en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball News https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/news Graham Ike’s last trip to Las Vegas, in March for the West Coast Conference Tournament, culminated with the forward hoisting a championship trophy after Gonzaga’s 79-68 win over Santa Clara. Ike has a chance to make it two titles in five months after the undrafted forward helped the Golden State Warriors stave off former Gonzaga teammate Anton Watson and the Los Angeles Lakers 92-88 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League semifinals at Thomas & Mack Center. It was a vintage stat line from Ike, who matched teammate LJ Cryer for the team lead in scoring, totaling 16 points to go with 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. Ike made 6 of 10 shots from the field and went 2 of 2 from the free throw line, finishing plus-10 for the Warriors. Watson had a tough outing for Los Angeles, scoring just two points in 22 minutes while making finishing 1 of 9 from the field and 0 of 5 from the 3-point line. He also had two assists and one rebound. In Saturday’s other semifinal, former Washington State and Eastern Washington wing Cedric Coward erupted for 28 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 101-90 victory over the Houston Rockets. Coward, who’s played in every game for Memphis at Vegas Summer League, also added six rebounds and five assists. He finished 9 of 19 from the field, 4 of 10 from the 3-point line and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. Former WSU center Oscar Cluff, who played one season in Pullman before stops at South Dakota State and Purdue, finished with two points and five rebounds for the Rockets. The Warriors and Grizzlies will meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday in the championship game at Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be televised on ESPN. Other locals… – Former Gonzaga wing Jalen Warley struggled offensively, missing all four of his shots and finishing scoreless in Indiana’s 91-73 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. – It was an equally difficult night for Gonzaga teammate Tyon Grant-Foster. The undrafted wing, who spent Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs, didn’t score and finished 0 for 2 from the field in five minutes off the bench. Sun, 19 Jul 2026 04:36:26 GMT Theo Lawson https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57289479 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57289479 true false LAS VEGAS – The hierarchy of opportunities for NBA hopefuls who don’t get selected in the draft usually begins with a traditional two-way contract, followed by an Exhibit 10 contract and then a Summer League invitation. Usually being the principal word there. Jalen Warley wasn’t hearing from teams on the first day of the NBA draft last month, but activity and communication started to escalate on Day 2. By the end of the second round, Warley’s cell phone was pulsating with a steady buzz as his agent relayed interest from different NBA organizations. At least two wanted to bring him in on an Exhibit 10 deal, which would guarantee a Summer League opportunity and put the Gonzaga wing in solid position to earn a G League spot, if not a two-way contract. The Indiana Pacers couldn’t offer an “E-10” contract, but Warley was still a priority Summer League target for the Eastern Conference franchise after the 23-year-old visited Indianapolis for one of his seven pre-draft workouts. Warley had a good feeling about Indiana, so he took a somewhat unconventional path, passing on multiple E-10’s to sign on with the Pacers’ summer squad. “I thought I had a really good workout with them,” Warley said in Las Vegas last Friday after a Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “A couple of the staff members, I actually had one that overlapped with me at Virginia. I had a really good relationship with him. But yeah, overall just kind of they stayed consistent, they reached out since the workout and I saw a really good opportunity, so I was just excited to get to Indiana.” The opportunity was enticing to Warley for a handful of reasons. Indianapolis reminded the 6-foot-7 wing of Spokane, in part because of the rich basketball culture both cities share. Warley was also impressed with how the Pacers’ organization operated – something else that struck the former Florida State and Virginia player when he took an official visit to Gonzaga in October 2024, committing to Mark Few’s program the following month. “It’s just a really well-run organization, kind of reminds me of Gonzaga from top to bottom,” Warley said. “It’s just a joy to be in the building every day, so yeah, hopefully there will be some more opportunities after.” As they typically are for undrafted players, opportunities have been hit and miss for Warley at NBA Summer League, where the rookie has seen time in two of Indiana’s four games, averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. The Pacers are primarily using Warley as a wing at the “3” or “4,” but he’s fulfilled a variety of roles at both ends of the floor, not too different from last season at Gonzaga, where he frequently guarded four or five positions and took on secondary ball-handling responsibilities. “I love the energy he plays with, especially defensively,” Pacers Summer League coach Bryce Tucker said. “He’s really good on the ball, fights over ball screens, just very active. Offensively he’s a slasher, good ball-handler. He can serve as a secondary playmaker, as