Freshman revitalized Bulldogs
His role has changed, but David Pendergraft’s approach to the game of basketball remains as passionate as when he first piqued the interest of the Gonzaga coaching staff as a 14-year-old freshman at Brewster High School.
On Tuesday night, the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-6 rookie guard used that passion to help lift his struggling teammates out of an early fog and past Eastern Washington, 83-70, in front of a sellout Arena crowd of 12,000.
Pendergraft’s modest numbers – seven points and five rebounds in just more than 20 minutes – probably won’t raise many eyebrows. But the effort that went into producing them was greatly appreciated by his coach.
“He saved us in that first half,” Mark Few said of Pendergraft, just moments after watching his 13th-ranked Zags (9-1) turned back the Eagles (2-8) for the 19th straight time. “There was only one guy that came out focused and with a great approach tonight, and that was Pendo.
“Luckily, some other guys got on the wagon in the second half.”
Pendergraft was rushed off redshirt status just prior to start of the season after junior Erroll Knight was sidelined indefinitely with a sprained thumb. The move was originally thought to be little more than an emergency fix that would give the Zags more backcourt depth during Knight’s absence.
But when Knight returned, Pendergraft refused to slide meekly back to the end of the bench and let his freshman season slip away. Instead, he has emerged as an emotional leader who brings instant energy and toughness off the bench.
He was at his best against the Eagles, rallying the Zags from an early 14-5 deficit with a variety of hustle plays ranging from tough rebounds to floor-burn saves of loose basketballs.
“He was the only guy we had who was willing to step up and defend (Marc) Axton,” Few said. “And he was rebounding and creating deflections with his defense, while everybody else was just sitting back and watching.”
Pendergraft, who averaged 24.9 points as a senior at Brewster, did the little things in high school, too, but was better known as a scorer.
“Sure, my role has changed, but I don’t have a problem with that,” he said. “It’s not like it’s an ego thing with me. I’m willing to do whatever is best for the team. I just try to bring some energy, hustle, get some rebounds and play hard defense – just do the little things.”
Which he has done each time Few has asked.
“It’s been tough for him, because he’s kind of been like a pinch hitter,” Few explained. “But every time he’s gotten up to the plate, he’s made plays for us. Again, I really think he saved us tonight, because we were in a funk there early and he came in and kept us relatively close so we could weather the storm.”