SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Every summer they converge on Seattle at some point, a mix of the occasional pros, some college players with connections to the area and even some high school standouts.
The destination is the summer pro-am run by former NBA star Jamal Crawford. And after Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren made his first visit this past summer, Crawford was quick with some lofty praise.
“It was unreal to see a unicorn in real life!” Crawford tweeted in August. “Chet Holmgren is special.”
Fast-forward three months and as much as top-ranked Gonzaga might be downplaying all the “unicorn” talk, it’s clear Holmgren is a special talent unlike any that’s come through the Bulldogs’ program.
Holmgren is a 7-foot freshman with the ballhandling of a wing, the court sense of a point guard and the length and athleticism of a dominant interior force.
And the biggest stage of his young career is this week as the Bulldogs travel to Las Vegas for a trio of games, highlighted by Tuesday’s Final Four rematch against No. 2 UCLA and Friday’s clash against No. 7 Duke.
The matchups in Las Vegas will feature some of the top players in the country. But the most unique talent on the court is going to be Gonzaga’s freshman star.
“We are going against the top of the top. We’ll see what we’re made of,” Holmgren said.
While Gonzaga’s profile has rapidly grown over the past decade, the past few years have changed its scope on the national scale because of the caliber of recruits the Zags have landed. It started a year ago when Jalen Suggs played his one year of college ball for Gonzaga and continued when his close friend followed him to Spokane.
But Holmgren coming to Gonzaga was a step up even from Suggs — the No. 1 recruit in the country choosing the school 1,400 miles to the West.
“Their willingness to work and to be a part of what we’re all about here is hugely important to us,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said. “And that’s why we are…
Source : yahoo