well. He’s been really good in the minutes he’s played.” Warley admitted he’s still adapting to the speed and spacing of the NBA game. The defensive three-second rule at the professional level has been another adjustment. In college, Warley liked to slide into the paint to provide help defense, but he has to be more mindful about how and when he can do it in the NBA. “A lot more space. Obviously, guys are a little older,” Warley said. “College has become a pretty old game, but I would say just the physicality and the ability to shoot the ball, just the spacing of it. So, it’s just kind of a different game. Still a lot of similarities to college, especially at the level we played at Gonzaga.” Warley is still working to improve his shooting efficiency at Summer League, but the Pacers are encouraging the wing to expand his range and take open 3-pointers. Warley only attempted a handful of 3s his first three college seasons at Florida State and didn’t shoot one in 722 minutes last year at Gonzaga. “He plays really hard. He’s trying to learn, got a lot of practice reps where he looked really good and obviously got some reps today,” said Indiana forward Jalen Slawson, who had one of the Pacers’ three two-way contracts last year. “I know he hasn’t scored the ball as well as he wanted to but he’s playing really hard and he’s getting deflections, had a big block today, couple big rebounds, got on the floor. Extremely proud of him and playing hard is half the battle.” Since joining the Pacers, Warley has touched base with former Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard, who’s spent the last five NBA seasons with Indiana, to trade stories about their time in Spokane and discuss the leap from college to the NBA. “I’ve seen him a couple times. Just chopped it up about his experience at Gonzaga, that transition from college to the pros,” Warley said. After redshirting in 2024-25, Warley became an integral piece of Gonzaga’s rotation last season, av... Sat, 18 Jul 2026 17:36:04 GMT Theo Lawson https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57285609 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57285609 true false By ZACH SMART Fleeing from obscurity and […] The post appeared first on . Fri, 17 Jul 2026 23:48:49 GMT Zach Smart https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57280669 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57280669 false false Purdue basketball finalized a brutal 2026-27 nonconference schedule featuring Gonzaga, Iowa State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Colorado and UConn. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:05:07 GMT Rodney Knuppel https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57279407 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57279407 false false Gonzaga Bulldogs target Donovan Dent files for a fifth year of eligibility, sending shockwaves through college basketball’s transfer landscape. With NCAA law... Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:39:50 GMT Locked On Zags https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57278680 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57278680 false false By JAMES MADDEN Rutgers has officially added […] The post appeared first on . Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:59:53 GMT James Madden https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57277009 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57277009 false false As of right now, Gonzaga has one viable option at point guard, and he hasn’t even cleared eligibility yet. Nathan De Sousa is a 23-year-old Frenchman who spent last season starting in the backcourt at Cholet Basket, in France’s Pro A-League. He committed a few weeks ago as depth behind Mario Saint-Supery (henceforth referred to […] Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:58:36 GMT Mac Smith https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57273284 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57273284 false false By ZACH SMART Playing with a sustained […] The post appeared first on . Fri, 17 Jul 2026 02:41:03 GMT Zach Smart https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57272177 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57272177 false false LAS VEGAS – The hierarchy of opportunities for NBA hopefuls who don’t get selected in the draft usually begins with a traditional two-way contract, followed by an Exhibit 10 contract and then a Summer League invitation. Usually being the principal word there. Jalen Warley wasn’t hearing from teams on day one of the NBA Draft last month, but activity and communication started to escalate on day two. By the end of the second round, Warley’s cell phone was pulsating with a steady buzz as his agent relayed interest from different NBA organizations. At least two wanted to bring him in on an Exhibit 10 deal, which would guarantee a Summer League opportunity and put the Gonzaga wing in solid position to earn a G League spot, if not a two-way contract. The Indiana Pacers couldn’t offer an “E-10” contract, but Warley was still a priority Summer League target for the Eastern Conference franchise after the 23-year-old visited Indianapolis for one of his seven pre-draft workouts. Warley had a good feeling about Indiana, so he took a somewhat unconventional path, passing on multiple E-10’s to sign on with the Pacers’ summer squad. “I thought I had a really good workout with them,” Warley said in Las Vegas last Friday after a Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “A