Jim Meehan

Drew Timme put up some of quality defensive work when the topic of his legacy at Gonzaga and in college basketball surfaced recently. It isn’t the first time he’s been asked the question. It won’t be the last. He gave a reasoned response, but he’s keenly aware any answer would be incomplete with his senior season about to take flight. It’s like taking a four-page test with only three pages on your desk.

Drew Timme on Thursday was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) player of the year preseason watch list.

Conference realignment chatter for months has centered mainly around college football. That hasn’t stopped Gonzaga from being proactive behind the scenes in discussions with at least three power conferences.

David Stockton, a regular on U.S. teams in previous 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, is back on the roster for the November qualifying window, USA Basketball announced.

The Zags have time before the season opener roughly a week away, followed by a string on non-conference showdowns, so they could very well sprint from the starting gate again. To do so, they’ll have to address several issues from second-half struggles on both sides of the ball.

“They set up a (Zoom) interview while I was in Cabo. On Friday, the day before we left, I had an unofficial offer. In a week of vacation, I’d gone from training for going back (to Greece) to all done. It was crazy how it all went down.”

They’ve traveled the globe playing professional basketball and, as the years have gone by, the reactions they get from younger teammates are universally the same.

But following a rugged second half, the Zags could agree on one thing: thank goodness it was an exhibition contest that doesn’t count on their record. No. 11 Tennessee kept right on scoring in the second half and the second-ranked Zags couldn’t keep up as the Volunteers pulled away for a 99-80 win at Comerica Center. GU was outscored 49-26 in the closing half.

It’s the type of matchup one might see in the championship of a top-tier holiday tournament or an Elite Eight: two top 15 programs, contrasting styles and packed with intriguing individual matchups.

Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther was named to the 20-player preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Small Award, presently annually to the nation’s top small forward.

Second-ranked Gonzaga and No. 11 Tennessee meet Friday in Frisco in an exhibition contest. It won’t be like past seasons when teams staged closed scrimmages and the NCAA frowned on coaches or players talking publicly about what happened on the court. Friday’s outcome obviously doesn’t count in the win-loss column, but it’s still a matchup of top programs tangling in front of fans at Comerica Center – roughly 30 minutes from Drew Timme’s home base in Dallas – and a pay-per-view audience with proceeds benefiting the McLendon Foundation.

Preseason recognition keeps coming for Gonzaga senior Drew Timme and the latest news brought even more hype for the highly anticipated Gonzaga-Kentucky showdown next month. Timme and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe were the only unanimous selections on the Associated Press preseason All-America team released Monday. The

The question to three Gonzaga players and coach Mark Few recently at WCC media day: Which player made the biggest offseason jump? The answer: Depends on who you ask. Four different players were named, including a probable starting point guard, a starting wing, a reserve big and a possible starting guard/wing.

Brandon Clarke, who has been dependable off the bench and as a spot starter in three NBA seasons, has agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Drew Timme called it a “gauntlet,” a three-week, seven-game stretch when Gonzaga could clash with four foes in the top 10, two possibly in the top 25 and potentially six Quad 1 contests.

Former Gonzaga standout Killian Tillie was waived Saturday by the Memphis Grizzlies.

The days of Gonzaga and BYU squaring off at least twice annually in two of the top home-court environments in college basketball are coming to an end. But both programs anticipate the rivalry will continue, even after the Cougars leave the West Coast Conference following this season for the powerful Big 12.

The tip time for Gonzaga-Michigan State has been set for 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, ESPN announced Wednesday.

It’s a small sample size with three visits to Gonzaga’s campus in the last 11 months, but Dusty Stromer feels quite comfortable at his future address.

Jalen Suggs has received a seemingly favorable diagnosis after suffering an untimely knee injury in Orlando’s preseason game Friday. Suggs sustained a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise, the Magic announced Saturday morning. There isn’t a firm timetable for his return. It will depend on how Suggs responds to treatment, the team said.

Per usual, Drew Timme was entertaining before, during and after Saturday’s Kraziness in the Kennel.

Gonzaga is right back where it always seems to be in the West Coast Conference preseason poll. The Zags are heavy favorites to win their 11th consecutive conference title with all nine possible first-place votes and 81 points.

College basketball powers Gonzaga and Kentucky have only met once, but that’s going to change in a big way over the next six seasons.

Former Gonzaga standout Corey Kispert will miss the early portion of his second NBA season. Kispert will be sidelined 4-6 weeks by a sprained ankle suffered Sunday during the Washington Wizards’ preseason loss to Golden State in Japan