SPOKANE, Wash. — In a season filled with awards and accomplishments, two Gonzaga players received more good news on Thursday.
Corey Kispert and Drew Timme were both named Naismith Trophy semifinalists. The award is given to the top collegiate basketball player in the country.
"One thing I really admire about Corey is how even keeled he always is," said Jalen Suggs on Thursday. "Obviously, he's super talented and can shoot the hell out of the ball, sneaky athletic, and a great leader. I think his always steady mind is something that holds a lot of us together."
Drew Timme would most likely echo that.
Gonzaga is the only team in the country to have multiple players on the ten-man list.
"It's really, really cool," said Kispert of having both him and Timme named semifinalists. "Drew and I are really proud of that. We've talked a lot about feeding off of each other and making sure we get each other going on the floor. To see both of our names on the list is a pretty cool moment for us, but you know, work's not done though."
The work's not done for that trophy, nor is it for Gonzaga and adding more accolades to their historic season.
If they win at the WCC Tournament, they'll be the fourth team in the last 40 years to go unbeaten into the NCAA Tournament.
Jalen Suggs knows there's a lot of undefeated talk right now, but he just wants to embrace every second with this squad.
"It obviously would be great. I think a lot of that comes from outside noise," said Jalen of the possibility of an undefeated season. "We're really focused on being in the moment, enjoying every game, every last practice and moment together, and taking it one game at a time."
That includes his time with Coach Few.
"There's not enough good things I can say about Coach," said Suggs. "He's helped me grow on and off the court. He's like family to me. His family's like family. He's just a great guy, and I really couldn't see myself in any other program with any other coaching staff, to be honest."
There are also plenty of alums that would echo that sentiment.
Corey Kispert told the media he hears from at least one former teammate nearly every day, including messages from Rui Hachimura, Killian Tillie, and Brandon Clarke.
"There's so much support. They're having so much fun watching us. A lot of it is just keep doing what you're doing and keep going. They're really proud of us and the way that we're playing this year. It's just been so great to see all those guys still follow us and watch us and how much support and love they have for this team," said Kispert.
