Drew Timme, No. 8 Gonzaga head to Provo to face BYU

The Zags look to extend their winning streak to 10 games when they play BYU on Thursday

Drew Timme might be public enemy No. 1 in Provo, UT, but he still enjoys playing at the Marriott Center.

The Gonzaga forward was a freshman when he first experienced the energy and antics of BYU fans. He recorded eight points and eight rebounds off the bench that night, but the Zags lost 91-78. It remains the last time the Cougars have defeated their West Coast Conference rivals.

Timme, now a senior for No. 8 Gonzaga, is gearing up for potentially his final road game at BYU on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. PST.

He anticipates a chaotic atmosphere, something he appreciates about BYU fans.

“The ROC (BYU’s student section) is awesome,” Timme said. “It’s one of the best places to play and all their fans are psycho and crazy. It’s a special place.”

For Timme and the Zags, the upcoming contest is an opportunity to notch a convincing victory following a pair of suspenseful wins.

The Zags (14-3, 3-0 WCC) survived near upsets to defeat San Francisco last Thursday and Santa Clara on Saturday.

The WCC’s leader in field-goal percentage, Timme shot 3-for-16 against the Dons, but was bailed out by several teammates who stepped up with big-time performances. Gonzaga guard Rasir Bolton registered 21 points, including a go-ahead putback layup in the final seconds of a 77-75 win.

Timme responded with 20 points in an 81-76 victory over Santa Clara, but it was guard Nolan Hickman who stole the show. Hickman had 20 points of his own, with his most notable bucket being a 3-pointer off the dribble to give the Zags their final lead of the game with 1 minute, 13 seconds remaining.

Hickman and Bolton may need to step up again on Thursday, as it’s becoming increasingly clear that teams are willing to go to extreme lengths to stop Timme.

“They’re gonna try to bog the game down, they’re gonna try to shrink the floor with Drew, so I feel like with me and Rasir showing what we can do in our perimeter game, I feel like that’s gonna relieve some pressure off Drew,” Hickman said.

Among Gonzaga’s opponents this season, BYU has the third-best adjusted defensive efficiency rating, according to KenPom. The Cougars are ranked 27th in the nation by that metric, while the Zags are No. 73.

BYU (13-6, 3-1 WCC) has won eight of its last nine games, most recently getting a 64-48 win over San Diego on Saturday.

The Cougars were led in scoring by forward Fousseyni Traore, who had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. He also added five rebounds and two blocks.

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound sophomore provides BYU with a physically imposing presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.

Traore averaged 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals, while mostly guarding Timme in the Cougars’ two meetings with the Zags last season.

BYU’s starting frontcourt also includes 6-foot-6 senior forward Gideon George, an athletic wing who can guard multiple positions. He averages 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

George was on a recruiting visit in Provo when the Cougars defeated the Zags in 2020.

“I want to be on the floor because that was a special moment just being in the crowd, seeing everyone going down to the floor, celebrating with the players,” George said. “I’ve been looking forward to that, like getting a win against the Zags before I’m done. That would be really special just seeing the crowd celebrating with us and storming the court. That would be so cool.”

With BYU set to join the Big-12 Conference after this year, several members of both teams have emphasized a desire to keep the rivalry alive.

“I hope that even though they’re leaving, it’s a game that always continues to have a home and home just because it is so fun to play in,” Timme said.

BYU coach Mark Pope offered hope for the rivalry’s future, saying he and Gonzaga coach Mark Few plan to continue scheduling games against each other.

“The one thing about Gonzaga is, that coach Few and myself, are inclined to keep playing somehow,” Pope said. “I don’t know if it’s every year, but keep finding a home-and-home from time to time that we can do