DALLAS — "I remember that I was on my way to one of the EYBL sessions in Atlanta when Bryan Michaelson first called me and he said Gonzaga and I was like that’s a big one, that’s a big one," exclaimed Drew Timme's mom, Megan.
Eventually, Gonzaga got their big one, or at the very least their big.
"In the back of my mind I always knew Gonzaga was the place for me," said the 6'10 senior.
Drew Timme has his reasons why.
"Just the style of play is perfect for a player like me. They’ve had players like myself come through and the way they develop them just speaks to how great the coaching staff is. They let a player like myself thrive in that situation, so it was a no-brainer for me," he said.
It was a no-brainer, both on and off of the court, for his parents as well.
"Who better than to send your kid to play and learn from and to be such a determining factor in their life than Mark Few and their staff?" said Drew's mom, Megan. "They are great guys and great people. Most people are sending their kids off to college without anybody guiding them and knowing they’re going to be around such good people, what more can you ask for as a mom?"
"For their style play, the way they play, and what they’ve prove and done in the past, I think always at some level we always kind of knew deep down it was a perfect fit for Drew," said Drew's father, Matt.
Drew began developing the skills for his perfect fit program in middle school, catching his now-varsity head coach’s eye in eighth grade.
"Most kids at his age, especially at that young of an age, are one dimensional at best and Drew never was," said Drew's head coach Marc Johnson. "Of course he could dominate on the block, but he wasn’t limited to that. He could handle the ball on the perimeter at a young age. He could score in different ways. His vision of the game and understanding how the game was played was always, really high IQ. We haven’t had a Drew. I tell a lot of coaches that I talk to he’s a once in a lifetime kid."
Now, he gets the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow in some former Zags' very large footsteps.
"Kind of like Kelly Olynyk, Zach Collins, guys like that," said Drew of what the coaching staff envisions him becoming. "Kind of the next one to develop to be the next big out of there."
"I see him with that potential as well," said Johnson. "What’s great about Drew is that he’s not afraid of working hard. Wherever he’s at right now, he’s going to get better."
So we know what the coaching staff expects of Drew, but what can the Kennel expect of him?
"I’m an energy bringer," said an animated Drew. "I like to bring the fans into the game and get the place rocking. Just do everything to get the gym going. Do what it takes to win. I love it. It’s the part I love the most about the game, just the energy that comes with it."
"The guy hates to lose and he wants to win," said Johnson. "Some people are fake with that emotion. It’s real with Drew. That’s just who he is."
We all know that makes Drew, and the Kennel, a perfect match, which he learned at Kraziness in the Kennel and again when the Zags hosted UW.
"The Kraziness in the Kennel was pretty unreal. It was spectacular," said Megan. "The energy was crazy. Just walking around the line outside starting at 8 in the morning was insanity. So that was pretty cool and I thought, 'Oh it can’t get any better than that, that was it.' Then Drew and I went up and watched the game and oh my gosh, it was even crazier. It was just such a different atmosphere. He was like, 'I’m ready to get there now. I want to play here.' He was so excited."
"That was crazy. That’s the environment I love to play in," said Drew. "Fans are going crazy the whole game. The place is rocking from start to finish. It made me want to play. I was excited just watching it. It got me excited."
So get ready Gonzaga fans, because Drew, and the best recruiting class in Gonzaga basketball history, are about to bring it.
"All the guys we talk a lot and we’re very excited about it. We think we can do something special there," said Drew.
"It’s hard to believe that this kid is going to be able to play on such a stage," said Megan. "It feels like such a gift and such a blessing, so it’s pretty exciting."
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