/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69346320/1311014072.0.jpg)
Gonzaga men’s basketball should be right back at the top of the polls to start the 2021-22 season, as today the Bulldogs announced junior Drew Timme will return for his junior season in Spokane.
Guess who's back ...
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) May 26, 2021
Press Release: https://t.co/o49oBQDqwx pic.twitter.com/nD6J5v0qfI
“After reviewing options with my family, I’ve decided to return to Gonzaga,” Timme said. “I am excited to come back to Spokane and continue my collegiate career. I appreciate everything I’ve learned so far from the Gonzaga coaching staff, and look forward to growing my game more. I love playing at GU, being a part of the program, and can’t wait to play in front of the best fans in the country again.”
Timme helped the Zags advance to the national championship game following a 31-0 start to the season. Gonzaga won the league regular season title for a national-best ninth straight season. The Bulldogs became the first team in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 30 wins in five straight seasons. GU welcomes back a talented team in 2021-22, along with arguably their best-ever recruiting class, and multiple media outlets have ranked the Zags No. 1 in their early preseason projections.
The Zags finished 2021 31-1, picking up 31 straight victories and were on the verge of being the first undefeated team since the Indiana Hoosiers of 1976 before falling 86-70 to the Baylor Bears in the national championship game.
Timme started every game last season, averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 65.5% from the field. The Karl Malone Award winner as the nation’s top power forward was a consensus second-team All-American, as well as the Most Outstanding Player of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga are currently the favorites to win the 2022 national championship at DraftKings Sportsbook, listed as +700 to cut down the nets. While guard Jalen Suggs is off to the NBA, his former high school teammate Chet Holmgren joins the Zags as another five-star freshman that seems destined for a lottery pick.