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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga to hang numbers of Dan Dickau, Kelly Olynyk, Courtney Vandersloot in Kennel rafters

Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk (13) directs play during the third round of the NCAA Tournament in March 2013 in Salt Lake City. Olynyk currently plays for the Utah Jazz, his fifth team in 11 NBA seasons. (COLIN MULVANY)
Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk (13) directs play during the third round of the NCAA Tournament in March 2013 in Salt Lake City. Olynyk currently plays for the Utah Jazz, his fifth team in 11 NBA seasons. (COLIN MULVANY)
By Theo Lawson The Spokesman-Review

Frank Burgess, John Stockton and Adam Morrison will have company in the McCarthey Athletic Centers rafters by the end of the 2022-23 basketball season.

On Tuesday, Gonzaga announced the latest trio of Bulldogs greats who will have their numbers retired by the school at different points this season. The group includes men’s standouts Dan Dickau and Kelly Olynyk, along with women’s standout Courtney Vandersloot, whose initial jersey celebration was postponed due to a COVID-19 cancellation last year.

Olynyk’s jersey will be the fourth into the Kennel rafters when Gonzaga celebrates the All-American before Monday’s game against Kent State. It falls on an off-day for the Utah Jazz forward, who’s in his 11th NBA season with his fifth team. Olynyk helped Gonzaga achieve its first No. 1 Associated Press ranking and was a consensus first team All-American in 2013 while earning West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors.

The Zags will honor Dickau’s No. 21 before their Jan. 9 game against San Francisco. The guard, who played two seasons in Spokane after transferring from Washington, was Gonzaga’s original first-team All-American, capturing those honors during the 2001-02 season while leading the Bulldogs to a No. 6 ranking and 29 wins – a school record at the time.

Dickau’s a regular at GU home games, working on broadcasts for ESPN, Pac-12 Network, CBS Sports Network and Westwood One, and owns the Shoot 360 basketball training facility that opened last year in Spokane.

Gonzaga hasn’t set a date for Vandersloot’s jersey ceremony, but it’ll also take place during the current season, according to a school release. Vandersloot was a three-time WCC Player of the Year at Gonzaga and the 2011 recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the top collegiate point guard. She’s been a four-time WNBA All-Star with the Chicago Sky, helping the franchise win the 2021 WNBA championship.

Vandersloot recently attended Gonzaga’s final game at the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland, taking time for a photo opportunity with All-American forward Drew Timme after the Bulldogs’ 88-84 victory over Xavier.

Stockton and Burgess are the only former GU players to have their numbers officially retired by the school. Morrison’s jersey has not been retired by Gonzaga, but the school hung his No. 3 into the rafters in February 2020.

Vandersloot will be the first GU women’s player to have her number retired.