Timme returning to Gonzaga next season

Gonzaga star forward Drew Timme will not pursue a professional career next season and will instead return to the Bulldogs, he announced Wednesday.

"After reviewing options with my family, I've decided to return to Gonzaga," he said in a statement. "I am excited to come back to Spokane and continue my collegiate career.

"I appreciate everything I've learned so far from the Gonzaga coaching staff and look forward to growing my game more. I love playing at GU, being a part of the program, and can't wait to play in front of the best fans in the country again."

Timme was a critical component in the Bulldogs' run to the national championship final, where they fell to Baylor.

He averaged a West Coast Conference-best 19 points per game plus seven rebounds and 2.3 assists as Gonzaga went undefeated during the regular season and became the first team since Kentucky in 2015 to rank No. 1 in the country all year long.

The 20-year-old was a consensus All-American second-team selection and won the Karl Malone Award for the 2020-21 campaign as the country's top power forward. He was also named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team.

ESPN ranked Timme as the 77th-best prospect available in this year's NBA draft, slotting him as a late second-round pick at best if he kept his name in the pool. Returning to Gonzaga will allow him to improve his stock while playing alongside a highly regarded 2021 recruiting class headlined by five-star center Chet Holmgren.