Center Court: David Pendergraft as the ultimate Zag

The Gonzaga-San Diego game had been over for 30 minutes when Bulldogs senior forward David Pendergraft approached first-year Toreros coach and former GU assistant Bill Grier in a hallway inside the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Before Pendergraft could say a word, Grier informed him that he was the greatest Zag and that he had no idea how much of an impact he had on Gonzaga’s program over the last four years.

Asked about the exchange later, Grier said, “In the 16 years I was there, if I had to pick one kid and put his picture over what the definition is to be a Zag, he’s the guy. He’s just somebody that has such great belief in that program and the university and he just bleeds Zag blue.”

Whatever the working definition of a Zag, Pendergraft meets or exceeds every qualification.

“He’s the ultimate Zag,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. “We’ve had some great ones here, but he stands for everything this whole program is about. How he plays, how he leaves it all on the floor, how he is at practice, how he is in the locker room, how he handles himself in school. The amount of hours he’s put into this community with charity work is incredible. People have no idea all the time he’s spent outside of all our demands. There hasn’t been a better ambassador for Gonzaga basketball than him, period.”

Pendergraft is facing his final two home games as Saint Mary’s visits Saturday, followed by Santa Clara on Monday. He’s grateful the WCC championship will be riding on the outcomes because it means his focus will remain on the games and not the fact that his eight-year career is winding down.

Did we say eight-year career? Sorry, stole that line from an opposing WCC coach, but even Pendergraft jokes about how long he’s been around Gonzaga’s program. He committed as a 16-year-old sophomore-to-be at Brewster High.

“I can’t speak for others, but this is where I’ve always wanted to play,” Pendergraft said. “I love Eastern Washington, I love Gonzaga, the family atmosphere, the coaching staff. If you know you’re going to go here, you might as well just say it.”

Pendergraft’s impact at GU actually began when he was in Brewster and will continue after he’s gone.

“He’s probably the best kid to play in the program as a recruiter,” Grier said. “He’d drive over from Brewster – and that’s not an easy drive in the winter – and he made an effort with every kid. He has one of those personalities that he can blend in with anybody and he’s very genuine.

“He’s done so many things for that program that don’t show up in the stats or the win-loss column.”

Not to mention the things that do show up on the stat sheet and in the win-loss column. After two state titles and an 80-3 record in his three seasons at Brewster – 75-1 when he was in the lineup – Pendergraft was expected to redshirt as a freshman at Gonzaga. But Erroll Knight’s thumb injury erased that notion and Pendergraft went on to earn All-WCC Freshman Team honors.

As a sophomore, his only double-figures scoring game came against rival Washington. He scored all seven of his points in the WCC tournament championship game in the second half as GU held off Loyola Marymount. As a junior, he had a then career-high 14 points as Gonzaga defeated Stanford and he later earned All-WCC tournament honors.

When Josh Heytvelt was suspended in February 2007 following his arrest on drug possession charges, Pendergraft assumed more of a scoring and leadership role.

“He was the guy that held it all together, with help from Jeremy (Pargo) obviously,” Few said.

This season, Pendergraft is one of five Zags averaging in double figures in WCC games. He’s third in the conference in field-goal shooting (58.4 percent) and third in 3-point accuracy (55.9). Pendergraft and freshman Austin Daye, who both play the “4” position, each have a team-high 126 rebounds.

Pendergraft prefers to talk about his teammates and Gonzaga’s three consecutive WCC regular-season and tournament titles and three NCAA tournament victories.

“Coming here is about team basketball and winning and I did my role,” said Pendergraft, who plans on attending law school, but hasn’t ruled out playing professionally. “I played as hard as I could, tried to get better every day, every year. Obviously, I had injuries like everyone else and I played through that. It’s all about the experience and the memories I’ll never forget. Going to the Sweet 16, playing with guys like Adam (Morrison), J.P. (Batista) and Derek (Raivio), making friends. Those are things you’ll never forget.”

Along the way, the 6-foot-5 1/2 Pendergraft has guarded everyone from 7-3 UConn center Hasheem Thabeet to All-American wings to cat-quick shooting guards. But there is one thing he hasn’t done at GU – dunk in a game.

“People in Brewster ask me, ‘You dunked all the time in high school, why don’t you anymore?’ I’m like, ‘I played three years on a torn quad tendon.’ I can dunk. I have some athleticism left,” said Pendergraft, who breaks into a wide grin when he adds, “This is my excuse: I’ll lose half of my fans if I do it. I think that’s a pretty good excuse.”