The Gonzaga Bulldogs fell in the Sweet 16 to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Despite being one of the very best teams this season, the Bulldogs got handled by the Razorbacks' mighty defense. It was a brutal end to another season that began with championship hopes.
In the postgame press conference, Drew Timme fought back tears as he answered a question about what his message to the team was after the loss.
Drew Timme fights back tears talking about his speech to the team postgame:
"I just said that I was proud of us. I told them thanks for being my teammates. They're my brothers till the end. I wouldn't want to do that with anybody else. I couldn't be anymore proud of these guys." pic.twitter.com/TOEQIj4tGy
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) March 25, 2022
Timme played a very strong game, recording a game-high 25 points on 9-19 shooting and seven rebounds. He also led Gonzaga in turnovers with five while recording just three assists. Although he frequently got swarmed and overwhelmed by the Razorbacks' Jaylin Williams, he kept the points coming, which few other Bulldogs were able to do. Only one other starter, Chet Holmgren, shot above 40 percent from the field. Because of Holmgren's foul trouble, Timme had a big burden to carry.
Despite his mistakes, Timme was the reason Gonzaga kept it close against Arkansas. The 6-foot-10 big man was fantastic in this year's tournament and last year's tournament, which ended when Gonzaga lost in the National Championship Game. After coming up short in last year's run, not even getting the chance to try again is understandably disappointing.
The national championship still evades the Bulldogs despite their long run of success. With Holmgren heading to the NBA and Timme possibly forgoing his senior season to test the draft waters, they may not have the excellence in the paint that they are accustomed to. Although they should still be able to compete under head coach Mark Few, Timme has been a huge part of their last two runs to the tournament.
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