Gonzaga sends statement with blowout victory over Baylor: 3 takeaways

Bulldogs' 38-point win was their largest margin of victory over a top 10 team in school history

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Ninety-two days. That’s how long it took the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to pick up its first real signature win last season when it marched into Rupp Arena and beat Kentucky in a game that helped redefine the entire 2023-24 campaign.

Conversely, the 2024-25 Bulldogs needed about 90 minutes into the first night of the new college basketball season to make a statement to the rest of the sport. In the only ranked-on-ranked game of opening day, the No. 6 Zags (1-0) picked up their largest victory over an Associated Press top 10 team as they thumped No. 8 Baylor, 101-63, at the Spokane Arena on Monday.

“We put 100 up today on a great team and kind of a scary team,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of his team’s execution. “I mean, they're really, really, really athletic and can do a lot of different things on the defensive end, mix it up.”

Five players finished in double-figures in scoring for Few, with senior guard Nolan Hickman leading the way with 17 points and three 3-pointers. Senior forward Graham Ike scored 11 points in the second half to finish the night with 15, while redshirt sophomore Braden Huff (14 points) and sophomore wing Dusty Stromer (11 points) led the bench with 25 points combined between the two. Khalif Battle caught fire from deep in the second half to end his first game as a Zag with 12 points.

Here are three takeaways from the Bulldogs’ convincing win over the Bears.

GONZAGA’S DEPTH STANDS OUT:

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Few had mentioned after both of the Zags’ exhibitions games that there wasn’t much separation between the starters and bench players. Monday night was a prime example of why he and the coaching staff spent so much time experimenting with their substitution patterns prior to the regular season opener. 

Gonzaga rolled out a starting lineup of Ryan Nembhard, Hickman, Battle, Ben Gregg and Ike to compete with Baylor’s physicality and athleticism. That held true for the most part, though it was the Bulldogs’ reserves who ended up breaking the game wide open midway through the first half. 

“I mean they just came in and played with great confidence,” Few said of Stromer and Huff. “I think that’s the beauty of this team. We got some nice depth.”

Stromer drilled three 3-pointers in the first half, one of which came off a nice feed from Huff in the post. The Bears had a hard time slowing down Gonzaga’s 6-foot-10 lefty, especially when it came to defending him in pick-and-rolls. With Stromer and Gregg in the corners the middle of the lane was Huff’s to own. Double-teams and zone defense didn’t shake him for the most part, as he and Stromer combined to score 17 points in a row over a five-minute stretch in the first half.

That run from Stromer and Huff made up a bulk of Gonzaga’s 42 bench points for the night. Michael Ajayi’s size and athleticism helped greatly in the rebounding department, as the 6-foot-7 wing ripped down eight boards to go with nine points. 

“This whole group has trust in each other,” Huff said. “We've got a lot of returners and the guys who are new fit in pretty seamlessly. So everyone trusts each other and I think the coaches instilled a lot of confidence in us, so to come off the bench and be able to contribute is pretty easy when you've got teammates and coaches who have a lot of trust in you.”

ROSTER CONTINUITY MATTERS:

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

On paper, the Bears’ roster is much more talented than the final score indicated. Scott Drew reeled in the No. 6 recruiting class in the country this offseason according to 247Sports.com, headlined of course by likely one-and-done NBA prospect V.J. Edgecombe. He also added two former All-ACC players in Norchad Omier and Jeremy Roach. 

Counterpoint: Baylor lost four of its five starters from last season’s 24-11 team. For all the talent Drew brought in, it was his team’s lack of continuity that stood out in its season-opener.

“Fair to say Gonzaga, returning eight or nine [players], looked like that,” Drew said. “And us, with one returning starter, looked like that.”

Few was in Drew’s position this time a year ago, when Anton Watson was Gonzaga’s only returning starter from the season prior. The Zags weren’t the most cohesive unit out of the gate, as their newcomers adjusted to one another while the few returners had to learn new roles. Of course, everyone knows how that story ended.

The Bulldogs aren’t starting the 2024-25 season with training wheels on, though. Not after bringing back 81.4% of last season’s minutes, which ranked as the fifth-highest return rate in the country. 

JOB’S NOT FINISHED:

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

While the Zags celebrated their historic win to tip off the season, they also understood Monday was just the first checkpoint on a long journey toward March. 

“I think we understand this is only game one,” Huff said. “So there's a long way to go. We're not where we need to be quite yet. But it was a good first game. I think everyone who played made a big impact and we're really, really happy with how we play tonight, but we also understand it's November right now, and we're playing for March.”

The Bears are one of at least four preseason AP Top 25 teams on Gonzaga’s nonconference schedule this season. The Bulldogs could see two more ranked foes depending on how the Battle 4 Atlantis plays out. And unlike Monday, they won’t be in the comfort of their hometown when they face Kentucky (Seattle, Dec. 7), UConn (Dec. 14, Madison Square Garden) and UCLA (Inglewood, California).

Up next is a date with Arizona State at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Nov. 10. The Sun Devils also feature a likely NBA prospect in five-star freshman Jayden Quaintance. The 6-foot-9 center was the No. 9-ranked player in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard finds Braden Huff for slam dunk vs. Baylor

• Grand Canyon declines West Coast Conference invite to join Mountain West Conference

• Gonzaga's Ben Gregg shares special moment with father Matt during Warner Pacific exhibition game

• How to get tickets for Gonzaga vs. Portland Community Cancer Fund Classic game

• Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard makes spectacular no-look pass

• Gonzaga's Michael Ajayi throws down a dunk in transition

• Barack Obama breaks down funny handshake with Gonzaga’s Mark Few

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