Growth of Mario Saint-Supery comes at critical time for Gonzaga Bulldogs

Mark Few has tinkered with Gonzaga's starting lineup far more than usual this season, even insisting multiple times that fans and media members shouldn't read into all the various lineup combinations.

However, the recent move to include freshman point guard Mario Saint-Supery in the starting lineup felt notable as it coincided with a dramatic increase in playing time for the 6'3 guard.

After coming off the bench in 14 consecutive contests, Saint-Supery started the last two for Gonzaga - playing 33 minutes on the road against San Francisco and 25 on Saturday against Pacific. Coach Few said simply that it was "time to reward him a little bit" after he racked up six assists with just one turnover against the Dons at the Chase Center.

The freshman has done a fantastic job taking care of the basketball as of late, and his finishing ability around the rim has improved dramatically since the beginning of the season, which caught the attention of Gonzaga's team leader, Graham Ike.

"The way that he's reading the game has grown so much since we started playing these games in November," Ike told Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI after the Pacific game. "He's becoming more poised on the ball. I think he's had a stretch of a couple of games where there's been no turnovers. He's really taking care of that ball."

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few and guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Erik Smith

"He came in so well versed with his unique experiences overseas, it was just about calibrating it to our system," assistant coach Steven Gentry added. "We constantly say, quick simple decisions. And that will usually equal him making the right play."

In addition to improved ball security - a must for Gonzaga point guards - Saint-Supery has been the team's leader in three-point efficiency most of the year, currently hitting treys at an outstanding 43.9% clip. But where he has really improved is inside the arc - a major area of concern for the guard early in the year that has gotten dramatically better as he gained experience and familiarity with the college setting.

After a four-game stretch where he went 0-11 on twos, Saint-Supery was shooting a miserable 30.6% inside the arc through his first 16 collegiate games. Since then, however, the 6'3 guard has hit 52.9% of his two-point attempts, a remarkable turnaround that resulted in him scoring in double figures in six of his last 13 games - including a career-high 20 at Seattle U back on Jan. 17, and 14 points with six assists last Wednesday at San Francisco.

Saint-Supery came to Spokane as a highly talented guard with NBA upside, and while it took some time for him to acclimate to Gonzaga's system and college basketball at large, the patience shown by everyone involved has resulted in Saint-Supery playing his best basketball of the season at the perfect time.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery (17). | Photo by Myk Crawford

"I'm just really super proud of his growth and the way that he works every single day," Ike continued. "It's paying off."

Saint-Supery will be tasked with handling another elite international freshman guard, Joel Foxwell, on Wednesday when Portland comes to Spokane to take on Gonzaga. The game will tip off at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN+.

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