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.