How do Gonzaga's students think their beloved Bulldogs will fare this season? We asked them.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:03 >> Gotta be most excited for the scrimmage.
00:06 Definitely fun every year to kind of see how the guys all play together and
00:09 compete against each other.
00:10 So excited for that.
00:11 >> I'm really honestly excited to see Ryan Nameheart play.
00:14 I went to the NCAA second week last year and we saw Creighton play and
00:19 I can't remember if they won or not, but he honestly had a great showing.
00:22 I'm just so excited to see how he'll fit in the team.
00:25 >> I'm excited to see Zags back in the kennel,
00:27 getting everybody back into that atmosphere.
00:30 >> The atmosphere that both the team and the students put into it,
00:34 it's just amazing for Gonzaga basketball and for the Spokane community.
00:38 >> I'm looking forward to the dunk contest and seeing Jun Sekio just go crazy.
00:43 There's not a dunk contest?
00:45 >> [LAUGH] >> Okay, then there's a three point contest.
00:49 Okay, I feel like, and honestly, the scrimmage, I'm excited to see players that
00:52 maybe won't play throughout the season.
00:54 They won't get a lot of minutes, they'll get a play, so I think that'll be cool.
00:57 >> I'm just excited to see the guys again after last year,
01:01 see all the newcomers, the transfers.
01:04 >> Yeah, it's our senior year, so it should be fun watching all the contest that goes
01:11 on and everything.
01:13 >> Seeing Ryan Nameheart play.
01:15 >> Yeah. >> A little legacy action going on.
01:17 That's gonna be fun to see.
01:18 >> Yeah, I'm excited to see all the transfers come in and play, see how they are.
01:23 See how our front court is after Timmy Levy.
01:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:29 >> St. Mary's as always.
01:32 Just the atmosphere in the St. Mary's games is just like no other atmosphere.
01:36 >> Honestly, not really a game, but
01:38 I'm really anticipating the tournament, our in-conference WCCs.
01:43 I'm really looking forward to seeing the Zags, how they stack up against all that
01:47 in-conference play, and sort of with that competition, everybody vying for a spot.
01:51 In the big dance, and especially since in the last couple years,
01:55 the WCCs only gotten more competitive.
01:57 And it looks like some teams are really, really gunning for Gonzaga,
02:00 especially BYU, so.
02:02 >> Probably definitely the December game against USC, because there was Brawny, and
02:07 then now he's saying he's back.
02:08 So if we're actually playing against him, I'm just really excited.
02:11 And USC's got a great squad this year too, so I'm just excited.
02:14 I think I'm holding out hope that we can win it.
02:17 >> I think St. Mary's is always a good one.
02:18 We have that rivalry, and any 10 team game is fun, so yeah.
02:24 >> I'm gonna say even though none of us are here for it,
02:27 I think the game I'm most excited to see is probably when we play San Diego State.
02:31 >> Most excited for USC, I think, just cuz it's gonna be a big fun game.
02:37 Matchup against Brawny James, hopefully, if he's playing.
02:41 So yeah, we'll see, that one will be cool to watch.
02:44 >> St. Mary's, I think that just the rivalry there is electric.
02:48 >> Probably the USC game, just because if Brawny plays,
02:50 I think that'll be a pretty cool storyline.
02:53 I think also the UConn game is gonna be really big too.
02:56 Hopefully we can get that rematch win, hopefully.
03:00 I think those two are the games that are on my mind the most.
03:03 >> It's gotta be UConn rematch.
03:05 >> Yeah, UConn.
03:05 >> It's gotta be UConn rematch.
03:06 >> Probably UConn, yeah.
03:07 >> Yeah, that's gonna be a great game.
03:10 It was heartbreaking last year, coming back with vengeance.
03:13 >> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, same, I got the same response.
03:16 >> Most exciting game for home will be St. Mary's, but
03:19 the most game overall is when we play UConn, Seattle.
03:22 >> Done.
03:22 >> Yeah. >> Seattle, that's a big one.
03:24 >> Gotta redeem ourselves after last year.
03:26 >> I'm gonna go to the USC game in Vegas this year.
03:29 >> That's a tough question, honestly.
03:36 I think it might have gone a little better.
03:38 I think we've kept our good starters with both Nolan and Anton.
03:42 But I think with the quiet June and Ryan and a couple other players we've got,
03:47 we've got a really strong team.
03:48 I'm excited to see how they'll play in their synchronization.
03:51 >> I think all around, they're probably a lot better.
03:53 I know they lost quite a bit of star power, but
03:55 I feel like it'll be more of a collective effort this year.
03:57 And they'll be able to get it done.
03:59 >> I think that it got worse, but not as worse as people seem.
04:02 I think that we have a lot of forward depth.
04:06 I think it's gonna be really cool to see Steel Ventures and Dusty and
04:10 Joon-seok Yo kind of rotate and see what Mark Fu does with the different
04:13 combinations of the offense.
04:16 If he's just gonna run two guard and he could run three big,
04:19 you could run Nolan and Emhardt and then Anton, Ben and EK.
04:24 You could run that if you wanted.
04:25 That'd kind of be crazy cuz you have Ben Gregg in the corner.
04:29 He's a shooter.
04:30 Who knows?
04:32 I think Mark Fu's gonna have a lot of fun with the lineups.
04:34 I think there'll be more versatility this year compared to the years in the past,
04:37 which will be nice.
04:38 >> I feel like the team got better.
04:40 I feel like with the new additions, they grew in a way that they needed to grow
04:44 from the past seasons, just replacing the previous leaders on the team.
04:49 >> I mean, definitely losing Drew Timmy is a big piece of that and
04:52 such a lethal score.
04:53 But I'm excited to see what the new guys can bring.
