Gonzaga vs. West Virginia key matchup: Ryan Nembhard and Javon Small go head-to-head in point guard showdown

'I mean he's just a great player. He's so well rounded and just terrific, unselfish and knows how to lead a team,' West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries said of Nembhard

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard. / James Snook-Imagn Images

After spending time watching Gonzaga closely, West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries feels like he has a great feel for Bulldogs senior guard Ryan Nembhard as he and the Mountaineers prepare for their matchup in the Battle 4 Atlantis event on Wednesday from The Bahamas.

DeVries, who was an assistant coach at Creighton from 2001-2018, has an idea of what to expect from Mark Few’s bunch based on the first time DeVries saw Few's program up close in December 2017, when the Bluejays visited Spokane for a nonconference game at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Seven years later, DeVries noted the similarities between that group and the 2024-25 squad helmed by Nembhard.

Still, DeVries knows slowing down the Bob Cousy Award contender is no easy task.

“I mean he's just a great player,” DeVries said of Nembhard on Tuesday. “He's so well rounded and just terrific, unselfish and knows how to lead a team.”

Nembhard has the Bulldogs (5-0) operating at a high level to start the 2024-25 campaign. Gonzaga ranks No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and boasts the lowest turnover rate in the country, according to KenPom.com, while its Canadian point guard ranks top 10 in total assists (47), assists per game (9.4) and assists to turnover ratio (47 to six, 7.83). Nembhard is also 7-of-16 (43.8%) from 3-point range and has excelled at drawing fouls. He’s 18-of-21 (85.7%) from the charity stripe and is on pace to nearly double his free throw rate from last season.

Nembhard’s made a jump from his junior year against some pretty good competition as well, having already diced up three teams that rank in the top 100 in defensive efficiency, including a top-five defense in San Diego State (32 assists to five turnovers against those opponents). The Battle 4 Atlantis will likely be more of the same, starting with a matchup against West Virginia senior guard Javon Small.

Through four games, Small paces the Mountaineers at 15.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. He’s 20-of-47 (42.6%) from the field and 10-of-23 (43.5%) from the 3-point line. After recording four steals in the 43-point win over Iona, Small is top 10 in the country in steals per game (3.0) and ranks top 25 in steal percentage (5.5%) according to KenPom. The South Bend, Indiana, native also finished with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and one block to lead the Mountaineers to an 86-43 win over Iona.

“Connectivity is really more of a team thing, but Javon certainly is the guy that at both ends of the floor,” DeVries said of Small after the game. “He's either one of the guys defensively, guarding the ball, dictating talk, or offensively, getting us started into whatever action we're trying to do.”

Nembhard's coach expects to see a “very athletic and handsy” West Virginia squad that’s also opportunistic on the defensive end of the floor. Small, along with 6-foot-7 senior Tucker DeVries (2.5 steals per game), helps create that identity with his tendency to overplay passing lanes and come away with steals for breakaway dunks the other way. He might not be up for the national awards that Nembhard is in contention for, though the 6-foot-3 Small could present challenges for the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor if he gets into a rhythm.

“He's a good player,” Nembhard said of Small. “He can shoot it, score the ball pretty well … so we got our scout on him and we’ll do our best to take advantage of that.”

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

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• Gonzaga lands Virginia transfer Jalen Warley

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said ahead of Battle 4 Atlantis tournament

• Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard rises to the challenge his senior year: 'It was time for a big jump'

• Mark Few praises Gonzaga's defense: ‘Guys are playing with great effort’

• Gonzaga bigs Graham Ike and Braden Huff are wearing out defenses: 'You're not getting a break'