No. 8 Baylor and No. 6 Gonzaga cap off an exciting day of college hoops in what could be Monday’s most anticipated game of the night.
Expectations for both programs are high. Gonzaga, which was 27-8, 14-2 WCC last year, will be led by point guard Ryan Nembhard and center Graham Ike, but also return starters Nolan Hickman and Ben Gregg. The Zags picked up key transfers with Khalif Battle, Michael Ajayi and Braeden Smith all expected to be major contributors. The Bears lost four starters but the nine newcomers includ guard Jeremy Roach from Duke, forward Norchad Omier from Miami and Jalen Celestine from California. Roach and Omier have both been to an NCAA Final Four. Five-star recruit VJ Edgecombe, a Bahamas-born shooting guard, is the headliner of a standout freshman group.
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Who: No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs No. 8 Baylor Bears
When: 11:30 PM ET, November 4, 2024
Where: Spokane Arena
Stream: FuboTV (free trial); Sling; DirecTV Stream
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No. 6 Gonzaga brings back all of its key players looking for elusive national title
By The Associated Press
Gonzaga (27-8, 14-2 WCC)
National championship or bust? That seems to be the tenor from the sixth-ranked Bulldogs, who bring back nearly all the key pieces from last season’s team that got hot late in the season and made another run to the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs have supplemented that roster with some key additions and will face a brutally tough schedule prior to the start of conference play in their push to win the powerhouse’s first national title.
Players to watch
Ryan Nembhard (senior, G, 6-0, 12.6 ppg). Nembhard was the engine that drove the Bulldogs last season and set a school record for assists in a season. He averaged nearly 14 points per game in conference play, but shouldn’t be asked to score as much this season.
Graham Ike (senior, C, 6-11, 16.5 ppg). Ike proved he could again be a dominant force on the inside after injuries sidetracked his career at Wyoming. In his first season with the Zags, Ike was second in the WCC in scoring and topped 20 points in nine of the final 12 games of the season.
Khalif Battle (senior, G, 6-5, 14.8 ppg). The Bulldogs missed having a player last season who could go get their own basket in a key moment. That’s what Battle can bring as a transfer from Arkansas. He’s a true scorer on the wing who averaged 21.4 points during his junior season at Temple.
Departures and arrivals
Battle highlights the arrivals, but the Zags grabbed two other key additions with 6-foot-7 wing Michael Ajayi from Pepperdine and guard Braeden Smith from Colgate. The additional depth on the perimeter is important after Steele Venters was lost to a season-ending injury during preseason workouts. Along with Venters, the only other significant loss for the Zags was do-everything forward Anton Watson, who 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds last season.
Top games
Once again, the Zags will play one of the most loaded schedules in the country beginning with the season opener at home on Nov. 4 against No. 8 Baylor. The non-conference slate features the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and neutral-site matchups with Kentucky (in Seattle), UConn (in New York) and UCLA (in Inglewood, California). The WCC schedule includes the renewal of Gonzaga’s rivalry with nearby Washington State as the two schools haven’t played since 2015.
Facts and figures
Along with Nembhard and Ike, the Bulldogs also return G Nolan Hickman and F Ben Gregg from last season’s starting lineup. Hickman averaged 14.0 points and Gregg added 9.0 points per game. … Gonzaga coach Mark Few was an assistant for the USA team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. … Backup F Braden Huff averaged 70% from the floor on 2-point shots last season.
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No. 8 Baylor adds 2 Final Four players and Bahamas-born freshman guard after losing 4 starters
By The Associated Press
Baylor (24-11, 11-7 Big 12)
Scott Drew is going into his 22nd season at No. 8 Baylor, having stayed in Waco after being linked to Kentucky’s coaching vacancy last April. The Bears lost four starters, including one-and-done freshmen Ja’Kobe Walter and center Yves Missi both being first-round NBA draft picks. The nine newcomers include major conference transfers guard Jeremy Roach (Duke), double-double averaging forward Norchad Omier (Miami) and versatile Jalen Celestine (California). Roach and Omier have both been to a Final Four. Five-star recruit VJ Edgecombe, a Bahamas-born shooting guard, is the headliner of a standout freshman group.
Players to watch
Roach (5th-year senior G, 6-2, 14.0 ppg and 3.3 apg). Roach started 108 of his 130 games at Duke the past four seasons. He first became a starter for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final team at Duke that reached the Final Four in 2022.
Omier (5th-year senior, PF, 6-7, 17.0 ppg and 10 rpg). Omier averaged 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 120 games over the past four seasons — two with Arkansas State before the two with Miami, where he was in the Final Four in 2023.
Edgecombe (True freshman G, 6-4). Edgecombe could be another one-and-done player for the Bears, but the speedy and athletic guard should have a huge impact in the short time he is expected to be in the Big 12. He can score from the perimeter and play strong around the rim.
Departures and arrivals
Walter was expected to be a one-and-done, and was Baylor’s leading scorer (14.5 ppg). The Bears had six players who averaged in double-figure scoring last season. They were the four departed starters plus guards junior Langston Love (11.0 ppg) and senior Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg), the only returning starters. Edgecombe is among five true freshmen, and Omier is one of three graduate transfers.
Top games
The Bears will get tested right away, with its season opener Nov. 4 at sixth-ranked Gonzaga, the team they beat in the national championship game in 2021. Five days later, they play No. 16 Arkansas with its new coach John Calipari at the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. The Bears also play at third-ranked and two-time defending national champion UConn on Dec. 4, and could face No. 12 Tennessee in a Bahamas tournament before that. Baylor’s Big 12 opener is New Year’s Eve at home against Utah, and its first league road game is at No. 5 Iowa State.
Facts and figures
Drew is 444-244 at Baylor. … With a 128-35 record since 2019, the Bears are the winningest major conference program in that span. … This will be the first full season at Foster Pavilion on the edge of the Brazos River. The Bears moved into the new arena last January and went 8-2 there. … Baylor is the only school to win 11 or more Big 12 games each of the past five seasons. .
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The Associated Press contributed to this article
