and the Bears' Jared Butler led the way with first-team nods Tuesday from the national panel of 63 media members that vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll. Just like the first- and second-team All-Americans, their teams also will be playing in the NCAA Tournament this week. ___AP Basketball Writer John Marshall and AP Sports Writers Michael Marot and Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.

The NCAA Tournament is next. Kispert hit three early 3-pointers and scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half. Ad“Gonzaga responded in the second half,” said BYU guard Alex Borcello, who had 15 points. KNELL'S NIGHTKnell entered the title game averaging 5.8 points per game, but got some open looks against Gonzaga's pressure. It’s a heck of an accomplishment.”UP NEXTBYU should be a lock to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Gonzaga won 86-69. Gonzaga won its ninth consecutive West Coast Conference regular-season title after going 14-0 and is the lone remaining undefeated team in Division I. Win those two and Gonzaga will become the fifth team in the last 45 years to head into the NCAA Tournament undefeated. AdThe win over the Mountaineers gave Baylor its first Big 12 regular-season title and moved it back into the No. The Razorbacks entered the AP Top 25 on Feb. 15 and have made a quick climb, reaching No.

1 Gonzaga remained the only unbeaten in the country with a 86-69 win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday night. The Bulldogs (24-0, 15-0 WCC) won their 51st straight home game to set a school record and finished off a perfect regular season. Gonzaga has won 28 straight games dating to last season and is the first team to finish the regular season unbeaten since Kentucky in 2014-15. Eli Scott had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Loyola Marymount (12-8, 7-5), and Mattias Markusson added 19 points and 10 rebounds. AdGonzaga: The Bulldogs won their 21st straight game by double-digits as the No.

2 Baylor remained atop Monday's latest AP Top 25, where they have been for all 13 polls this season. 8 in the AP poll to pull closer to the committee's seeding of seventh overall shortly before the Crimson Tide scored 115 points in a win over against Georgia. THE TOP TIERCoach Mark Few’s Bulldogs received 59 of 64 first-place votes in the new AP Top 25, while Scott Drew’s Bears claimed the other five. The Jayhawks fell out of last week’s poll for the first time in 12 years. Kansas was one of three new additions to this week’s poll, joined by No.

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme celebrates after scoring a basket during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Pacific in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)Gonzaga, Baylor and Villanova remained atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll Monday, while ninth-ranked Alabama climbed to its highest ranking in 14 years. Villanova remained third followed by Michigan, with the Wolverines cracking the top five for a second straight season under Juwan Howard after being unranked earlier in the year. 18 Tennessee took the week's biggest tumble, falling 12 spots after losses to Florida and Missouri. ___More AP college basketball: http://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Gonzaga and Baylor maintained their grip on the top two spots in The Associated Press men's basketball poll Monday. “Everyone has dealt with this,” said Wright, whose team finally gets back on the court Tuesday night against Seton Hall. The Golden Gophers were followed by Auburn, one of this week's poll newcomers, Missouri and Clemson. “We’re still finding out about our team,” said coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose team nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit against Virginia Tech. IN AND OUTThe Bruins were the other newcomer to this week's poll after improving to 11-2 and 7-0 in the Pac-12 with consecutive wins over Washington State and Washington.

Kispert scored a career-high 32 points and tied a school record with nine 3-pointers, leading the Zags to a 98-75 romp over 16th-ranked Virginia on Saturday. After the Zags' game against No. Gonzaga: The Zags didn't cool off at all in the second half after Kispert came out hitting 3-pointers almost from the start. Gonzaga shot 68% after halftime to beat Virginia for the third time in four meetings in the series. Gonzaga: Northern Arizona at home Monday in the last of four consecutive games added after the five-game coronavirus pause.

Gonzaga has played one close game, a five-point win over West Virginia, and is winning by nearly 18 points per game. The Hawkeyes dropped a spot in this week's AP Top 25 after losing by 11 to Gonzaga. 19 Michigan, which moved up six spots in this week's poll, faces Nebraska. RANKED VS. RANKED: Two games on Wednesday feature ranked teams facing each other. 13 Creighton (6-2), which dropped four spots in this week's poll after losing to Marquette.

Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs (1) shoot a 3-pointer during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 in SIoux Falls, S.D. Suggs entered the game against Iowa averaging 13.3 points per game. We got into the double bonus relatively early in the second half, but then we miss 12 free throws, which is also very uncharacteristic of our team.”Iowa seemed to have one last gasp midway through the second half. Entering the game, Gonzaga was just 16 for 55 from beyond the arc in its first three games. Iowa: The 99 points scored by Gonzaga is the most Iowa has given up this season.

The Bulldogs finally got back on the court to practice this week following a two-week break due to COVID-19 cases within the program. It looked like the first practice of the year to the Gonzaga head coach. The matchup with Baylor was going to be the showcase event for the early portion of the college basketball schedule. The first full squad practice for Gonzaga since the day before the Baylor game was scheduled for Thursday. Their whole lives are about playing basketball.”While facing the Hawkeyes is a marquee opportunity for Gonzaga, there is still hope of facing Baylor.

2 Baylor will play in Indianapolis on Saturday for the ninth meeting between the top two teams in AP Top 25 since 2005. 2 Kentucky met last season in the previous 1-vs.-2 meeting, a game won by the Wildcats 69-62. Playing in Las Vegas, Baylor opened with a 112-82 win over Louisiana-Lafayette and followed with an 96-52 thumping of Washington. Jay Wright's Wildcats opened the season in Bubbleville and opted to stay in Connecticut to face Hartford. Villanova won that game 87-53 to bounce back from its first loss of the season, 81-73 to No.