Over the last few decades, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have gone from obscure Cinderella to a college basketball powerhouse.
The Bulldogs have been runners-up in the national championship game twice, been to two Final Fours, and made six Elite Eights.
Gonzaga is now considered by many as one of the newest bluebloods in college basketball. Along the way, they have produced some star-studded players who have gone on to have great NBA careers, some of whom are Hall of Fame-worthy.
Today, we honor the 10 greatest Gonzaga Bulldogs of all time. These players set the standard for one of the best basketball programs in the country that continues today.
10. Domantas Sabonis, center
Domantas Sabonis could have easily turned pro in Europe. Before coming to Gonzaga, he was offered a 630,00o contract to turn pro by Unicaja but decided to play for the Bulldogs instead. That season he helped lead the team to the Elite 8, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds per game. As a freshman, Sabonis made the WCC All-Freshman team and was named second-team All-WCC. As a sophomore, he was named first-team All-WCC and an AP Honorable Mention All-American.
9. Corey Kispert, small forward
Corey Kispert played a huge role in leading the Bulldogs to their Final Four appearance in 2021. That season, he was an All-American, WCC Player of the Year, two-time, and Julius Irving Award winner. He was also a two-time, first-team All-WCC selection. Kispert’s senior season was his best as a Bulldog, averaging 18.6 points and five rebounds per game.
8. Ronny Turiaf, center
Who would have guessed a little-known Frenchman would make such an impact on the Bulldogs? Ronny Turiaf played for the Zags for four years. While there, he was named first-team All-WCC on three separate occasions. Additionally, in his senior year, he was named WCC Player of the Year. He ended his college career fourth all-time in scoring (1,723) and rebounding (859). As a senior, he averaged nearly 16 points and 10 rebounds per game.
7. Kelly Olynyk, center
Kelly Olynyk started his college career coming off the bench for the Bulldogs. After redshirting his junior season to improve, he came back a whole new player. In 2013, he was named first-team All-WCC, WCC Player of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American. That season, Olynyk averaged nearly 18 points, seven rebounds, and one block per game.
6. Dan Dickau, point guard
Dan Dickau was a sharpshooter who transferred from the University of Washington to play for the Bulldogs in 2000. Dickau could not only shoot the ball well but could also handle the rock. The two-time first-team All-WCC player had his best season as a senior when he was named WCC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. His No. 21 was retired by the school.
5. Rui Hachimura, power forward
Rui Hachimura was a phenom from Japan who stepped right into a leadership role for the Bulldogs. Rui’s breakout season was his junior year, in which he was named first-team All-WCC, WCC Player of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American. He led Gonzaga in scoring (19.7) that season and also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game.
4. Brandon Clarke, power forward
Brandon Clarke was a star before he arrived on campus at Gonzaga. As a freshman at San Jose State, he was named Western Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year. Arriving at Gonzaga as a junior, he made an immediate impact. Clarke was named WCC Newcomer of the Year, WCC Defensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-WCC. He was the first player in conference history to take all of those honors home at the same time. He was also named third-team All-American that season and became just the third player to ever record an NCAA Tournament game of 35+ points and 5 blocks, joining Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson.
3. Adam Morrison, small forward
Growing up in Spokane, Adam Morrison started as a ballboy for the Bulldogs and eventually became their star player. As a freshman he made the WCC All-Freshman team averaging 11 points per game. As a sophomore, he was named first-team All-WCC. By his junior year, he was averaging almost 30 points per game. He ended that season as WCC Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, and the NABC Co-Player of the Year. Morrison led the nation in scoring and was the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
2. Drew Timme, power forward
Drew Timme immediately impacted the Bulldogs when he arrived as a freshman. He made the All-WCC Freshman Team while averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. From his sophomore through his senior season, Timme was either or first-team or second-team All-American, was a two-time WCC Player of the Year, and three-time All-WCC first-team selection. The 2023 WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player also led Gonzaga to the national championship game in 2021. Timme’s senior year was his best season, featuring career-highs in points (21.2) rebounds (7.5), and assists (3.2) per game.
1. John Stockton, point guard
The most famous Bulldog on this list with the biggest overall impact has to be John Stockton. Stockton, who played for the Bulldogs in the early 1980s, put the program on the map. He wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school and only got offers from two Big Sky Conference schools, which prompted him to stay in Spokane to play for Gonzaga.
In 1984, Stockton was named WCAC Player of the Year after averaging 21 points a game and shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. He was the first player from the program to earn that honor. Even then, Stockton was known for his passing skills and offensive efficiency, something he took with him to the NBA. Once there, he made his mark with the Utah Jazz.
Stockton is now a part of three halls of fame: the West Coast Conference Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