04:56 Quite a few transfers and so I think they'll look pretty good.
04:59 I think they'll be able to play really well together.
05:01 >> I think we got a little bit worse, but
05:03 there's potential to be better if we can pull it off.
05:06 >> Okay.
05:07 >> If we can make a powerful statement this year.
05:10 >> Yeah, I think got better, especially that Korean dude.
05:15 >> Yeah.
05:16 >> Yeah, that guy's good.
05:19 >> I'd say we're pretty similar to last year.
05:21 I think we're still gonna have a really good year.
05:23 Obviously, losing Timmy hurts, but I think we got some good guys in the front court
05:26 and obviously picking up Nem heart is also gonna be nice.
05:29 >> I think we're gonna be better in other aspects and
05:31 then worse in strong aspects like we were last year.
05:34 I think Timmy leaving I think is gonna really hurt us in the front court, but
05:39 getting them barred in the backcourt, I think we're gonna have an improved
05:42 backcourt where I just wanna see how Anton and Graham, how they do.
05:47 But yeah, I'm excited.
05:48 >> Steel, Steel's gonna be cool to watch.
05:56 Just coming from Eastern Washington, so right here too.
05:59 So excited to see him shoot the ball and hopefully drain some big threes.
06:02 >> I'm pretty excited for Ryan Nem heart.
06:05 I was a big fan of Andrew and the legacy he lives on.
06:08 >> I'm gonna butcher it, the Korean.
06:10 >> June Sakao.
06:11 >> Yeah, yeah, he's really exciting and
06:14 I think he brings a lot that Gonzaga can sort of capitalize on.
06:18 Especially, we lost through Timmy,
06:20 which is probably what everybody's gonna be talking about.
06:23 But I think that there's definitely gonna need to be an eye on him as a recruit and
06:27 just in general kind of our class.
06:29 >> Definitely Ryan.
06:30 I've seen him play.
06:31 Love his brother.
06:32 I just can't wait to see how he performs and hope he lives up to my expectations.
06:37 >> I think June Sakao.
06:39 I'm really excited to see his skill set.
06:42 To have that transition to the college game from what I've seen is like
06:44 international play.
06:46 Also, Dusty Stromer, freshman.
06:49 Curious how many minutes he's gonna have, how much of a role he's gonna have.
06:53 That's gonna be interesting, but those two are mine.
06:56 >> Nem heart.
06:57 See if he lives up to the standard his brother's set.
07:01 >> Probably Ryan Nem heart.
07:03 I mean, two time Big East All First team and
07:08 seems like he could probably be an All American this year, so yeah.
07:10 >> I think his name's Steel.
07:11 >> Yeah, Steel Vendors.
07:13 >> Yeah, the guy from Eastern.
07:15 >> Yeah, I'll go from a different perspective.
07:18 I wanna see what Dusty Stromer brings to the table.
07:21 I think he'll get some solid bench minutes this year.
07:24 So I'm excited to see what he's got.
07:25 >> I got a few probably.
07:27 I think Dusty Stromer, the Asian dude.
07:34 The Ryan Nem heart, yeah.
07:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]
07:39 >> All the way.
07:41 This year's our year.
07:42 I mean, we've had some winners in the past that they said that we were
07:47 going all the way those years.
07:50 I think this year's the year.
07:51 >> I wanna be optimistic and say sweet 16, elite eight.
07:56 But I think last year with just how our performance went down and
08:00 kinda how we approach the tournament, it was a, we've just been a big.
08:05 We haven't been a team since freshman year since we had Kispert and
08:10 Ayai and Nem heart and guys that really clicked together.
08:15 I haven't seen that kind of team play, really.
08:18 It's been a lot of individuals, maybe some moments of it last year.
08:21 I think Strother and Hickman and there was one other guy, I can't remember.
08:28 Blanky on it, but we sort of had moments of that and
08:30 I think we can capture those moments of greatness again.
08:33 And so that's what makes me think that optimistically I think we could make
08:38 the sweet 16 cuz that's really where you can get without that teamwork.
08:42 But going any deeper is gonna require us to really become a unit and
08:47 make something happen.
08:49 Definitely from feeling at least sweet 16.
08:52 I think we're gonna get the ninth consecutive sweet 16 appearance.
08:55 And I'm hoping that we can go all the way this year.
08:58 >> I think we're gonna make a final four run, to be honest.
09:01 I think it's possible.
09:03 I think a lot of people might not think that at the end of the season, but
09:05 I think we have a lot of depth.
09:07 And I think that our guards will be better than a lot.
09:10 I think that two guard combo between Nolan and
09:14 Ryan Nem Heart I think are gonna be pretty good.
09:16 I think a lot of people won't be expecting it to be as lethal as it will be.
09:21 >> We're winning it all.
09:23 Just cuz we are.
09:23 I know it goes X.
09:25 >> And it's our senior year, gotta say we're winning it all.
09:27 >> Yeah.
09:28 >> Yeah. >> Yeah, the hope is to win it all.
09:31 But- >> As long as we get good defense,
09:33 we'll win it all.
09:33 >> Yeah.
09:34 I think realistically, I think it's what we were missing from a couple years ago.
09:39 I think we need a shot blocker.
09:40 But I think we can make it to the Elite Eight again this year.
09:43 I think. >> Three point shooting too.
09:45 >> Yeah.
09:45 >> We need a three point shooting.
09:47 >> Yeah.
09:48 >> We're winning it.
09:49 >> For sure. >> We're going all the way.
09:50 >> Yeah.
09:51 >> They underestimate us.
09:52 I mean, it's that simple.
09:54 >> You gotta aim at the top.
09:55 >> Yeah.
09:56 >> Always.
09:57 >> Yeah.
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