Gonzaga lands No. 1 overall prospect Chet Holmgren
The top player in the 2021 class is officially off the board, as five-star Chet Holmgren announced his intention to sign with Gonzaga on Monday. Holmgren, who has looked like a lock for the Zags for some time, chose Mark Few’s team over nearly every major program in the country and the NBA G-League. Below, Rivals has a look at what the Bulldogs are getting along with what it means for the bigger picture.
WHAT GONZAGA IS GETTING
Holmgren is No. 1 for a reason and that reason is based mostly on how rare the 7-footer's skill set is. A true unicorn in high school ranks, Holmgren handles the ball like a guard and shoots it from the outside with consistent regularity. His elite length makes him a matchup nightmare when he steps away from the basket, which he does with regularity and confidence. There are few prospects that impact the game in as many ways as the five-star center, who is a renowned shot-blocker but also changes the ones he’s unable to get a hand on. Obviously, the criticism of Holmgren is his lack of muscle. It’s a problem that hasn’t held him back much against elite high school competition and may solve itself as he spends time in the Zags’ strength training program. Holmgren hasn't quite reached his ceiling yet, which is scary when you consider how he routinely dominates games against top-flight high school competition. Holmgren has No. 1-draft-pick potential.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BULLDOGS
This is the top of the recruiting mountain for a program that has seen its profile on the trail grow like a weed over the last handful of years. Holmgren is the highest-rated recruit in program history, topping the mark set by point guard Hunter Sallis just weeks ago. The Cinderella narrative in Spokane has long been dead, and today feels like another massive step away from its gravestone. The Zags are officially recruiting like a blue blood on the heels of a national title game appearance.
The rise of Gonzaga is one of the more notable college sports stories of the last decade, and landing a player like Holmgren is simply an exclamation point at the end of a statement the program has been making for years. This is yet another example of how momentum tends to compound in college sports, as Holmgren had his pick of any school in the country and elected to go out west to play in the WCC. Gonzaga’s brisk march from mid-major to quasi-blue blood is nearly complete, there's no program on earth with which the Zags cannot stand toe to toe on the trail.
IN HIS WORDS:
“I’ve been watching how [former high school teammate] Jalen [Suggs] and the [Gonzaga] coaches approach every game and trying to see how I could fit into the offense and defense next season. This has been an incredible run for them. I’m just trying to figure out what will be the best decision for me on and off the court." --Holmgren to Rivals.com’s Krysten Peek earlier this month.
“They have just been staying committed to me in this process and show me where I fit in. They don’t need to change anything to fit me in. I can basically just be plugged in and be effective on both offense and defense.” --Holmgren to Rivals.com’s Krysten Peek in November