Analyzing Drew Timme, Rasir Bolton, and Chet Holmgren in the Gonzaga-Texas Game

November 14^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, Gonzaga played against Texas in what was my first opportunity to watch potential 2022 top pick and 7-0 freshman center, Chet Holmgren play in a live college basketball game.  While many of the NBA scouts and teams were watching him play, another player ended up stealing the show.  Gonzaga’s 6-10 junior center, Drew Timme put forth a fantastic showing, as he scored 37 points to lead his team to a double-digit victory over Texas.  Also, Gonzaga’s senior guard, Rasir Bolton, and Texas’ senior forward Timmy Allen were the other standout performers in this game.  Here are my thoughts on how Timme and other various prospects fared on this day.

Drew Timme put forth a magnificent performance, as he scored 37 points in his team’s win over Texas.  He did an excellent job of scoring the basketball, and he was dominant as an offensive player and scorer all night to help get his team the victory. Timme did a great job of scoring in the post.  He would often get deep position down low, and he has a good set of moves and footwork that would enable him to score early and often.  He has very good strength to establish deep position, and he also can use ball fakes and spin moves to frequently get past his man.  Plus, he would often score on strong moves to the hoop, and he would tend to score on crafty layups, step-through moves, and turnaround jump hooks.  He showed a knack for drawing fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line often.  He also managed to use a quick spin move and a ball fake before spinning the other way to score on a strong step-through move while getting an extra free throw on one really nifty play.

He also showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  Timme did a great job of scoring on rolls to the rim, and he was able to throw down a dunk once off of a roll to the rim.  He also showed good balance and body control to score on a cut with his left hand.  He also ran the floor to score in transition another time.  Plus, he also has a decent first step, and he would sometimes use off-ball movement and ball fakes to score with his right hand off the dribble.  Timme also was able to make a mid-range jumper on the baseline.  On the downside, he also missed on his lone three-point shot that he hoisted up from beyond the arc.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Timme is an unselfish player that can throw accurate interior passes to set up scores for his teammates, and he also did a good job of finding his teammates on the move.  He also was able to make a patient drive and kick pass to get the ball to an open shooter.  He also managed to set an on-ball screen to help his teammate score on an open jump shot.  On the downside, he can sometimes struggle to handle the ball when pressured.  He would sometimes get balls poked away and would lose them at times shortly after getting offensive rebounds.  He also got tied up when posting up that led to another turnover.

Also, Timme did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He was quite active at crashing the glass, and he especially made a concerted effort to haul in offensive rebounds for his team.  Defensively, he looked to be fairly average.  For the positives, Timme was able to successfully draw a charge to prevent an opponent from scoring on a mid-range floater.  He also would deflect passes to nearly get steals, and he also would contest shots in the paint to force misses.  On the downside, he would tend to sag too far off of shooters, and sometimes he wouldn’t even actively contest outside shots, which would lead him to allow his opponents to score on jumpers.  Another time, he was able to rotate, but he ended up getting beat off the dribble to allow a score at the rim. 

Overall, Drew Timme played really well, and he did a great job of scoring the basketball to lead his team to get a double-digit win over Texas.  He is one of the best players in college basketball right now, and much of it is due to his blend of polish, scoring skills, and basketball smarts.  On the downside, it may be a bit unclear as to how his game would translate to the NBA right now.  He’s a very good low post scorer, but the NBA plays at a much faster tempo than the college game, and NBA teams tend to favor running pick and rolls a lot more than post plays.  Also, Timme will likely need to expand his shooting range to be able to effectively space the floor better at that level.  Still, there’s a place in the league for quality big men that can score and consistently make plays, and Timme has proven to be a productive player at the collegiate level.  Currently, he projects to go in the late first to the second round range, but he could be a good find for a team in the NBA.

