Jim Meehan

3-point accuracy often has been a telling factor this season – 37.1% in GU’s 23 wins, 30.2% in eight losses – and past successes and failures in the postseason.

Gonzaga’s Braden Huff was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic team.

Ryan Nembhard, Graham Ike and Nolan Hickman – three-fifths of Gonzaga’s starting lineup – have been named first-team All-West Coast Conference.

Never one to pass up an opportunity, Ryan Nembhard had a question of his own after taking questions from the media Saturday night following Gonzaga’s 95-75 win over San Francisco. The point guard asked Bracketeer.org’s Rocco Miller where GU stood in his NCAA Tournament projections. Miller said he had the Zags as a nine seed, but likely moving up after two Quad 1 wins last week.

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Dons accomplished something that no other West Coast Conference team has done this season against Gonzaga.

Gonzaga went more than three months this season without a Quad 1 victory. The Zags fixed that in a hurry this week, racking up two Quad 1s in last five days to enter the post season with momentum in tow.

Yes, the regular-season finale is a big one at 8 p.m. Saturday at Chase Center.

Williams isn’t quite as prolific as a scorer – he averages 14.7 points – but he has slightly higher shooting percentages than Thomas and paces the Dons in assists at 4.2. The duo, along with super sub Ryan Beasley and starting wing Tyrone Riley IV, have been a headache for opposing defenses.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Gonzaga senior point guard Ryan Nembhard has an impressive record collection, and it just keeps growing.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Here are three observations from Gonzaga’s 95-76 win over Santa Clara on Tuesday at the Leavey Center.

Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman just finished answering a question on playing in their final home game when Nembhard offered an unsolicited reminder that Gonzaga isn't short on motivation with the regular season winding down. “We still got a season left to play."

It wasn’t an exact replay of the first Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s game, but there were so many similarities in Saturday’s rematch. Another slow start by the Zags, who were down 11 points before they scored. Another dominating effort on the boards by the Gaels. Another big night from SMC freshman guard Mikey Lewis behind the 3-point line. Another tight game in crunch time where Gonzaga was outplayed.

It’s round two for Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s with all the usual West Coast Conference and NCAA Tournament implications at stake and an extra helping of emotion on top, courtesy of GU’s Senior Night. Not to mention the potential historical significance.

A big-time matchup requires a big key matchup.

A childhood spent dreaming of becoming a Zag almost didn't happen for Ben Gregg. Four and a half years later, he's a Gonzaga basketball legend, filling every role imaginable, experiencing soaring highs, painful lows and displaying an unquestioned work ethic — all the while continuously giving back to his two hometowns, Spokane and Portland. Ben Gregg, meet Senior Night.

Nolan Hickman’s eyesight and shooting form is just fine, even if he’s seeing a wide rim. The senior guard produced one of the best games of his career with 23 points and five assists as Gonzaga handled Washington State 84-63 on Wednesday at Beasley Coliseum.

PULLMAN – Here are three observations from Gonzaga’s 84-63 West Coast Conference win over Washington State on Wednesday at Beasley Coliseum.

Gonzaga is back in the top 10 in the NET rankings, which nearly matches the Zags’ projected seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, that’s a bit unusual.

Emmanuel Innocenti made his first appearance Saturday at a Gonzaga post-game media session and it certainly won’t be the last time as he continues to earn more minutes in the rotation. The sophomore guard has made a positive impact while assuming a bigger role over the last three weeks.

The first half started with Khalif Battle hitting consecutive 3-pointers and ended with Battle drilling a step-back jumper to beat the buzzer. In between, Gonzaga piled up 19 assists – 10 by Ryan Nembhard in another record-setting performance – and through the first 13-plus minutes had more assists (15) than Pepperdine had points (13). Midway through the half, GU was shooting 75% and led by 20. It was that kind of night for Gonzaga’s offense and Pepperdine’s defense as the Zags cruised to a 107-55 West Coast Conference victory Saturday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Feel free to play along: Which game might Gonzaga be tempted to overlook in its rugged closing stretch of the regular season. A). Pepperdine. B). Washington State. C). Saint Mary’s. D). Santa Clara. E). San Francisco. Trick question: The correct answer is F). None of the above, not if the Zags want to make a run at the West Coast Conference title and secure their NCAA Tournament credentials.

Go down Moe Odum’s game-by-game statistics and good luck finding one better than his 24-point, eight-assist effort in a surprisingly close 89-82 loss to Gonzaga in late December in Malibu. There are several other worthy candidates, but Odum’s 24 points was a career best, and every point came during the Waves’ spirited second-half rally.

Grant Hill has been traveling quite a bit, presenting players, coaches and staff with Olympic rings in recognition of USA Basketball’s gold medal performance at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. The latest stop brought Hill to the McCarthey Athletic Center to deliver a ring to Gonzaga coach Mark Few just minutes before Thursday's tip-off against San Francisco. Few joined Tyronn Lue and Erik Spoelstra as assistants on Steve Kerr’s staff. Only the players received gold medals.

Three observations from Gonzaga’s 88-77 win over San Francisco on Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.