What Gonzaga's players said ahead of West Coast Conference Tournament

After completing a 31-game regular season that stretched out over the last four months, the next task on the agenda for the Gonzaga men's basketball team is simple: come away with two wins at the West Coast Conference in Las Vegas next week and secure a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Though the Bulldogs (23-8, 14-4 WCC) have virtually clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament with their small collection of high-quality wins and favorable position in the NET rankings, don't expect a an experienced team led by more than a handful of seniors let a few bracket projections get in their way of bringing a conference tournament title back home to Spokane.

The Zags, ranked No. 8 in the NET with three quadrant 1 victories, are currently slated to fall on the 8- or 9-seed line based on reputable bracketologists and computer simulations; Gonzaga has a 96.4% of earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament as-is, and depending on how the WCC Tournament plays out, that projection could swing one way or another heading into Selection Sunday.

But after coming up short to Saint Mary's twice this season and finishing second in the league standings behind the Gaels for a second season in a row, the Bulldogs will enter Orleans Arena on Monday with something to prove.

"For sure," senior guard Nolan Hickman said when asked if the team had anything to prove going into the WCC Tournament. "We haven't beat Saint Mary's this whole year so, there's definitely something to prove."

Here's more of what Ryan Nembhard, Graham Ike and Hickman had to say during Friday's press conference ahead of Monday's WCC semifinal game in Las Vegas.

Hickman on the team maintaining its focus heading into Monday:

"Just keep playing the way we're playing. Been playing with a lot of force, lot of energy lately. Honestly, if we just keep that up going into every game and just take it one game at a time I think we'll be right where we need to be. I think we needed this little break, honestly, for our bodies to rejuvenate, for us to get back into shape and everything."

Hickman and Nembhard on if their approach to the postseason as seniors changes compared to previous seasons:

Hickman: "I wouldn't say too much of a difference. I'm definitely cherishing these practices, cherishing these games that we're going into a little more just knowing that it's coming to an end soon. So, just cherishing it with our guys, coaching staff, crowd, fans and everything."

Nembhard: "I'm 100% taking it all in, but nothing really changes from a standpoint of what we got to do to get these wins."

Nembhard on what facing San Francisco again might look like:

"I'm not too sure, but I could definitely see them switching [their defensive strategy] up — some zone, maybe something else that we'll try to play to our advantage. I'm sure they'll have some type of different plan, they tend to usually do that a lot so, I'm sure they'll do a little something different. But I think that's what this week if for: I think it's a good time for us to focus on us and get better as a team and regardless of who we'll play, we'll be pretty sharp because we had a whole week to prepare and work on ourselves and work on some things that we might not have been working on."

Hickman on Nembhard being snubbed from being named a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award finalist:

“It’s crazy, it’s crazy. It’s outlandish. That’s how it is, that’s just how basketball goes. You get snubbed for certain things, but his mindset about everything is really impressive. Just not even caring about certain things and not caring about his individual self just goes to show what he is as a player and a dude so, all props to my guy for sure."

Ike on the benefits of experiencing close games throughout the season heading into postseason play:

"I think it's going to help us tremendously. Even though we haven't been able to close out earlier in the season, I think we're about ready to close them out now. We've just been preparing for it every day like 'Zag time' — certain situational things — and then I think our experience not only from this year but just throughout our whole careers will help."

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