Gonzaga’s national title hopes bolstered with return of Player of the Year favorite Drew Timme
Gonzaga basketball will have breakout star Drew Timme back for another season with the chance of competing for Player of the Year and a national title.
Gonzaga came short of a national title in 2021. Maybe they’ll close the gap in 2022.
Star center Drew Timme is coming back to help them do it.
On Wednesday, the Bulldogs announced that Timme decided not to pursue his professional options.
“After reviewing options with my family, I’ve decided to return to Gonzaga,” Timme said in a statement.”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.”
Drew Timme’s play and handlebar mustache became iconic in 2021
Timme was a four-star recruit in the class of 2019. He’s returning for his junior season with the Zags.
He was a key part of Gonzaga’s undefeated record in the regular season and their run to the national title game. They lost to Baylor, 86-70, in that final outing. The fact that Timme was limited to just 12 points in that outing could explain some of his motivation to come back and try again.
As a sophomore, Timme averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and 2.3 assists. He won the Karl Malone Award. as the top power forward in the country. He was a consensus Second Team All-American.
He will be a favorite for national awards as a junior, including Player of the Year. If he continues playing as he did in 2020-21, voters won’t be able to ignore him.
Timme could have entered the NBA Draft without giving up his eligibility like Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson did on Wednesday. He’s sparing Gonzaga the uncertainty by definitely sticking around.
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