Drew Timme to enter senior season at Gonzaga after withdrawing from draft
Timme averaged 18.4 points per game last season at a 58.6% clip.
On Wednesday, Gonzaga’s Drew Timme announced he has withdrawn from the 2022 NBA Draft and will return to school for a fourth season. The All-American took to Twitter Wednesday night with a simple phrase to let Zags fans know he’s ready to run it back in Spokane.
Timme was the first of five Bulldogs to put their name in the draft hat back in April. Prior to the NBA draft combine, he held private workouts with a few teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Some experts and analysts believed he could sneak into the back end of the 2nd round or sign with a squad as an undrafted free agent, while others felt another year in college would benefit his development as a prospect and athlete.
Even with these concerns, Timme let his game speak for itself during the scrimmages at the combine. The 6-foot-10 forward had a team-high 13 points in his first outing before dropping 21 points and four 3-pointers in his next game, something he never came close to doing in college. His limited range was a major red flag heading into the draft process, but after that performance, it became clear he’s committed to evolving his game to fit the modern NBA.
However, it didn’t generate quite enough buzz to boost his draft stock significantly. Timme was left out in most mock drafts after the combine.
For the Zags, the impact of Timme’s return cannot be understated. He led the team in scoring last season with 18.4 points per game while shooting an efficient 58.6% from the floor. Skillset aside, his leadership helped empower a thrilling comeback against Memphis in the NCAA Tournament, in which he scored 20 points in the second half to overcome a double-digit deficit. Timme is a proven winner, and now in his fourth year, will be looked upon as a leader in the locker room.
The reigning WCC player of the year completes a frontcourt rotation of himself, Anton Watson, Kaden Perry and LSU transfer Efton Reid, along with Ben Gregg and incoming freshman Braden Huff. That’s a deep group filled with versatility and size, even if floor spacing is questionable, Mark Few now has a handful of combinations to throw out in the lineup.
Timme also reunites with Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther, who announced they’ll be back at Gonzaga for the 2022-23 season as well.
Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard are the two Gonzaga players to keep their names in for the 2022 NBA Draft, which will take place June 23 at 5 p.m. PST at the Barclays Center.
