Teammates give highest praise to ‘Gonzaga legend’ Anton Watson after senior’s career ends with Sweet 16 loss to Purdue

DETROIT – As a group of reporters huddled around Anton Watson, two teammates sitting near the senior forward decided to pause their own conversation and started eavesdropping on the one that was unfolding a few seats down.

Dusty Stromer and Braden Huff sat and listened, seemingly hanging on every word out of Watson’s mouth.

Almost as if the freshmen knew they couldn’t pass up one last chance to listen to greatness.

“He really is Gonzaga basketball and what it stands for,” Huff said after fifth-seeded Gonzaga lost 80-68 to top-seeded Purdue Friday in the Sweet 16. “His grit, determination, just everything he’s done on and off the court for Gonzaga and Spokane in general has been really cool to see. … I’ve learned a lot from him and I can’t really describe how much he means to me, but it’s going to be really sad to see him go.”

Next fall, for the first time in six years, Watson’s name won’t be printed on Gonzaga’s basketball roster, but it won’t be hard to find places where the fifth-year senior left an imprint, and should be even less challenging to identify people on whom he left an impact.

“He’s a legend, man,” junior forward Ben Gregg said. “Gonzaga legend, Spokane legend being from there. I think just the way he played and the way he carried himself is like a typical Spokane dude. Kind of that blue collar mentality, did everything it took to help his team win all five years he was here.”

In terms of volume, Watson’s career at Gonzaga stacks up with a few of the best in program history. Over five seasons, Watson’s 151 games played rank third in program history, behind only Josh Perkins (153) and Przemek Karnowski (152).

Watson’s win-loss record (132-19) gives him a wining percentage of 87.4% and he sits behind only Karnowski (137) and Perkins (134) in career victories. He’s also the only player in program history to finish with at least 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 200 steals.

“To be honest with you, I’m so happy that we kind of delivered on everything we talked about when we first recruited him to come to Gonzaga,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “He’s had just an awesome career. I told the team in the locker room, it feels like he’s won 300 games at Gonzaga. I mean, that’s what it feels like. I don’t know what his winning percentage is, but the guy’s been in national championship games and Elite Eights and Sweet 16s and made huge shots and huge plays.”

Watson’s fifth and final season fell four wins shy of a national title, but the senior hit double figures in each of Gonzaga’s three NCAA Tournament games, combining to score 48 points and grab 23 rebounds against McNeese State, Kansas and Purdue.

Watson scored 14 points to go with four rebounds before fouling out late in the second half of Friday’s loss.

“He’s been unbelievable,” Few said. “He broke presses and solved zones when we didn’t know what the hell we were doing. That’s just what he is, he’s just a complete player. Switches, guards (Purdue center) Zach Edey at 7-4 and guards little guys at 5-9. He’s my problem solver.”

Gonzaga will have to find someone else to do that next season – a task that won’t be easy, even for a team that’s eligible to return its other four starters and every reserve.

“I can only imagine how much this really means to him, just being from Spokane, playing for his school and these guys for so long,” junior forward Graham Ike said. “It means so much. But this year he’s given out his heart, his whole effort man. He’s taught me so much. Just being his roommate, just little things. Just being in his presence, it’s been awesome.”

Even as players were processing Friday’s loss, each doing so in their own way, most didn’t have a problem gushing about Watson and what he’s meant to the Gonzaga program and their individual careers.

Some, like Gregg, have spent the last four years with Watson while other players, like Ike and point guard Ryan Nembhard, only got one year. That didn’t seem to change the message from Gonzaga players regarding one of the school’s most accomplished players in the locker room Friday.

“I think in my opinion he’s one of the greatest Zags of all time,” Nembhard said. “He’s done so much for this program, he’s been successful at this program and he’s just a good dude. He’s changed his role this year, he’s more of a leader and more vocal. He had a helluva year. We love Anton, man, he’s huge for us, he’s huge for this program, he’s huge for all of Spokane so you can’t say enough about him, man. He’s an all-time Zag.”

Before exchanging postgame handshakes with Purdue, a handful of Gonzaga players approached Watson individually to embrace the departing senior. Huff was the first, followed by Gregg, then Nolan Hickman and finally Nembhard.

“It means a lot,” Watson said. “I’ve got the same love for them as they’ve got for me and it just shows the character everyone on this team has and just the culture we have here.”

Watson still hadn’t digested Friday’s loss when he was asked about the legacy he left with a Gonzaga program he followed from a young age while living in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

“Just coming here, I wanted to be remembered and didn’t know how it was going to happen,” Watson said. “But yeah, it just took a lot of work, a lot of good teams. That pushed me to become a better player and I’m just proud of how far I’ve came and all my teammates and coaches I’ve played with.”