The Ultimate Zag: A look at Drew Timme's immeasurable impact on Gonzaga men's basketball
Drew Timme will go down in a league of his own once his collegiate career is all said and done, both for his accomplishments on the hardwood and his persona off it. Like many Zags before him, the mustachioed Texan has thrived in Gonzaga’s one-of-a-kind culture, though there’s no denying his eccentric personality and laid-back demeanor stands out from the crowd.
From pajamas worn openly in public to the F-bombs dropped on national TV, he’s been the embodiment of what living the college lifestyle is all about for many 20- and 21-year-olds across the country.
Upon announcing his decision to come back to Gonzaga last offseason, Timme said he played Xbox and drank a beer after sending out one of the most relieving tweets a Zag fan could read at the time. His props while addressing the media range from a half-eaten Jimmy John’s sandwich to a red solo cup one would hopefully assume contained just Gatorade. The collection of colorful underwear and his love for “Star Wars” that has been well documented as of late feed what has become one of the most unique stories in college basketball.
Now, as he embarks on his final NCAA Tournament run as a Zag, it’s time to look at how the lumbering 6-foot-10 forward from Richardson, Texas, became a legend in the Spokane area.
TIMME'S EVOLUTION STARTED WITH PETRUSEV
Drew Timme and Filip Petrusev
Photo by Darren Yamashita, USA TODAY Sports
It helped that as a freshman, Timme went to battle against the 2019-20 West Coast Conference Player of the Year in Filip Petrusev every day in practice. Going up against one of the program’s most prolific interior scorers benefited Timme in his reserve role for the Zags, as he started in four games and averaged 20.5 minutes per game. He took home All-WCC freshman team honors after averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Timme’s career arc truly began to take shape in the WCC Tournament, where he dropped a season-high 20 points in the title game against Saint Mary’s to help the Zags earn the first of their current four consecutive conference titles. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down any hopes of a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but the future of the program looked bright otherwise with Timme coming into his own.
The keys to the frontcourt were officially handed over to Timme that offseason. Petrusev declared for the 2021 NBA Draft early as a sophomore, leaving the Zags relatively thin at the position. While the loss stung in the moment, Mark Few knew the transition was necessary.
"Internally, we thought we were better protected if Filip were to leave than most on the outside probably thought," Few said to CBS’ Matt Norlander. "Losing a conference player of the year is a big deal. And obviously, that just opened the window that year [for Timme]."
Since then, the clock has always read Timme time.
SOPHOMORE SEASON FOR THE AGES
Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
Selected to the preseason All-West Coast Conference, Timme more than lived up to the hype as one of the best players in college basketball by the end of the 2020-21 season. He earned the Karl Malone award as the nation’s top power forward with 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. Along with a star-studded cast featuring Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert, Timme’s ascension as an unstoppable force in the paint helped the Zags finish the regular season undefeated.
In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Timme had one of the all-time great scoring runs in postseason history, averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 64.9% shooting from the field over six games. He dropped a then-career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds in the second round against Oklahoma, the first of three memorable round of 32 performances he’s compiled over his career. Though Baylor had the last laugh in the title game, Timme’s reputation as a clutch performer on the biggest stage had been cemented.
Just as noteworthy as Timme’s on-the-court performance was the charismatic and laid-back persona he began to let shine throughout the 2020-21 season. With little to no fans in attendance because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fiery and competitive side of Timme provided an additional spark of energy to every empty arena. In fact, the legendary mustache celebration was born unexpectedly after a quick shave job before Gonzaga’s game against Northwestern State on Dec. 21, 2021.
From there, muscle flexing and trash-talking opponents became a part of the Drew Timme experience.
'ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT COLLEGE PLAYERS'
Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
Timme's junior season marked a transition to a full-blown leader as one of the few upperclassmen on a relatively inexperienced squad. Playing alongside Chet Holmgren meant fewer post touches for Timme, though the two formed quite the frontcourt duo to lead Gonzaga back to the Sweet 16 for the seventh straight season. Timme earned All-American honors while being named WCC Player of the Year.
As one of the most accomplished players in program history, the buzz surrounding Timme’s departure for the NBA was real during the spring of 2022. His 3-point barrage in the draft combine had fans suspecting there was a shot he could hear his name called in the draft. Some analysts snuck the 6-foot-10 forward somewhere near the back half of the second round in their mock drafts. Timme had entertained the draft waters the offseason prior as well, but his improvements on the defensive end along with his extended range from deep gave a different feel this time around.
The stress felt by Gonzaga fans was all for not, though, after Timme, Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton all withdrew from the draft process to return to Spokane for another shot at a title. Now in their fourth consecutive Sweet 16 together, the path to the program’s first national championship rests largely on the shoulders of Timme, who averaged a career-best 21.1 points per game this season en route to becoming Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer.
As he counts down his final games in a Gonzaga uniform, Timme has undoubtedly earned the title as the Ultimate Zag.
“When you really look at all of his accomplishments, he’s one of the all-time great college players in history,” Few said.
Drew Timme became known for his mustache celebration
Photo by James Snook, USA TODAY Sports
