Liberty’s Julian Strawther relishes run with No. 1 Gonzaga
It was crystal clear for Liberty High graduate Julian Strawther the moment he stepped on Gonzaga’s campus. Before that, actually.
It’s one of the reasons he signed with the Bulldogs.
“It’s a winning culture here,” Strawther said. “We have a goal, and it’s a goal that no other Gonzaga team has been able to achieve. We just, from day one, have been pounding in our heads that this is the year we’re going to bring that (national championship) home.”
Only six more wins to go.
Strawther, a freshman wing, is cherishing the experience of playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament — and the team that could become the first in all of Division I since 1976 to complete an unbeaten season. He’s in a reserve role, averaging 8.2 minutes and 3.5 points per game as the backup to WCC player of the year Corey Kispert.
But “I’ve grown as a player, like I can’t even explain how much,” Strawther said.
Strawther was a three-time All-State selection during his prep career with the Patriots and a consensus four-star recruit with scholarship offers from programs across the country. He signed with the Bulldogs (26-0) not just because of their winning pedigree, but also because of their penchant for player development.
He said it hasn’t been difficult to transition from his role as a featured, star player in high school to a reserve in college. “I know the situation I’m in,” he said.
Kispert plays Strawther’s position, and Gonzaga’s lineup also includes a likely top-five NBA draft pick in freshman point guard Jalen Suggs, with junior guard and fellow NBA prospect Joel Ayayi.
“I’m playing with All-Americans,” Strawther said. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Gonzaga coach Mark Few has summoned Strawther to play meaningful minutes at various junctures of the season. Few said last week during the WCC tournament that the coaching staff is “really, really high on him.”
He also said Strawther has become a “much, much better defender” throughout the course of the season and believes “he’s got a bright future” at Gonzaga.
The immediate future for the Bulldogs, though, is in Indianapolis, where they will try to make program — and college basketball — history by winning the national championship.
Strawther is grateful to be a part of it.
His father, Lee, says he’s confident his son made the right call.
“We made a decision two years ago. We talked about it thoroughly. We did a lot of research. It’s working out perfectly.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
Other Las Vegans
in March Madness
MEN
Jalen Hill, Oklahoma: The Clark High graduate is a sophomore wing at Oklahoma, where he's averaging 4.1 points in 16.8 minutes a game.
Mwani Wilkinson, LSU: The Bishop Gorman alum is an impact role player during his freshman year with the Tigers. He's started 14 of the 25 games in which he's played, and averages 17.8 minutes, 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 78 percent from the field.
WOMEN
Rae Burrell, Tennessee: The former Liberty star is one of the best players in the SEC, averaging 16.8 points and 4.4 rebounds en route to all-conference honors as a junior. She leads the Lady Vols in minutes per game (32.2) and shoots 41.3 percent from 3-point range, tops on the team among rotation players.
Sam Thomas, Arizona: Thomas, formerly of Centennial, is a senior wing for the Wildcats. She averages 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. She was an all-conference honoree and a member of the All-Pac 12 defensive team. She shoots 39.7 percent from 3-point range.
Dre'Una Edwards, Kentucky: The third-year sophomore and former Liberty star averages 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Wildcats. She'd previously played at Utah, for which she was the Pac-12 freshman of the year in 2018-19.
