Year in review: Andrew Nembhard saved his best for last

Nembhard proved himself as a consummate pro in his last dance as a Zag.

There’s a reason Mark Few never gave up in recruiting Andrew Nembhard to Spokane. After losing the initial battle to Florida out of the gate, Few ultimately swayed the Ontario, Canada, native to be the next floor general of the Zags’ offensive attack, a role that isn’t always glamourous but commands responsibility. Him and Jalen Suggs made for a fun backcourt in their lone season together, but senior year was when Nembhard solidified himself as one of the nation’s best point guards, as evident through his poise and leadership in the postseason.

Early into the 2021-22 campaign, though, there were stretches that raised eyebrows concerning Nembhard’s aggression as a scorer. He cracked the double-digit threshold just twice in the first 14 games of the season, albeit both came against top-25 opponents, but the grand body of work was confusing for someone of his talent. His ability to share the rock was unquestioned, but between tune-up games and the other mouths to feed on the roster, it was hard to gauge if he could be relied upon as more than a distributor should the Zags need a boost in a pinch.

As great as Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme were, Gonzaga was only going as far as Nembhard could take them. Its why Few continued to push his point guard to be more assertive and commanding in the offense.

It took one week of WCC play for Nembhard to respond.

A 22-point, 12-assist masterclass of a performance against BYU reminded everyone why he was a candidate to win the Bob Cousy award. He picked apart the Cougars’ defense in more ways in one, whether it was creating his own shot off the dribble or as a pick-and-roll maestro. The outcome of every offensive possession was seemingly his to decide, and he made the right basketball play almost every time with no turnovers to show for while shooting 8-for-13.

From there, Nembhard became heavily featured on a nightly basis. He scored in double figures in six of the next eight games while remaining ultra-efficient as a passer, posting a WCC-best 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio by season’s end. The burden wasn’t light either as the team’s primary ballhandler and lack of depth at the position.

Despite the lack of rest time, Nembhard was as sharp as he’d ever in his career by the postseason. Disciplined and poised, he played all 80 minutes of Gonzaga’s two WCC tournament games, capped off with a couple of clutch shots and stellar defense against Saint Mary’s in the title game. It was no shock when he took home the tournament’s MVP after putting up 18 points per game and a ridiculous 16 assists to two turnovers.

If there was any skepticism left about his game, it was put to bed after his heroics against an uber-athletic Memphis squad in the tournament. Like a true leader, he wasn’t afraid of the moment. Every shot and decision paved the way for a double-digit comeback in the second half, including 10 points in the final five minutes to seal the deal.

The counting stats don’t jump off the page like some other point guards, but at the same time, it’s hard to find players who have Nembhard’s level of basketball IQ and leadership. Him and Coach Few were a perfect combination, and it showed on the court every night. What Nembhard’s future holds is uncertain, but his two years at Gonzaga were definitely some of the best basketball Zags fans have seen from a point guard.