Rasir Bolton played very well in his team’s win over Gonzaga.  He is an agile, skilled combo guard that shot the ball really well, and he had a very good all-around game to help get his team the victory. Bolton shot the ball really well in this game.  He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble.  He was able to make a bank three off the dribble from way out, and he also dribbled off of a screen to smoothly make another three-pointer.  Also, Bolton was able to show the ability to take the ball to the rim to score on offense.  He was able to score on a strong, right-handed drive.  He also managed to score on a backdoor cut.  On the downside, he would sometimes rush his shots when driving to the hoop, which would lead him to miss shots in traffic.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  Bolton would throw accurate interior passes to find teammates on the move to set up scoring chances for them.  He also played unselfishly, and he made good decisions with the ball, as he also did not turn the ball over once on offense.  Plus, he was able to chip in on the boards by getting rebounds on both ends of the floor.  Bolton also played satisfactory defense in this game.  He was able to recover to block a shot off of a baseline drive hard out of bounds.  Another time though, he was too aggressive in trying to contest a shot off of a cut, and he bit on a pump fake and ended up fouling his man that time.

Overall, Rasir Bolton had a strong showing in his team’s win over Texas.  He made a very good impression by making shots early and often, and he did a great job of shooting the basketball to score, especially from beyond the arc.  He is a talented combo guard that could be poised to have a very good season this year, and if so, he could end up being a second round pick in the 2022 draft.

This was my first opportunity to watch Gonzaga’s super talented, 7-0 freshman center, Chet Holmgren play in a live college basketball game.  Unfortunately, his performance was a bit lackluster, and it was relatively disappointing.  He was able to make some solid team plays, as he did a good job of passing the basketball, and he also was able to block a couple of shots.  He was active as a rebounder and interior defender.  On the downside, he rarely looked to shoot the basketball, and he was sometimes too timid when he would, and he also didn’t handle the ball much, either.  He showed some of his trademark shot blocking skills, but he also ended up getting overpowered other times when trying to rebound or defend in the paint.

Holmgren was able to get the ball around the basket, and he then managed to score on a turnaround layup off the glass.  On the downside, when posting up another time, he missed on a left-handed, turnaround jump hook.  He also took a turnaround, mid-range jumper, but missed that time as well.  Also, Holmgren did a good job of throwing accurate entry pass to his teammates, and he was able to pick up an assist in this game.  He didn’t handle the ball nearly as much as expected, and he was an extremely low usage player on offense against Texas, but he also did not commit a single turnover on offense.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Early on, Holmgren was able to box out his man in order to get a defensive board.  He also was able to leap up to haul in plenty of defensive boards, and there was one play where he brought the ball up afterwards.  On the downside, he would sometimes get overpowered despite trying to block out his man on rebounding attempts, and it would lead him to allow stronger opponents to get rebounds in area. 

Defensively, Holmgren looked to be fairly average.  He did a good job of blocking shots in the post due to possessing good length, athleticism, and timing.  He also would use his length to force opponents to miss shots around the basket, despite giving up deep position.  On the downside, he really lacks the upper body strength to hold position on either end of the floor, and it would lead him to get overpowered when defending in the post.  He also would often sag too far off of shooters, which would lead him to allow them to score on open threes.  Another time, he got beat on a baseline drive, which put his team in a compromised situation.

There will be many more basketball games for Chet Holmgren to play in later on in the college basketball season, but his performance in his team’s win over Texas was a bit underwhelming.  Sure, his size, activity, and shot-blocking prowess helped his team’s interior defense, and Holmgren made good passes in this game.  On the other hand, he didn’t shoot or handle the ball very much, and his lack of strength made it tough for him to consistently defend stronger opponents in the paint.  He’ll need to add a lot more muscle and strength to his frame, and he’ll need to show NBA teams that he can match up to stronger opponents on a consistent basis.  Based on his performance in this game, it’s unclear if he will be the dynamic offensive player that he was advertised to be.  If not, his playmaking skills, shot blocking prowess, and feel for the game could still enable Holmgren to be a skilled, versatile big man similar to Orlando Magic’s forward, Jonathan Isaac in the NBA.

Timmy Allen quietly had a good showing in his team’s loss to Gonzaga.  He shot the ball better than expected, and he showed off versatile scoring skills in this game.  Allen did a good job of knocking down open, spot-up threes off the catch.  He also managed to make strong moves to get a couple of scores in the post.  He also was able to score on a strong put back while getting an extra free throw due to possessing a solid blend of strength, motor, and instincts.  He also managed to score on a fast break drive another time.  Sometimes though, he would miss on mid-range jumpers, and he also occasionally struggled to score on post-up plays in traffic.

