COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL: Timme to return to Gonzaga for junior year

From news services

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, who led the West Coast Conference in scoring last season, announced Wednesday that he will return for his junior season with the Bulldogs and won’t pursue professional options.

Timme will improve a roster that includes the nation’s second-ranked recruiting class.

“After reviewing options with my family, I’ve decided to return to Gonzaga,” Timme said in a news release. “I am excited to come back to Spokane and continue my collegiate career."

“I love playing at GU, being a part of the program, and can’t wait to play in front of the best fans in the country again,” Timme said.

The Bulldogs won their first 31 games last season before losing to Baylor in the national championship game. The 6-foot-10 Timme won the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award along with earning other honors.

Timme scored 19 points per game last season and also led the WCC in field-goal accuracy at 65.5%, which ranked third in the nation.

His seven rebounds per game were also fourth in the conference. He started all 31 games for GU, scoring in double digits 30 times. Timme also had a team-high 14 20-point games in 2020-21, including a career-high 30 versus Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Timme earned All-NCAA Tournament Team honors after averaging 20.3 points per game during the tournament. He made 64.9 percent of his shots from the field in the tournament, and 81.3 percent (26-of-32) from the free-throw line.