Best Gonzaga basketball players: All-time starting lineup

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) /

2. F Adam Morrison (2003-2006)

There may not be a more controversial player to come out of Gonzaga than Adam Morrison, who was either loved or hated. Morrison’s ability to play with emotion drew the ire of some more traditional fans, but there is no doubt his passion helped Morrison become an elite collegiate player.

The Bulldogs saw Morrison contribute right away as a freshman, making the WCC’s All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.6 points per game. Morrison continued to develop into a star over the next two years, making the All-WCC First team as a sophomore and junior.

Gonzaga got a truly special performance in Morrison’s junior year, when he led the country in scoring, averaging 28.1 points per game on his way to the WCC’s Player of the Year Award. The end of Morrison’s college career was also memorable after he collapsed on the court in tears after the Bulldogs blew a late lead to UCLA in the Sweet 16, leading to controversy over his display of emotion.

Morrison opted to go pro after his junior year when he was taken with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats. Injuries, combined with poor play, saw the Bobcats trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers, where Morrison won two championships but played a very small role on those teams.

Morrison’s pro career ended up being a bust, but it doesn’t deny the fact he was one of the most prolific players in Gonzaga history. You can’t assemble a lineup of the greatest Bulldogs in history without including Morrison in it.