Also, Allen did a good job of passing and rebounding the basketball.  He would find open shooters to get assists.  He also would crash the glass to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  Defensively though, he struggled in this game.  On one good play, he hustled back to force a miss in transition.  On the downside, he had trouble defending taller, stronger players in the post, and it would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores as a result.

Overall, Timmy Allen is a mobile, high-motor swingman that can knock down threes and also score in the post.  He’ll need to improve his ball-handling and his defense, and he’ll need to show teams that he can be a reliable outside shooter in games.  He’s off to a good start so far this year, and he is a borderline second round candidate for the upcoming draft.

Andrew Nembhard also played well in his team’s win over Texas.  He did a very good job of managing the game at the point, and he was able to dish out assists at will to help his team get the victory. Nembhard did a good job of scoring in the post.  He was able to post up to score on a fadeaway jumper from around the left elbow.  He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble.  He would use hesitation moves to score on crafty drives to the hoop.  He also pulled up to make a three to show off his shooting skills.  On the downside, he struggled to make mid-range jumpers, and he also had some trouble making spot-up threes in this game.

He also did a good job of passing and handling the basketball.  Nembhard showed a knack for throwing interior passes to set up scores for his teammates, and he also would make drive and kick passes to get the ball to rack up assists.  He didn’t commit many turnovers, but his lone turnover was when he threw a bad jump pass off of a baseline drive that ended up getting intercepted.

Also, Nembhard was able to get a pair of defensive boards for his team.  On the other hand, there was one play where he was called for a loose ball foul when going for a defensive board another time.  He also played decent defense in this game.  Nembhard was able to jump a pass quickly to get a steal.  He also managed to contest a couple of threes to force misses.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to defend quicker opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to allow scores to them.

Overall, Andrew Nembhard looked to be more assertive on offense, and he was at his best as a facilitator for his team on offense.  He may not be the most athletic or dynamic playmaker on offense, but he is a cerebral playmaking point guard that can reliably run the team, and he currently projects to be a second round prospect for the 2022 draft.

Texas’ 6-5 fifth-year senior guard, Jase Febres played well off the bench in his team’s loss to Gonzaga.  He excelled at making quick, spot-up threes, and he also was able to make one from way out late in this match.  He also managed to score on a floater off of a put back.  He also showed a knack for drawing free throws, and he excelled at making threes and using off-ball motion to draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line.  Overall, Jase Febres is an athletic, high-motor swingman that did a very good job of shooting, scoring, and rebounding the basketball, and Texas should consider playing him more this season.

Gonzaga’s 6-8 junior forward, Anton Watson played well off the bench in his team’s win over Texas.  He is an athletic combo forward that excelled at attacking the hoop to score the basketball, and he also was active as a rebounder and defender in this game. Watson showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He was able to score on a right-handed hook on a strong drive early on, and he also showed a knack for drawing fouls in order to get to the free throw line.  He also managed to use a drop step to score from the post to show off some of his low post scoring skills.  He also managed to score on a put back after leaping up to get an offensive rebound.  On the downside, he ended up missing on all of his three-point shots. 

He also looked to be fairly average as a playmaker.  He did a decent job of handling the basketball, but sometimes he would struggle the handle the ball when pressured.  On one play, he was called for traveling on a drive, as he would’ve otherwise scored off the glass had that call not been made.    Also, Watson showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he would tend to bring the ball up after getting defensive rebounds.  He also looked to be fairly average defensively.  He would deflect passes to nearly get steals for his team.  On the downside, he would sometimes be too aggressive in trying to make plays, which would lead him to be out of position, and to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Anton Watson had a solid showing, as he excelled as a scorer and at making hustle plays to help his team get the win.  He’ll need to improve his outside shot and defense, but he is an athletic, high-motor combo forward that could be a second round pick in the 2022 draft.

