Gonzaga Bulldogs point guard Ryan Nembhard isn't listening to the outside noise as the program strives for another NCAA Tournament appearance
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00:03 >> I don't wanna jinx you, but I don't think you've turned it over the last
00:05 three games.
00:06 I think you've had 26 assists since then.
00:08 Have you been doing anything differently?
00:10 Have you been kind of running things the last few games that's allowed for
00:13 that kind of efficiency?
00:15 >> I don't know.
00:19 I've just been trying to make better reads, make smarter decisions.
00:22 And I feel like the game's been slowing down a little bit for me.
00:24 So that always helps when you're seeing a read just a little more.
00:28 But no, just being a little more conscious of not trying to go into small
00:33 spaces and make risky passes that are just unnecessary and
00:37 mess up the flow of the game, so yeah.
00:39 >> What about your shot selection?
00:41 I think the last two games you've only shot a couple threes.
00:43 >> Yeah. >> Are you looking for
00:45 better shots, less shots, or what's changed there?
00:49 >> I think just the last few is just based on what the other team is doing.
00:53 I mean, Pepperdine was showing a lot and
00:54 trying to get the ball in my hands and make me make a play.
00:56 So just trying to let the game cut to me not four shots if I don't need to take
01:00 them and we got a bunch of great players that can make shots.
01:02 So I'm not really too worried about my shots.
01:05 I know they're gonna come and yeah, I'm just gonna take the best shots for
01:08 what the team needs in order to win games.
01:10 >> What do you learn from a road trip like you guys just had,
01:15 the first three road games?
01:16 And where can you like leave some stuff to grow from that as you get into
01:20 like a part of the conference play here?
01:21 >> Sorry, can you say the first part of that again?
01:25 >> What do you learn from a road stretch like you guys just had and
01:28 things that you could take from that?
01:30 >> Yeah, just that our defense can travel.
01:31 When you go on the road and you have two defensive performances like the one we did,
01:36 I think that's huge.
01:37 And that's something we can bring back to the kennel and
01:40 just bring back for the rest of the year.
01:41 Trying to allow our defense to dictate how the game goes and
01:45 regardless of shots required, and not our defense can be a point that just stays
01:49 consistent.
01:51 >> What do you see now that San Francisco?
01:54 >> I really haven't watched them too much yet.
01:56 Coaches definitely prepared us for that.
01:57 We'll probably have two days to go today and the next day.
02:00 But I heard they got a really athletic fireman, they like to cut a lot.
02:05 Obviously, they're top of the league in conference play, so
02:08 they're playing pretty good basketball right now.
02:10 And it'll be a tough one, but we're gonna be super excited to get back in the kennel
02:13 in front of the fans, students, all of our best, so looking forward to it.
02:17 >> Going back to playing on the road, when you were in the big East,
02:19 you were playing in front of 15, 20,000 seat arenas.
02:22 Here on the West Coast, gyms might only hold 5, 6,000,
02:25 now that's a rowdy 5, 6,000, I all wanna see you guys go down.
02:29 What's that been like for you?
02:31 Has it been an adjustment or between the lines, do you kind of phase it out?
02:35 >> Yeah, honestly, it's cool, because sometimes the big East will be
02:39 big stadiums, a little bit small crowds for a crate.
02:43 Maybe something like Villanova will get a huge crowd every night.
02:46 So it's just good to be a team that everybody's gunning for.
02:49 You know you're gonna get your best shot, their biggest crowds for
02:52 us in those games, so you know it's gonna be a rowdy environment.
02:55 And yeah, it seems kind of more like a high school kind of environment.
02:58 But those are some of the best environments I've ever played in,
03:02 small gyms, packed, and it's super fun.
03:05 >> And for you, a lot of, for you,
03:08 this is the first time you're playing a lot of these teams.
03:13 And rosters change year to year, but do you lean on guys like Anton, say, hey,
03:17 San Francisco typically plays like this, Pacific typically plays like that, or
03:21 something like that?
03:22 >> Yeah, maybe, yeah, the guys, obviously,
03:25 Anton would know how to play against teams like that.
03:27 But more so the coaches, they've obviously done it for a long time.
03:29 Coach Hughes probably played these guys, shoot, I don't even know how many times.
03:33 But, so just the coaches, lean on them, and they know what these guys do, so yeah.
03:38 >> Ryan, you had over ten assists in the first
03:44 Kings I got to do that since Andrew did that a few years ago.
03:47 Do you guys even touch up the season?
