Gonzaga Dominates Western Oregon at Full Strength in Final Exhibition Game
With Tyon Grant-Foster being cleared to play in games an hour before tip-off and Emmanuel Innocenti returning to action after a rib injury, the Gonzaga Bulldogs rode the adrenaline to trounce Western Oregon 111-53 on Monday night in the team’s second and final exhibition match.
Grant-Foster joining an already versatile group of wings polishes off a deep man rotation for Mark Few and his staff as they set to embark on a journey for a deep run in March, as the Bulldogs showed their biggest X-factor, as well as a recurring theme in their win over the Wolves.
Innocenti Leads the Way on Defense
Inserted into the starting lineup for Adam Miller, Innocenti is the face of a Zags squad that wants to be tenacious defensively. The 6-5 junior is not just the team’s best perimeter defender, but one of the best in the country, and he made his presence felt quickly in this one. Innocenti was active on the ball, taking it away and dunking in transition in the opening minutes. He did it again to open the second half, a prime example of how GU wants to play this season.
Innocenti finished with six points, three assists, two rebounds, and tied Davis Fogle with three steals for the team lead in just 12 minutes. He helped fuel a 28-0 Bulldogs run over a near eight-minute stretch in the middle of the first half. As a team, the Zags finished with 36 points off turnovers and 27 fast-break points. Innocenti’s impact was felt immensely by his head coach.
“What a difference it was having E out there defensively tonight. I mean, he can really, really pressure the ball. He can really move his feet,” Few said. “He really, really kinda activates us on the defensive end…”
Deep Rotation Making a Difference
With Grant-Foster and Miller brought in as transfers, Steele Venters returning from back-to-back season-ending injuries, Jalen Warley and Innocenti getting more playing time, and true freshmen Mario Saint-Supéry and Davis Fogle being instant contributors, there is a full starting lineup on the bench for the Zags to utilize this season.
Graham Ike and Braden Huff will be the stalwarts in the frontcourt, combining for 37 points on 15-for-17 shooting in the victory against Western Oregon, but the difference in this year’s Gonzaga squad will be what each of those auxiliary pieces can bring in every aspect of the game.
Fogle continued to impress, as he was uber aggressive driving to the cup, scoring 13 points on 11 made free throws. Venters and Miller had shot diets mostly made up of threes. Saint-Supéry dished off flashy passes on his way to four assists. Backup big man Ismaila Diagne logged a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Depth is a good problem to have, and it will be something Few uses to his advantage throughout the year.
“We have a ton of depth…hopefully we can really utilize that depth. Depth’s only good if you take advantage of it,” he said. “…If we get everybody just playing to their strengths and doing what they do and bringing what they bring…think we should be alright.”
Culture Remains Strength of Program
In the post-game press conference, as Grant-Foster expressed his feelings on how his situation unfolded, the relationship between the people in Gonzaga’s program stood out. Grant-Foster pointed to his left several times, where Miller was seated, who he says gave him words of encouragement in the moments leading up to the hearing. Miller says he sympathized with his fellow teammate who transferred on having an extended road to getting back on the court.
“[We] both had long journeys,” he said. “I’ve had to sit out a year for injury, and then I was a two-time transfer. I got denied twice, and I remember what that felt like.”
Grant-Foster also named Ike, Few, assistant head coach Brian Michaelson, assistant athletic director Scott Garrison, as well as the entire coaching staff and all of his teammates for helping him throughout the process.
Huff recalled walking into the locker room before the game and celebrating the good news with the team, while Grant-Foster was still in his tie and dress shirt from the hearing. Grant-Foster also recalled Few saying “we’re whole now”, and in addition to being at full strength, the team is connected, bought-in, and “special”, according to Miller.
“When you can get guys down the line who’ve bought in and you get a coach like Coach Few who can bring those guys in, it’s easier than you think,” Miller said. “…Then it’s just go out there and play basketball and find the X’s and O’s and execute.”
“I just really feel like we’re gonna have a real special year. This group of guys, everybody is bought into the right things. I’ve been a part of numerous amount of teams, but this team is like – the culture is crazy here,” Grant-Foster said. “You feel it from when you walk into this arena, the ticket ladies to the janitors, like you feel it, everybody is bought in. I’m grateful just to be here and a part of this group, for real.”
Gonzaga’s first official game will be against Texas Southern next Monday, November 3, at 6 PM PT in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
