Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis is a young man of few words, major talent and great intensity.
His size (6 foot 11) and skill alone make him the best remaining post player in the NCAA tournament. But there’s more to the sophomore’s game.
“Against BYU, he’s on the ground diving for loose balls, and once he gets up he’s screaming in our faces,” said forward Kyle Wiltjer. “He brings that intensity, you know.”
Indeed, those who watched Sabonis pull down a school-record 16 rebounds in Gonzaga’s first-round victory over Seton Hall and 10 more against Utah know all too well.
“Sabonis is an absolute killer,” said analyst Steve Lappas, who called the two victories for CBS Sports. “He goes after every ball, every rebound.”
Regarding his effort on loose balls, Sabonis said: “Someone has to get it. As the coaches say, better to dive on it then have someone bust your knees up.”
The Lithuanian scored 40 points in the two games, extending the range on his left-handed stroke to the 3-point line.
He’s four inches shy of his dad, longtime pro player Arvydas, but gaining on him in terms of stature.
“He was awesome, unbelievable,” Domantas said. “He could shoot, pass from the post. He always made his teammates look better.”
Here are four more things to know about Gonzaga, which faces Syracuse on Friday night in a Sweet 16 game at the United Center:
Traveling: Top scorer Wiltjer started at Kentucky. Guard Eric McClellan went from Tulsa to Vanderbilt, where he was dismissed for an academic violation after 12 games, before finding a home at Gonzaga.
Both are grateful for their circuitous journeys to Spokane, Wash.
“One of my biggest mistakes turned out to be my biggest blessing, and that’s being here,” said McClellan, the West Coach Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. “Everything I’ve been through has allowed me to relish this opportunity.”
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Said Wiltjer, a 6-10 forward from Portland, Ore.: “I am who I am because of my experiences at UK, and I really enjoyed my time there. I’m blessed to be here now.”
Run of excellence: This is Gonzaga’s 18th straight NCAA tournament berth, the fourth-longest streak after Kansas, Duke and Michigan State. And the Zags are one of six teams to reach the Sweet 16 in 2015 and ’16, joining Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
Fish tales: Gonzaga coach Mark Few is tight with his Syracuse counterpart, Jim Boeheim. They became friends on a Nike-sponsored trip.
“He jumped into our card game and got his butt kicked,” Boeheim cracked. “He handled it well and took his beating like a man. We went fishing a couple of times, and he is a world-class fisherman.”
Said Few: “He’s a really good guy, and I wish you guys could see that side of him. He’s not the surly curmudgeon you think he is. He’s funny, he’s witty, a great card player and an average fisherman.”
Odds are: Gonzaga, a four-point favorite over Syracuse, is 3-to-1 to reach the Final Four and 22-1 to win it all, via pregame.com.