Jim Meehan

Gonzaga coach Mark Few didn’t mince words when asked about longtime friend Mark Turgeon’s recent decision to step down at Maryland. “Literally that fan base just made it so miserable that it wasn’t worth it anymore,” Few said. “And the toll it was taking on him and his family, and then I think he could see that effect that it was even taking a toll on his team.”

Gonzaga got in 40 minutes of work against a zone defense Thursday night and the results were generally positive. The fifth-ranked Zags did test head coach Mark Few’s deep supply of angst-ridden postures, facial expressions and arm gestures due to a high number of turnovers, but when they took care of the ball, they took care of Merrimack’s defense.

The key matchup in all likelihood will be Gonzaga’s offense vs. Merrimack’s 2-3 zone defense. On an individual level, the Zags should be aware of junior forward Jordan Minor, the only Warriors’ player averaging double figures.

No. 5 Gonzaga entertains Merrimack College and its no-3’s zone defense on Thursday before Washington, which has tweaked its full-time zone to man-to-man most of the time, visits on Sunday. The Zags (7-2) are experiencing the variety pack during the non-conference with four ranked foes, three that were in the top five when they faced GU, and a handful of squads transitioning to Division I that included Bellarmine’s quirky no-dribble offense.

The last three games have been a 40-minute story, and Gonzaga certainly didn’t enjoy the closing chapters against Duke and Alabama.

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren was named WCC freshman of the week for the fourth straight week.

Gonzaga reached a milestone in the AP college basketball poll on Monday, but it would have preferred to do it coming off a win. The Zags (7-2) dropped two spots to No. 5, marking its 100th consecutive appearance in the top 25, after falling to Alabama 91-82 Saturday in Seattle.

SEATTLE – They squared off a couple years ago, a few months before COVID-19 put March Madness on the sideline late in the 2019-20 season.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

We connected with Mike Rodak, who covers Alabama basketball and football for AL.com, for an in-depth look at the Crimson Tide and Saturday’s clash of ranked teams.

The Gonzaga-Duke game drew 2.8 million viewers on ESPN, with a peak audience of 3.1 million, making it the most watched regular-season college basketball game on any network since March 9, 2019, according to ESPN.

Tommy Lloyd is moving quickly but thoughtfully, much the way his Arizona basketball team did for the previous two hours on the court at T-Mobile Arena.

Time after time Gonzaga has thumped seemingly overmatched non-conference opponents through the years at the McCarthey Athletic Center. But not every time. There are several examples of an upstart underdog throwing a big scare into the Bulldogs, even against some of the program’s best teams.

Jen Greeny has been part of 12 of the program’s 16 NCAA appearances and the latest likely rates as one of the most satisfying. The Cougars battled through an 0-4 start, adversity and injuries, including outside hitter Pia Timmer missing the last five matches, to earn an at-large berth.

The third-ranked Zags were lethargic from the opening tip, turning it twice and missing a layup and two free throws before scoring. It didn’t get much better for the third-ranked Zags until the final 5 minutes when they finally opened up a little breathing room and held off the scrappy Texans 64-55 in front of 6,000 at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Montre Gipson has become a steady scorer for the Texans, who have struggled offensively at times. The team averages just 56.5 points, but the 5-foot-11 senior guard has scored in double figures in all six games, including season highs of 19 points against No. 3 Kansas and 17 points vs. No. 20 Michigan.

The Zags’ immediate goal when they return to action Monday against Tarleton State at the McCarthey Athletic Center is to return to their winning ways with yet another marquee matchup up next: vs. Alabama on Saturday in Seattle. The last time the Zags dropped two straight games was in 2018 when they lost to No. 7 Tennessee 76-73 on Dec. 9 in Phoenix and to No. 12 North Carolina 103-90 on Dec. 15 in Chapel Hill.

Both teams showed off their depth of talent, from the remaining starters to clutch bench contributions that ultimately decided the outcome, 84-81, in Duke’s favor at T-Mobile Arena.

Difference makers from Duke's 84-81 win over Gonzaga Friday.

The combination of No. 1 Gonzaga’s showdowns against No. 2 UCLA and No. 5 Duke and a tantalizing clash of projected top draft picks Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero is proving to be a drawing card for large numbers of media and NBA scouts.

We connected with Duke beat writer Steve Wiseman for insight on star freshman Paolo Banchero and key factors in the GU-Duke showdown. Wiseman has covered Duke athletics for the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer since 2010.

It’s essentially become an annual ritual for Gonzaga to travel to a prestigious holiday basketball tournament. That’s created another GU tradition with coaches, staff, players and their families gathering for a holiday meal, no matter the locale or if Thanksgiving falls on game day.

Tuesday’s performance showed off the Zags’ improving defense, Drew Timme’s gains defensively and the many reasons NBA scouts are enamored with 7-foot Chet Holmgren’s unique skill set. More in our three takeaways from the GU-UCLA game.

The sequel rarely lives up the original, but Gonzaga’s performance Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena was a showstopper. UCLA, meanwhile, was reduced to pretty much a no show.