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Gameday Thread: No. 8 Baylor (0-0) at No. 6 Gonzaga (0-0)

November 1, 2024
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No. 8 Baylor (0-0) kicks off the 2024-25 season with a top-10 match-up in No. 6 Gonzaga's (0-0) backyard at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, on Nov. 4, 2024, at 10:30 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

KenPom Prediction: Gonzaga 79, Baylor 76

Torvik Prediction: Gonzaga 77, Baylor 72

Evan Miyakawa: Gonzaga 83, Baylor 75

Haslametrics: Gonzaga 78, Baylor 73

Coaches

Gonzaga: Mark Few (61) 716-143 (263-188 at Gonzaga); 23 NCAAs; 13 Sweet 16s; 5 Elite 8s; 2 FFs

Baylor: Scott Drew (53); 465-253 overall (435-242 at Baylor); 12 NCAAs; 5 Sweet 16s; 3 Elite 8s; FF; 1 National Championship

Head to Head: 3-2 Few

Gonzaga Starters

  • Guard: Ryan Nembhard (SR) 6-0 180 lbs; 13 ppg; 4 reb; 7 asst; 45% FG; 32% 3pt; 75% FT
  • Guard: Khalif Battle (SR) 6-5 185 lbs; 15 ppg; 3 reb; 41% FG; 35% 3pt; 87% FT; Arkansas TR
  • Forward: Michael Ajayi (SR) 6-7 230 lbs; 17 ppg; 10 reb; 47% FG; 47% 3pt; 71% FT; Pepperdine TR
  • Forward: Graham Ike (SR) 6-9 250 lbs; 17 ppg; 7 reb; 61% FG; 37% 3pt; 78% FT
  • Forward: Ben Gregg (SR) 6-10 230 lbs; 9 ppg; 6 reb; 54% FG; 38% 3pt; 73% FT

Gonzaga Bench

  • Guard: Nolan Hickman (SR) 6-2 190 lbs; 14 ppg; 2 reb; 3 asst; 47% FG; 41% 3pt; 88% FT
  • Forward: Braden Huff (SO) 6-10 250 lbs; 9 ppg; 3 reb; 60% FG; 34% pt; 55% FT
  • Guard: Dusty Stromer (SO) 6-6 200 lbs; 5 ppg; 3 reb; 37% FG; 36% 3pt; 81% FT

Baylor Starters

  • Guard: Jeremy Roach (SR) 6-2 180 lbs; 14 ppg; 3 reb; 3 asst; 47% FG; 43% 3pt; 84% FT; Duke TR
  • Guard: Jayden Nunn (SR) 6-4 190 lbs; 11 ppg; 3 reb; 2 asst; 46% FG; 44% 3pt; 71% FT 
  • Guard: VJ Edgecombe (FR) 6-5 190 lbs; 5 star freshman
  • Forward: Norchad Omier (SR) 6-7 245 lbs; 17 ppg; 10 reb; 55% FG; 35% 3pt; 75% FT; Miami TR
  • Forward: Josh Ojianwuna (JR) 6-10 255 lbs; 5 ppg; 3 reb; 73% FG; 63% FT

Baylor Bench

  • Guard: Langston Love (JR) 6-5 215 lbs; 11 ppg; 3 reb; 47% FG; 48% 3p; 78% FT
  • Forward: Jalen Celestine (SR) 6-7 215 lbs; 9 ppg; 3 reb; 45% FG; 44% 3pt; 72% FT; Cal TR
  • Guard: Rob Wright (FR) 6-1 180 lbs; 5 star freshman
Discussion from...

Gameday Thread: No. 8 Baylor (0-0) at No. 6 Gonzaga (0-0)

15,810 Views | 217 Replies | Last: 9 min ago by Johnny Bear
IowaBear
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In reply to bear2be2 • 12:19a, 11/5/24
It's 1 game but boy his scouting report does not match the play…
Dude was billed as the best ever recruit for the Bears. Hopefully it's game 1 jitters but man he looks brutal
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oldbear69
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12:20a, 11/5/24
35 pt loss ? WTH? Pathetic,, how can a Scott Drew team play this badly ?? Don't have to worry about 1 and done with Vj.. he can't make 2 with a pencil….. imagine what Calapari will do to this team Saturday,,
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Guitarbiscuit
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12:21a, 11/5/24