Devin Askew had a good showing off the bench in his team’s double-digit loss to Gonzaga.  He did a very good job of making shots, and he also showed some distribution skills, as he especially was effective in making plays late in this match. Askew did a very good job of scoring off the dribble.  He showed a knack for scoring on left-handed drives to the hoop.  He was able to change directions to go to his right to score on a crafty jumper.  He also went to his left and used a pump fake to score on a fadeaway jumper.  He also drove hard to his left and took on the contact to score on a jumper another time. He also showed an adequate ability to knock down outside shots.  He struggled to make open corner threes early on.  Late in this match though, he ran the floor to get the ball, and he was able to make an open corner three off the catch.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills.  Askew was able to throw a successful lob pass to set up a score for his teammate around the basket, and he is a good ball handler that can deftly get to where he needs to go on offense.  Overall, Askew played very well off the bench in his team’s loss to Gonzaga.  His season may hinge on how well he shoots from the outside and if he can be an effective game manager at the point.  If he can play as well as he did down the stretch in this contest, then Askew could be well-deserving of getting more minutes on Texas’ team this season.

Nolan Hickman had a solid showing in his team’s win over Texas.  He didn’t play nearly as much as expected, but he is an athletic combo guard that generally excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game.  Hickman also was able to knock down an open spot-up three to show off his shooting skills.  He also managed to score on a quick, backdoor cut to the hoop.  He also drove hard to the hoop to draw free throws another time. 

On the downside, he would tend to get his passes deflected out of bounds.  He also struggled to defend opponents off the dribble.  He committed one foul on a drive, and he also bit on a pump another time to give up a basket.  Overall, Nolan Hickman played fairly well in this game.  Though he didn’t get nearly as much playing time as expected, he showed off versatile scoring skills, as well as solid ball handling skills and athletic gifts.  Time will tell to see how well he plays this season, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a second round pick on draft day.

Texas’ fifth-year senior point guard, Marcus Carr didn’t play very well in his team’s loss to Gonzaga, but he was able to make a couple of crafty shots late in this game.  He struggled to make shots for most of the way, and he tended to be too sloppy with his decision-making on both sides of the ball.  He was a highly touted transfer coming in, but he turned in quite a disappointing performance against Gonzaga.

Carr did an adequate job of scoring off the dribble.  He was able to drive to his right to score on a nifty floater.  He also was able to go to his right to score on a couple of quick, pull-up jumpers from the mid-range.  He tended to be too streaky in looking to score on mid-range shots off the dribble, and sometimes he would miss badly as he would try to flail and get foul calls, to no avail.  While he was able to make a quick, step-back three to showcase his nifty ball-handling skills and footwork, he tended to take tough, contested outside shots often that would result misses.

He displayed fairly average playmaking skills in this game.  Carr is a quick, shifty guard that has can deftly maneuver into the lane to create shots for himself and his teammates.  He was able to get the ball to shooters to set up several scores for his teammates.  Sometimes though, he would play too wildly on offense.  He drove left to the hoop, but was called for a charging foul, in which he would’ve otherwise scored on a mid-range floater had that call not been made.  He also threw a hasty pass that ended up going out of bounds that led to another turnover.

Also, Carr was able to haul in several defensive rebounds to help his team out on the glass.  He also looked to be fairly average defensively.  He is an active help defender that would rotate to tie up opposing ball handlers, as he was able to get a steal and a near steal another time.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to defend opponents out on the perimeter.  He got beat off the dribble, which led to a scramble situation and to his team allowing a score, and he also committed a blocking foul another time.  He also sagged too far off of a shooter, which led him to allow his opponent to score on a deep three-point shot.

Overall, Marcus Carr struggled in his team’s loss to Gonzaga, as he did not shoot the ball very well, and he struggled with his jump shot for most of this game.  He was able to find his shooting touch down the stretch, but it was too little, too late.  He’s an agile scorer that has been known to go on scoring binges, but he will need to improve his outside shot and decision-making skills.  Currently, he is a borderline second round candidate for the 2022 draft.

Hunter Sallis didn’t play very much in his team’s win over Texas.  He defended well in the brief amount of time he was on the floor, as he would poke balls away and chase them down to help his team get steals.  On offense, he didn’t shoot the ball well, and he especially struggled to score in traffic.  He missed on a quick layup off of a backdoor cut, and he also got his three-point shot blocked another time.  Overall, he didn’t have his best game, but he showed promised as a defender, and there’s hope that if his offense picks back up to close to its expected levels, that he could see more playing time on a loaded Gonzaga team this season.