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Gonzaga Basketball
Gonzaga coach Mark Few offers instruction to guard Dusty Stromer between possessions against Davidson on Friday at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.  (TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVEIW)

NIL-driven tournaments could be a game-changer on future holiday hoops schedules

Is there room for traditional tournaments like Maui, a mainstay for four decades, and the Battle 4 Atlantis, which began in 2011, to continue thriving and/or co-exist with NIL-driven counterparts? Will NIL-driven tournaments have staying power and become regular additions to the holiday tournament slate?

Malachi Smith, center, played for Portland’s NBA Summer League entry in 2023 in Las Vegas. He’s now playing with the G League’s Memphis Hustle.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)

‘It’s a fraternity that will last forever’: Malachi Smith leans on Gonzaga experience as he shapes professional game

FRISCO, Texas – Malachi Smith knows a little about the grind it takes to make a difference on the basketball court – whether it was his one season at Wright State, where he earned Horizon League All-Freshman honors; at Chattanooga, where he earned first-team all-conference honors and was also named Big South Conference Player of the Year; or his year at Gonzaga, when he was a solid role player off the bench for a team that advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few shakes hands with former Zag center Oumar Ballo, a fifth-year senior at Indiana, following GU's 89-73 win Thursday at the Battle 4 Atlantis.  (TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

Gonzaga debuts at No. 3 in NET rankings with two Quad 1 victories

Remember the angst last season when Gonzaga was stationed on the bubble, hadn’t recorded a Quad 1 victory until February and was in jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament? No such drama early on this season. The Zags are off to a 7-1 start – same as last year – but their November victories are carrying more clout this time around with a pair of Quad 1 wins.

NCAAB Standings - Gonzaga

WCC Standings

AP Top 25