The freshman phenom proved why many believe he’s set to become the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft
1 min read
NEW YORK — Among the reasons Gonzaga is the betting favorite to win the 2022 NCAA Tournament is because Mark Few’s program returned the consensus preseason national player of the year — Drew Timme — and added somebody even more uniquely gifted — Chet Holmgren. That reality was on full display Tuesday night when the Zags cruised to a 97-63 win over Dixie State during which Holmgren, the five-star freshman, scored 14 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked seven shots and dished six assists.
It was an incredible debut.
The 7-foot center became the first player in the past 25 years to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in his first game at the Division I level. Holmgren’s debut didn’t have Twitter buzzing quite the same way Paolo Banchero’s debut with Duke had Twitter buzzing because it didn’t happen on the big stage the Champions Classic provides, nor was it against a quality opponent. But the performance still served as a reminder that Holmgren really is as special as his believers have forever yelled, and now I can’t wait for the day after Thanksgiving. On that Friday, Gonzaga will play Duke in Las Vegas and provide the world with a showdown featuring the players projected by most to go first and second in the 2022 NBA Draft. Appointment television, undeniably.
Gonzaga remains No. 1 in Wednesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. The Zags’ next game is Saturday against Texas, which opened the season Tuesday night with a blowout victory over Houston Baptist. The Longhorns are No. 3 in the Top 25 And 1.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Gonzaga |
Chet Holmgren finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks and six assists in Tuesday’s 97-63 win over Dixie State. The Zags’ next game is Saturday against Texas. | — | 1-0 |
| 2 |
 UCLA |
Johnny Juzang finished with 19 points and four rebounds in Tuesday’s 95-58 win over CSU Bakersfield. The Bruins’ next game is Friday against Villanova. | — | 1-0 |
| 3 |
 Texas |
Marcus Carr finished with 10 points, seven assists and three rebounds in Tuesday’s 92-48 victory over Houston Baptist. The Longhorns’ next game is Saturday at Gonzaga. | — | 1-0 |
| 4 |
 Kansas |
Ochai Agbaji finished with 29 points on 17 shots in Tuesday’s 87-74 victory over Michigan State. The Jayhawks’ next game is Friday against Tarleton State. | — | 1-0 |
| 5 |
 Villanova |
Justin Moore made six 3-pointers and finished with 27 points in Tuesday’s 91-51 victory over Mount St. Mary’s. The Wildcats’ next game is Friday at UCLA. | — | 1-0 |
| 6 |
 Michigan |
The return of Hunter Dickinson and Eli Brooks provides Juwan Howard with high-level experienced pieces to pair with the nation’s second-ranked recruiting class that features five-star prospect Caleb Houstan, five-star prospect Moussa Diabate and reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year DeVante’ Jones. Michigan opens the season Wednesday against Buffalo. | — | 0-0 |
| 7 |
 Memphis |
Emoni Bates finished with 17 points, four assists and four rebounds in Tuesday’s 89-65 win over Tennessee Tech. The Tigers’ next game is Saturday against North Carolina Central. | — | 1-0 |
| 8 |
 Duke |
Paolo Banchero finished with 22 points and seven rebounds in Tuesday’s 79-71 victory over Kentucky. The Blue Devils’ next game is Friday against Army. | — | 1-0 |
| 9 |
 Baylor |
The Bears lost four starters from their team that won the national championship but should remain near the top of the Big 12 thanks to the return of Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, and the enrollment of five-star wing Kendall Brown and Arizona transfer James Akinjo. Baylor opens the season Friday against Incarnate Word. | — | 0-0 |
| 10 |
 Arkansas |
Chris Lykes got 16 points off the bench in Tuesday’s 74-61 win over Mercer. The Razorbacks’ next game is Saturday against Gardner Webb. | — | 1-0 |
| 11 |
 Purdue |
Zach Edey finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday’s 96-67 win over Bellarmine. The Boilermakers’ next game is Friday against Indiana State. | — | 1-0 |
| 12 |
 Alabama |
Keon Ellis finished with 18 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday’s 93-64 win over Louisiana Tech. The Crimson Tide’s next game is Friday against South Dakota State. | — | 1-0 |
| 13 |
 Houston |
Marcus Sasser finished with 25 points and four rebounds in Tuesday’s 83-75 overtime victory over Hofstra. The Cougars’ next game is Friday against Rice. | — | 1-0 |
| 14 |
 Kentucky |
UK allowed Duke to shoot 52.8% from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Blue Devils. The Wildcats’ next game is Friday against Robert Morris. | — | 0-1 |
| 15 |
 N. Carolina |
Caleb Love and Brady Manek combined for 42 points in Tuesday’s 83-67 victory over Loyola Maryland. The Tar Heels’ next game is Friday against Brown. | — | 1-0 |
| 16 |
 Oregon |
Will Richardson finished with 20 points and four assists in Tuesday’s 83-66 win over Texas Southern. The Ducks’ next game is Friday against SMU. | — | 1-0 |
| 17 |
 Illinois |
Jacob Grandison went 7-of-10 from the field and finished with 20 points and five rebounds in Tuesday’s 71-47 victory over Jackson State. The Illini’s next game is Friday against Arkansas State. | — | 1-0 |
| 18 |
 Ohio St. |
E.J. Liddell finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in Tuesday’s 67-66 victory over Akron. The Buckeyes’ next game is Friday against Niagara. | — | 1-0 |
| 19 |
 Florida St. |
The Seminoles’ veteran core of Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne will be joined by a top-10 recruiting class highlighted by former Houston standout Caleb Mills and five-star wing Matthew Cleveland. Florida State opens the season Wednesday against Penn. | — | 0-0 |
| 20 |
 Tennessee |
Kennedy Chandler finished 7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three, in Tuesday’s 90-62 victory over UT Martin. The Vols’ next game is Sunday against East Tennessee State. | — | 1-0 |
| 21 |
 Maryland |
Qudus Wahab finished with 17 points, six rebounds and two blocks in Tuesday’s 83-69 win over Quinnipiac. The Terrapins’ next game is Thursday against George Washington. | — | 1-0 |
| 22 |
 Auburn |
Wendell Green Jr. made three 3-pointers and finished with 19 points and five rebounds in Tuesday’s 77-54 win over Morehead State. The Tigers’ next game is Friday against Louisiana Monroe. | — | 1-0 |
| 23 |
 Connecticut |
Adama Sanogo took 11 shots, made nine of them and finished with 20 points and five rebounds in UConn’s 99-48 win over Central Connecticut. The Huskies’ next game is Saturday against Coppin State. | — | 1-0 |
| 24 |
 St. Bona. |
Kyle Lofton finished with 17 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in Tuesday’s 75-47 victory over Siena. The Bonnies’ next game is Sunday against Canisius. | 1 | 1-0 |
| 25 |
 Va. Tech |
Justyn Mutts finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Tuesday’s 82-47 win over Maine. The Hokies’ next game is Friday against Navy. | NR | 1-0 |
| 26 |
 USC |
Boogie Ellis went 9-of-11 from the field and finished with 20 points in Tuesday’s 89-49 victory over CSU Northridge. The Trojans’ next game is Saturday against Temple. | NR | 1-0 |
IN: Virginia Tech, USC
OUT: Michigan State, Virginia