couple of the staff members, I actually had one that overlapped with me at Virginia. I had a really good relationship with him. But yeah, overall just kind of they stayed consistent, they reached out since the workout and I saw a really good opportunity so I was just excited to get to Indiana.” The opportunity was enticing to Warley for a handful of reasons. Indianapolis reminded the 6-foot-7 wing of Spokane, in part because of the rich basketball culture both cities share. Warley was also impressed with how the Pacers’ organization operated – something else that struck the former Florida State and Virginia player when he took an official visit to Gonzaga in October of 2024, committing to Mark Few’s program the following month. “It’s just a really well-run organization, kind of reminds me of Gonzaga from top to bottom,” Warley said. “It’s just a joy to be in the building every day so yeah, hopefully there will be some more opportunities after.” As they typically are for undrafted players, opportunities have been hit and miss for Warley at NBA Summer League, where the rookie has seen time in two of Indiana’s four games, averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. The Pacers are primarily utilizing Warley as a wing at the “3” or “4,” but he’s fulfilled a variety of roles at both ends of the floor, not too different from last season at Gonzaga, where he frequently guarded four or five positions and took on secondary ball-handling responsibilities. “I love the energy he plays with, especially defensively,” Pacers Summer League coach Bryce Tucker said. “He’s really good on the ball, fights over ball screens, just very active. Offensively he’s a slasher, good ball-handler, he can serve as a secondary playmaker as well. He’s been really good in the minutes he’s played.” Warley admitted he’s still adapting to the speed and spacing of the NBA game. The defensive three-second role at the professional level has been another adjustment. In college, Warley liked to slide into the paint to provide help defense, but he has to be more mindful about how and when he can do it in the NBA. “A lot more space, obviously guys are a little older,” Warley said. “College has become a pretty old game, but I would say just the physicality and the ability to shoot the ball, just the spacing of it. So it’s just kind of different game, still a lot of similarities to college, especially at the level we played at Gonzaga.” Warley is still working to improve his shooting efficiency at Summer League, but the Pacers are encouraging the wing to expand his range and take open 3-pointers. Warley only attempted a handful of 3’s his first three college seasons at Florida State and didn’t shoot one in 722 minutes last year at Gonzaga. “He plays really hard, he’s trying to learn, got a lot of practice reps where he looked really good and obviously got some reps today,” said Indiana forward Jalen Slawson, who had one of the Pacers’ three two-way contracts last year. “I know he hasn’t scored the ball as well as he wanted to but he’s playing really hard and he’s getting deflections, had a big block today, couple big rebounds, got on the floor. Extremely proud of him and playing hard is half the battle.” Since joining the Pacers, Warley has touched base with former Gonzaga point guard Andrew Nembhard, who’s spent the last five NBA seasons with Indiana, to trade stories about their time in Spokane and discuss the leap from college to the NBA. “I’ve seen him a couple times, just chopped it up about his experience at Gonzaga, that transition from college to the pros,” Warley said. After redshirting in 2024-25, Warley became an integral piece of Gonzaga’s rotation last season, avera... Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:37:01 GMT Theo Lawson https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57278062 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57278062 true false LAS VEGAS – The first and fourth games of Anton Watson’s third stint at NBA Summer League most effectively captured the versatility the former Gonzaga standout continues to show for the Los Angeles Lakers, not to mention the value he could conceivably bring to an NBA roster next season if the right opportunity arises. In Los Angeles’ opening game against Oklahoma City on July 9, Watson was assigned defensively to Oklahoma City rookie Aday Mara – a matchup that didn’t look favorable on paper, considering the height discrepancy between the 6-8 forward and 7-3 lottery-pick center. Watson met the moment, constantly disrupting Mara’s shots while limiting the former Michigan standout to just two points on 0 of 3 shooting in a convincing Lakers win. Flash forward to Thursday’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Looking to stay perfect in Las Vegas, the Lakers put the ball in Watson’s hands and allowed the third-year to pro operate as a point forward and primary facilitator. Consider it another challenge aced by the former Gonzaga forward and Gonzaga prep standout. Watson tallied four assists with just one turnover, scoring eight points on efficient shooting (3 of 5) to help the Lakers cruise past Chicago and No. 4 draft pick Caleb Wilson for a 105-82 win. “His versatility is great for us,” Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott said. “In a Summer League setting, you’re going to see a lot of pressure. You’re going to see man-to-man pressures, you’re going to see zone pressures and to have a guy like that where typically a ‘5’ won’t want to pick up as far back in the court. “To have him be able