SALT LAKE CITY — There was nothing particularly standout about April 21, 2023, back in Spokane, Wash. It was a typical spring day — there were too many clouds, not enough flashes of sun, and it was colder than most everyone in eastern Washington would’ve liked having shouldered through another bitter and cold winter.But something special was percolating within the McCarthey Athletic Center. Some news that eventually would drop would not only fortify the odds that next season’s Gonzaga Bulldogs would avoid a drastic dropoff after a run to the Elite Eight a month prior, but would also make them an even more viable threat to the March Madness field the following spring.Less than an hour after Wyoming center Graham Ike announced his commitment to Gonzaga as a transfer, Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard told ESPN he was bound for Spokane himself.Gonzaga is no stranger to talent acquisition. Head coach Mark Few has proven such wizardry over the years landing such highly sought-after recruiting classes year after year. But the Zags knew that if they were going to be a threat in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, they needed to identify areas of need. It started with a fearless big man who was happy to play with his back to the basket and the legacy of a former Bulldog great, who used to come watch his older brother, Andrew, practice during his own heyday in Spokane.“I just know the way it was going, it was exactly what we needed this year,” Few said postgame. “I knew those two, those were the two guys we went after. If you can get your top two choices, you’re in pretty good shape.”Gonzaga, perpetually in good shape come March.Fast-forward, and of course, The Zag Way is alive and well and thundering on. For the ninth straight NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga is Sweet 16 bound.Continue reading.