Las Vegas oddsmakers and various national media outlets have high hopes for Gonzaga with the season opener just two months away.
The same goes for college basketball coaches.
Zags was highly rated in CBS Sports’ annual survey of nearly 100 coaches conducted by Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander. This includes a wide range of topics including Drew Timm’s Player of the Year contender, GU’s chances of winning the program’s first national championship, and McCarthy. The Athletic Center is he one of the sport’s premier venues. Coaches were granted anonymity in exchange for candid feedback.
Tim, who chose to return to his senior season instead of turning pro, came out on top when coaches were asked to name the best player of the season.The 6-foot-10 forward received 43.9% of the vote won. Kentucky’s Oscar Tsiebwe, the player of the year, was his second with 33.7%, and North Carolina’s Armando Bako was his third (10.2%).
“Tim won more games than any player in his class,” said one coach. “He’s the best post player I’ve seen in college basketball in years and a complete winner. He’s nasty, he’s tough, he’s scoring, and you can trust his IQ. has no weaknesses other than analytical — yeah, yeah, he’s exposed a little bit against Baylor, he’s got a great stash, too, Freddie Mercury.”
“We play twice a year so we get to see him up close and personal,” said the West Coast Conference coach. “Over the last few years, he has been the most dominant, hardest to prepare player we have faced. He finishes everything within 8 feet. He is a complete nightmare. I had to try every possible defense against it…and nothing seemed to work.”
“They (Gonzaga) still play the traditional style of basketball: inside-out, moving parts, not just three-shots and layups,” another coach said. “I don’t know if they’re considering all the stats and KenPoms and everything, but when you watch them play, you can see they’re playing traditional style basketball. For me, that’s the most exciting thing about watching college basketball as a coach.He’s probably the best player in the country at playing that way.”
Tim and Zibwe will clash on November 20 in Spokane as the Zags face Kentucky in a battle of teams expected to be in the top five preseason.
Indiana’s Trace Jackson-Davis, UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Jr., and Houston’s Marcus Susser were the only other players to receive multiple votes.
Tim was 45% of the coaches’ picks as the best player before last season, followed by Kofi Cockburn and former Zag Chet Holmgren.
The coaches chose North Carolina, who lost to Kansas in last season’s championship game, as the best team. (5%) followed. Arkansas, who beat Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 last season, and Baylor, who defeated his GU in his game for the 2021 title, shared his fifth place at 2%.
One coach said of North Carolina, “Their returning core has an edge over other teams in my mind.” Johnson’s continued growth will help them.One of the freshmen, Tyler Nickel, is an absolute monster and could make a difference this year.”
“Gonzaga brought back too much talent from a great team and they’re not the favorites to win it all,” another coach said of the Zags. I think it’s going to be the year that we actually win the national title.”
Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center has created a top tier of coaches that provide the best environment in the college hoops. Coaches were asked to name his three, and Kennell was listed with his 27.4% of the votes. Allen Fieldhouse, home of the Kansas Jayhawks, was his first with 67.3%, followed by Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium (50.5%).
According to one coach, “Allen Fieldhouse is a treasure. When you think, there’s just something… And at some point the chants of “Rock Chalk” echo through the arena. You know this is how basketball should be.”
“They built it right,” one coach said of the McCarthy Athletic Center. No, it’s a madhouse.”
Another coach added: It gets louder and the arena really rocks. “
McKee Arena in Purdue and McKale Center in Arizona lead in Tier 2 with 15.8%, followed by Assembly Hall in Indiana and Rupp Arena in Kentucky with 10.5% each. BYU’s Marriott Center was mentioned in at least three polls.
The coaches voted Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway, who led St. Peters to the Elite Eight last season, as the best coach of the offseason, now ahead of former Arizona coach Sean Miller. Former Idaho Vandals assistant Chris Jans of Mississippi State University tied for ninth. San Francisco head coach Todd Golden of Florida tied for 12th.
Golden’s successor in San Francisco, Chris Gerufsen, won the vote.
Coaches predicted the Big Ten as the premier conference in 2024 after a reorganization, with UCLA and USC as members, and Oklahoma and Texas heading into the Southeast Conference. SEC was his second place, followed by Big 12, ACC and Big East.
“I’m in Big East country, but not very close,” said one coach. “The Big Ten are monsters from top to bottom.”