to handle and be organized is great. Something we went to today, we’ve gone to a couple other times, but we just really appreciate his versatility.” Watson wasn’t credited with any steals but came up with multiple deflections that led to Chicago turnovers. He also finished with a team-high plus-28 in just 17 minutes on the floor. The win puts Los Angeles in solid position to make a run at a Summer League championship. The Lakers were one of two unbeaten teams entering Thursday, but Atlanta’s perfect run in Vegas ended with a 96-64 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. As a result, Los Angeles will move into the Summer League Playoffs with the top overall seed and play the fourth seed in a semifinal game on Saturday. The winner will advance to Sunday’s championship at the Thomas & Mack Center. Warriors, Ike make statement It was a productive day at Summer League for not one but two members of Gonzaga’s 2023-24 frontcourt. Graham Ike was one of five double-digit scorers for the Golden State Warriors in an 87-77 win over the New York Knicks, registering 15 points on 4 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. The former Gonzaga forward may have only been Golden State’s second-leading scorer, but he paced the Warriors in two other categories, pulling down nine rebounds and blocking three shots. “I think Graham did a great job of kind of anchoring our defense from the back, rebounding the ball,” Warriors Summer League coach Khalid Robinson said. “His finishing around the rim and just his talking and communication, it gave us energy, it gave us a big boost.” The Warriors could also be in position to grab one of the four playoff berths, coming out of their four-game schedule in Vegas with a 3-1 mark. As many as nine other teams could finish with an identical win-loss record, meaning Golden State would have to win a point differential to advance. Former Gonzaga signee Jack Kayil struggled with his outside shooting for New York, scoring four points on 2 of 9 shooting and 0 of 7 from the 3-point line. Kayil also had five rebounds, four assists and three turnovers. Coward turns it around It’s unlikely Cedric Coward’s last two games in Vegas sat well with the former Washington State and Eastern Washington wing. Memphis won both games, but Coward struggled with shot against both the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies, combining to make 9 of 30 shots from the field while finishing 3 of 12 from the 3-point line. Thursday’s performance against Atlanta was probably easier to digest. The Grizzlies picked up their third win with Coward leading the way offensively on a 23-point night. “I think our whole roster has done a good job, regardless of individual performances, regardless of wins and losses, we’ve just tried to stay steady,” Grizzlies Summer League coach Erik Schmidt said. “We’ve had the mentality of sticking to our identity and every single day chipping away. Ced’s just a perfect example of that, of coming in tonight. Some shots fell for him, he contributed to the defensive side and we knew things would come around for him.” Coward was significantly more efficient, finishing 7 of 12 from the field, 2 of 4 from the 3-point line and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. He also had three rebounds, three assists and one steal. “He’s still been impacting the game well and tonight, similar to Javon Small in the last game, shots started fal... Fri, 17 Jul 2026 03:28:47 GMT Theo Lawson https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57272341 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57272341 true false BY ZACH SMART NORTH AUGUSTA, SC–Playing with […] The post appeared first on . Thu, 16 Jul 2026 23:13:27 GMT Zach Smart https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57271015 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57271015 false false COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (July 16, 2026) – USA Basketball announced today the USA Men's National Team assistant coaches, who will be on the sidelines for the 2027 FIBA Men's World Cup and Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, as well as accompanying USA Basketball Showcase games in preparation for both tournaments. USA Men's National Team head coach Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) will be assisted by J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons), Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Mark Few (Gonzaga University). Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:00:04 GMT Release courtesy of USA Basketball https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57269881 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57269881 false false What a special experience it was talking with the former Gonzaga Bulldogs walk-on and 1999-2000 West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Mike Nilson. Mike talked about his son, 6-5 wing Carter Nilson from Gonzaga Prep, walking on with the upcoming team in the Lilac City, the 1999 Elite Eight run as a No. […] Thu, 16 Jul 2026 02:45:46 GMT Arden Cravalho https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57262487 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57262487 false false BY ZACH SMART NORTH AUGUSTA, SC–Possessing college-ready […] The post appeared first on . Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:49:24 GMT Zach Smart https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57261602 https://sportspyder.com/mcb/gonzaga-bulldogs-basketball/articles/57261602 false false