Well I'm confident Drew will be able to make it work as we get to mid February, but non conference could be a real pain.
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Bearwhiz
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In reply to bear2be2 • 12:22a, 11/5/24
bear2be2 said:
Why do we have Nunn and Wright defending the post? What the hell are we even trying to do defensively?
Drew getting his ass handed to him tonight
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bear2be2
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In reply to Guitarbiscuit • 12:23a, 11/5/24
Guitarbiscuit said:

Well I'm confident Drew will be able to make it work as we get to mid February, but non conference could be a real pain.
I have no doubt we'll be good by season's end. But it's disappointing to see so many of the same weaknesses in Game 1.
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IowaBear
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12:23a, 11/5/24
Anyway we can skip Arky Saturday and play Arky St instead?
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bear2be2
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In reply to IowaBear • 12:25a, 11/5/24
IowaBear said:
Anyway we can skip Arky Saturday and play Arky St instead?
We need a few Sun Belt and WAC games to build some chemistry. This team looks rough.
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Guitarbiscuit
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12:25a, 11/5/24

I do wish Drew would at least devote some portion of the program toward getting some 3 to 4 year players so that we can have an ounce of continuity going into the season. Seems that he talks about the need to do this but hasn't been able to execute there. Perhaps with NIL and portal, it's a fool's errand to expect year to year continuity at all.
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Guitarbiscuit
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In reply to bear2be2 • 12:26a, 11/5/24
bear2be2 said:
IowaBear said:
Anyway we can skip Arky Saturday and play Arky St instead?
We need a few Sun Belt and WAC games to build some chemistry. This team looks rough.

Very much so. This is one of those situations that playing top 10 ball clubs may not do us much good.
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IowaBear
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In reply to bear2be2 • 12:26a, 11/5/24
If we're going keep the strategy of having a completely new roster yearly than we need to dial it back in the non con significantly.
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Bearwhiz
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12:27a, 11/5/24
Guys just standing around not doing anything
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bear2be2
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12:27a, 11/5/24
We're getting a well-earned "overrated" chant now. What a nut-kick this game has turned out to be.
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bear2be2
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12:28a, 11/5/24
Well VJ can dunk. Unfortunately he didn't show any other discernible basketball skill tonight.
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Stefano DiMera
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12:28a, 11/5/24
3-21 from 3.

Joe Few. Mark's son in now.
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IowaBear
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12:31a, 11/5/24
What a deflating start! A 40 point ass kicking. The non con beat downs we've taken the last 3 years are impressive
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bear2be2
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12:32a, 11/5/24
The only positives tonight were Wright and Omier. Other than those two, we were universally awful.
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Bearwhiz
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12:32a, 11/5/24
That was just a clinic. Drew was completely outclassed
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Stefano DiMera
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12:32a, 11/5/24
Rob Wright down hurt.
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LIB,MR BEARS
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12:35a, 11/5/24
https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/events/2434777/box_score
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bear2be2
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In reply to LIB,MR BEARS • 12:36a, 11/5/24
LIB,MR BEARS said:
https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/events/2434777/box_score
Now why would you go and do that? We all saw it.
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LIB,MR BEARS
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12:41a, 11/5/24
14% from 3
Gave up 42% from 3 on 13 made 3s
37% to 57% from the field
11/11 A/TO
Out rebounded by 11

Omier looked good
Wright looked good
We can't possibly shoot that bad from 3 normally
We can't possibly rebound that poorly…. Can we?
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LIB,MR BEARS
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In reply to bear2be2 • 12:42a, 11/5/24
bear2be2 said:
LIB,MR BEARS said:
https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/events/2434777/box_score
Now why would you go and do that? We all saw it.

Looking for the silver lining. Hoping someone could help
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boognish_bear
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12:57a, 11/5/24
Anyone happen to know when is the last time we got beat by more than 38 points?
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bear2be2
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In reply to boognish_bear • 1:03a, 11/5/24
boognish_bear said:
Anyone happen to know when is the last time we got beat by more than 38 points?
Oklahoma beat us 91-51 in 2007 and 103-60 in 2005.

