Gonzaga basketball’s Mark Few reacts to performance not seen in 25 years of coaching

Gonzaga basketball, under head coach Mark Few, has always been known for having an ultra-efficient offense. It still is the case in the 2023-24 college basketball season, but even Few was blown away by how unselfish and meticulous the Bulldogs were Monday night during a semifinals WCC tournament matchup against the San Francisco Dons.

In Gonzaga basketball’s 89-77 win over the Dons, the Bulldogs had 31 made field goals on 23 assists. Moreover, the Bulldogs turned the ball over just three times. That left Few stunned.

“We had 23 assists and three turnovers,” Few said after the game (h/t Sports Illustrated).

“I’ve been doing this 25 years and never had a line like that at Gonzaga. That’s primarily these two guards up here (Nembhard and Hickman),” Few added.

Nolan Hickman led Gonzaga with 20 points and six assists, while Ryan Nembhard had 16 points and 12 assists.

As mentioned, the Bulldogs always run an efficient offense. This season, KenPom has Gonzaga basketball rated ninth overall in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency with 122.1 points per 100 possessions. The Bulldogs are also sixth nationally with 84.4 points per game. Having few turnovers in a game is also on-brand for Gonzaga, which is 27th in the nation with 9.8 turnovers per outing and 16th with a turnover rate of 12.2 percent.

With the Bulldogs getting past San Francisco, they are once again on a collision course with the Saint Mary’s Gaels for the WCC tournament title on Tuesday at Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada. A win over the Gaels would mean the fifth consecutive WCC tournament championship for Few and Gonzaga basketball.