ICYMI: Chet Holmgren lives up to the hype on his March Madness debut, drops a double-double vs Georgia State
The Gonzaga Bulldogs and their star freshman Chet Holmgren came into March Madness with lofty goals and expectations but were able to deliver in their first-round game.
Chet Holmgren was able to deliver on the hype as one of the top players to watch in the NCAA tournament.
Gonzaga went into their first-round matchup against Georgia State as heavy favorites, so there was an expectation that they would dominate the Panthers en route to a big win. As the name March Madness implies, the Bulldogs did not exactly dominate the first half as much as the best team in NCAA basketball should.
After a relatively slow first half for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, they found themselves in a close game with Georgia State. After halftime, Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme took over the game and were able to show the real difference between the two teams.
#MarchMadnessUNREAL performance from Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren today 🔥 #MarchMadness
Timme: 32pts, 17rebs
Chet: 19pts, 17rebs, 7blks https://t.co/7c5zWcIAMo
In the second half, the potential top pick in the NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, and his teammate Drew Timme took over the game on both ends of the floor with their size and talent. The two big men taught Georgia State that size matters in the NCAA tournament, and teams that don't have enough of it would not win in the end.
The Bulldogs will look to build on their performance in the second half as they move on to the next round of the NCAA tournament. If Gonzaga continues to survive and advance, Holmgren and Timme will need to continue to perform as they did against Georgia State.
Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga's chances moving foward
The Bulldogs got a physical test from the Georgia State Panthers and are likely to continue to face more physicality going forward. The next opponent is Coach Penny Hardaway and Jalen Duren's Memphis Tigers, which will be another big test for Holmgren and Timme.
Should Gonzaga win against Memphis, the road will not get any easier. Many of the defenses left in their bracket are physical and efficient. Holmgren will need to showcase all of his greatness to put the Bulldogs over the top, rather than just the role head coach Mark Few is asking him to play.
Chet Holmgren showing off some of the agility and vision here. I've said this before but if you've watched Holmgren in other settings, you know we're really seeing only about 25% of what he can do on the perimeter. Shines in his role at Gonzaga but has more in the bag. https://t.co/F106SfnhVZ
Gonzaga will need the potential top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to be one-hundred percent of the player he can be to ensure a trip to the Final Four.
Holmgren will have the help of his teammates, but there is a reason Gonzaga believes the addition of Holmgren would lead to another Final Four and another national championship game, as well as, finally, a national championship win.