I'm not sure if we've had any losses that bad since.
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BluesBear
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In reply to bear2be2 • 5:59a, 11/5/24
bear2be2 said:
We're getting a well-earned "overrated" chant now. What a nut-kick this game has turned out to be.
Who has the ring? Drew should have never agreed to a neutral site that was .8 miles from their campus. I lived in Washington for several years. Few is a drunk and a *****.
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Realitybites
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In reply to LIB,MR BEARS • 6:15a
LIB,MR BEARS said:

Looking for the silver lining. Hoping someone could help


It's still football season?
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Johnny Bear
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In reply to bear2be2 • 6:29a
bear2be2 said:
Well VJ can dunk. Unfortunately he didn't show any other discernible basketball skill tonight.

Actually not that surprised. Anymore I pretty much expect to be disappointed with our hyped to the max one and done five star freshmen when the games get underway.
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Big12Fan2024
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6:42a
1, Rob Wright is the only point guard on this roster. Roach running the point was like watching Flagler at the point but without Flagler's ability to shoot. Roach is a 2 not a 1 and that was evident last night.

2. One game only but Wright looked confident, assertive and skilled. Edgecombe looked like a deer in headlights with an awkward shooting motion who was intimidated and out of control which is odd because you would think it would be the opposite since VJ played in the Olympics with NBA players. Edgecombe has been universally praised by lots of basketball minds so he can't be as unprepared as he looked last night. Right?

3. Norchad is the only skilled front court player we have and if he gets injured or fouls out we are in deep doo doo this year.

4. Shooting will come around and shots will start falling at some point I believe. But the D looked as bad as it has for 3 years. First game or not that was one of the worst exhibition of defensive fundamentals you will ever see. It worried me when Drew stocked his staff with fan favorite former players and a high school coach who was never known for defense instead of going out and finding the best defensive coach he could find. That could come back to haunt us again this year.

5. Stop it with the Langston Love stuff. He's not going to be ready until mid to late January. Fran even hinted to that effect on his interview with Mosely and Cam. And he's not going to help with the defensive stuff because that is not what he's good at.

6. I ain't sure whether my Final Four bus has a flat or a needs a complete transmission overhaul. Saturday will tell me a lot more!



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PaperBear89
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6:58a
My life story is a lot of zigging when I should be zagging (pun really not intended). Last night that changed and I was in bed by tip off.
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IowaBear
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In reply to PaperBear89 • 7:02a
Probably a good thing you missed this one. One team is good, the other better figure things out… fast
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Big12Fan2024
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7:11a
And before anyone says it. First game issues with a team who otherwise has good skills is a 10-16 point max loss. When you lose by almost 40 it is not just a first game issue.
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Johnny Bear
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In reply to Realitybites • 7:20a
Realitybites said:
LIB,MR BEARS said:

Looking for the silver lining. Hoping someone could help


It's still football season?

LOL!! Who in their wildest imagination would've thought that's the way we would feel one month ago?
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Quinton
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In reply to bear2be2 • 7:51a
bear2be2 said:
I'll stick with this one, but this is ugly.

We've got a defense problem. This is three years in a row where we look absolutely lost on that end.
.

The defensive coaching is bad. Imagine Self, Iowa st coach , or Sampson with three months. They would be competent by now.
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Quinton
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In reply to Stefano DiMera • 7:54a
Stefano DiMera said:
It's hard to swallow for many that a team starting 5 seniors might be pretty pretty good.

You know..we had a veteran team that was pretty pretty good if my memory serves.


Losing by 35+ very very rarely happens to soundly coached teams. 3 yrs in a row is an embarrassment. 15 point losses on the road happen but this was terrible. Don't ignore red flags.

They can get it turned around but our defensive principles and coaching are roll really really bad.
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bear2be2
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In reply to Big12Fan2024 • 7:58a
Big12Fan2024 said:
And before anyone says it. First game issues with a team who otherwise has good skills is a 10-16 point max loss. When you lose by almost 40 it is not just a first game issue.
Agreed. This team can and will recover from this. But championship teams don't typically get beat by almost 40 by anyone or under any circumstance.

The distance we've got to cover between now and the start of Big 12 play is enormous. And there were a lot of red flags last night signaling issues that will not be easily fixed -- or fixed at all in the case of certain personnel issues.
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