03:48 I know you both crazy schedules, but
03:50 what's sort of that dialogue that you have throughout the year?
03:52 >> Yeah, we definitely keep in touch.
03:53 We talk a lot, FaceTime all the time.
03:56 So we definitely talk about each other's season and stuff.
03:58 Didn't really talk too much about the ten assists or whatever,
04:00 double digits assists, but yeah, we definitely keep in touch.
04:04 >> Has he given you any feedback on your play this year so
04:06 far, the games he's had a chance to watch?
04:08 >> Not too much.
04:11 I mean, we talk here and there about little things that he sees in terms of
04:14 whatever, ball screen reads or certain stuff like that.
04:16 But he kinda just lets me do my thing, and he knows I watch film.
04:21 But if he sees some things that he thinks I could improve on or
04:24 he thinks he can help me with, he'll definitely let me know.
04:26 >> Big picture, just how cool is it to have a brother in the NBA?
04:28 I know that's probably somewhere you wanna be someday.
04:30 >> Yeah, super cool, man.
04:31 It's just something to look up to.
04:32 We're obviously really close, and it's just super cool to see him chasing his
04:37 dreams and actually achieving them.
04:38 So yeah, somewhere I wanna be one day, and it's great to have someone that could
04:42 just help you and give you a lot of feedback on that.
04:44 >> How hard is it to play 40 minutes against a really good opponent?
04:49 You guys have done that a lot.
04:50 You, Nolan, and Anton, what's the body feel like next night or next day?
04:57 >> Yeah, it's tough, but at the same time, I feel like I've done it a lot in Creighton,
05:02 too. I played a lot of 40 minute games in Creighton,
05:04 39 freshman year and sophomore year over there.
05:07 So it's nothing really new to me.
05:09 Shoot, I'd rather be playing than on the bench, so I don't mind it.
05:12 And we get treatment the next day, we got a bunch of updates and stuff.
05:15 So coaches keep it a little bit light, especially if they know we play big men.
05:18 So, I mean, yeah, it's feeling pretty good.
05:22 >> Was it like a vacation getting time on the bench against San Diego and PEP?
05:26 >> Yeah, it felt good.
05:27 It's also just nice to see those guys who, guys that we know,
05:31 practice every single day and know they're not gonna play in a lot of these games.
05:35 So it's super nice to see them get on the floor and
05:37 do things that we see in practice every day.
05:39 But it's just nice to see those guys get an opportunity.
05:42 >> You know about the history of the program through Andrew and
05:46 following it then.
05:46 Obviously a lot of chatter about where y'all are in the bubble and all that.
05:52 The streak in WCC titles, those things.
05:55 How do you deal with that?
05:57 Does that bring pressure?
05:58 Do you tune it out?
06:00 Do you fuel off of social media?
06:04 >> I honestly don't really care too much about social media.
06:06 I don't really hear what people are saying.
06:08 We try to just stay in between what we got going on in this gym right here,
06:13 in this locker room.
06:13 We don't really care too much about the external factors.
06:16 We know if we win games, we're gonna be in the tournament.
06:19 We're playing good basketball right now and
06:21 we'll be fine throughout the rest of the year if we just take care of business.
06:24 So I'm not too worried about whatever else is saying.
06:27 Everybody kinda wants to hate on the Zag right now, so we're cool with that.
06:30 >> Does pressure just come with playing here?
06:32 Especially point guard, you know the history of that, right?
06:35 >> I think pressure just comes with winning games at such a prestigious
06:38 program like this.
06:39 I don't really put too much pressure on myself as a player.
06:41 But yeah, obviously, this program has a great line of winners and
06:47 winning basketball and just being a winning program.
06:49 So there's definitely pressure, but yeah, we're just worried about it.
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06:56 >> Talk to a few people about Graeme Meekay and
06:58 kind of the work that he does behind the scenes with his body, a lot of film work.
07:01 Have you seen any examples of that?
07:02 It's only been a few months playing with him so far, but
07:05 what have you seen from him?
07:06 >> Honestly, I've seen him from the summer.
07:07 He's always stressing early morning.
07:11 He'll wake up super early in the morning just to get a little stretching,
07:15 make sure his body's right to start the day.
07:16 So I mean, he's super consistent and super ahead of the whatever,
07:21 to make sure his body's good and make sure he's feeling good to come game time.
07:24 So he's a super hard worker and gets all his work done.
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07:31 >> All good?
07:33 >> Appreciate y'all.
07:33 >> Thank you.