Watson joined Gonzaga Nation to reflect on his storied five-year career in Spokane.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Welcome to another special episode of Gonzaga Nation.
00:09 I'm your host, Dan Dickow, alongside a truly special guest,
00:12 someone who doesn't really need the name announcement
00:16 of who he is.
00:17 You've seen him for the last five years
00:18 as such a huge part of the program,
00:20 local legend, Anton Watson.
00:24 So first off, Anton, thanks for joining again.
00:26 - Yes, sir, no problem.
00:27 - So, appreciate you joining.
00:31 It's a chance now that the season's over
00:34 for our Gonzaga Nation staff, former player like myself.
00:38 First off to say thank you for having a tremendous impact
00:41 on this program, but here's some things
00:42 from your perspective after spending five years.
00:45 So first off, thanks for a truly great career
00:48 as a Gonzaga Bulldog.
00:49 - Yes, sir, thank you.
00:50 Yeah, no, it was a good season and my career there,
00:54 you know, I remember all of it, so yeah.
00:57 - So let's take a full step back
01:00 to when you were coming out of high school.
01:01 And you and I had chatted about this kind of quickly
01:04 at different times, just 'cause I've known you
01:06 since you were in high school,
01:08 probably actually before high school,
01:09 playing open gyms with John Stockton at the Warehouse.
01:13 In regards to the fact that you're a local player,
01:17 you had the opportunity to come to Gonzaga,
01:19 and it was almost like, why wouldn't I go to Gonzaga
01:21 if you had the opportunity?
01:23 Fast forward all these years later,
01:27 how happy were you with that decision?
01:30 - I was super happy.
01:31 I knew it was gonna be a good place for me to get better
01:35 and be able to showcase my skills and basketball skills
01:40 in front of my hometown.
01:42 So yeah, just having that experience
01:45 and being able to play in front of my family and friends
01:47 was something special to me,
01:49 but I feel like I got better too throughout the process
01:52 and matured and yeah, just kind of went through
01:56 my own journey, but I appreciate all of it.
02:00 - You've mentioned your own journey,
02:01 and everybody's journey is so different and so unique.
02:05 A lot of outsiders wanna place kind of a timeline
02:08 or an expectation on what someone's journey needs to be.
02:11 A lot of times coaching staffs do the same.
02:14 Yours was unique, I think, in the fact that
02:17 you came in as a local kid, you started right away,
02:20 but then you had a bunch of injuries that you just,
02:24 for lack of a better term,
02:26 you just couldn't escape early in your career.
02:28 So you weren't able to kind of impact the game
02:30 that you wanted to.
02:31 Then you had the selfless attitude of,
02:34 hey, we might be a better team with Andrew Nembhardt
02:37 and a two point guard attack.
02:39 Then you have a number two pick in the NBA draft come in,
02:42 and you understood like, hey, you know what?
02:44 He's gonna be in the NBA in eight months or whatever it is.
02:48 If I do this, I'm gonna improve
02:51 and I'm gonna be able to excel in these roles.
02:53 - And you did that.
02:54 So then the last two years as a starter,
02:56 people finally were able to see
02:58 more of the offensive stuff that you could do.
03:01 And I know that's a long way to get to my question is,
03:04 what was the journey like in regards to each step of the way
03:09 and accepting your role during those different seasons?
03:12 - Yeah, yeah.
03:13 Starting with freshman season,
03:14 I think obviously I was starting,
03:17 felt good and I was playing good.
03:20 I got injured toward my shoulder.
03:23 So I had to sit out half of the season
03:25 and then coming back, it's hard coming off injury.
03:29 Just coming back and trying to be in the starting lineup.
03:32 I started first half of the season in my sophomore year
03:36 and then Andrew started starting.
03:37 And yeah, I just see my minutes kind of go away.
03:40 So mentally that was pretty tough for me
03:42 'cause I never came off the bench.
03:44 You know, I'm usually a starter on any team I play on.
03:47 So it was difficult,
03:49 but I just kind of had to change my mindset
03:52 and stay positive throughout that whole situation.
03:56 And yeah, I think it helped the team
03:58 and it helped myself kind of grow.
04:01 But after that junior year,
04:03 I kind of had the same mindset of just,
04:05 I'm gonna keep getting better.
04:07 If I'm not on the court, not getting the minutes I wanted,
04:09 I'm still push myself in practice, going against Chet.
04:13 You know, that's a pro.
04:15 That's the best you can go against in practice.
04:16 So that year, that was big for me, just my development.
04:20 And then in the summers,
04:21 I was just attacking every summer,
04:24 just trying to get my body right,
04:25 trying to work on my game, my outside three.
04:28 And then I think my senior year and this last year,
04:31 you know, it really came to light.
04:32 And I was just kind of playing like myself again.
04:35 - Yeah, I saw you play in high school.
04:37 You were dominant at Gonzaga Prep.
04:39 And everybody's game, when you adjust a level,
04:43 you have to adjust your game
04:45 depending on how your skillset, your size,
04:47 your athleticism fits that level game,
04:50 but also the team that you're playing with.
04:52 I think one of the unsung things is,
04:53 you kind of touched on it
04:54 because of your role with each of those teams,
04:56 is each of those teams needed something different from you.
04:59 And you could provide that.
05:01 That in and of itself is hard to do.
05:05 You mentioned growing up in an athletic family.
05:08 Is that something like, say, your dad
05:09 or maybe your older brother were able to impart on you?
05:12 Like, hey, coming off the bench
05:14 might not be the worst thing
05:15 because this approach or this angle
05:17 or this matchup might better enhance your opportunities
05:22 and your ability to grow as a player.
05:25 - Yeah, definitely.
05:26 I think they instill that in me,
05:27 just that competitive spirit
05:30 where you can be selfless to win games.
05:34 The most important thing is winning games to me
05:36 and super competitive.
05:38 But if I gotta take some minutes out of my game
05:42 for the better of the team, I'm fine with that.
05:45 I'll never be one of those selfish guys
05:47 who gets mad about that.
05:49 But when I come in the game, I gotta contribute.
05:52 I gotta do something to help the team.
05:54 So that's kind of how I was thinking about it.
05:56 - I believe you're the third winningest player
05:58 in Gonzaga history.
06:00 So that's gonna put you kind of up there
06:02 in regards to all-time NCAA wins as well.
06:05 I imagine you've got a huge amount of pride in that.
06:09 Maybe not at this moment
06:10 'cause we're only a couple weeks removed,
06:12 but years down the road,
06:13 you'll kind of value that stat, I'm sure, even more.
06:16 Is there a win or two that really stands out to you
06:20 as like, "Hey, that was unbelievable,"
06:22 or maybe a win that you felt like you were instrumental in?
06:26 Not that you weren't instrumental in many,
06:27 but maybe one that sticks out to you.
06:30 - I would just say both the Kentucky games.
06:32 We played them here at home last year,
06:34 and I think I had a good game.
06:36 Maybe like a double-double,
06:38 but just to beat 'em at home,
06:41 the crowd was crazy.
06:43 Kentucky, you know, anytime you play them,
06:45 they got all the athletes, all the draft picks.
06:47 And yeah, that was a big win.
06:50 And then we went there this year
06:52 and beat 'em at their place,
06:53 which was, I think that was probably the funnest game
06:55 I ever played in my career, just regular season-wise.
06:58 But yeah, that was a crazy game.
07:01 - You know, Gonzaga's been known for going and playing
07:03 at any opposing gym's arena.
07:05 I've never played in Rupp.
07:07 I've called a game for Westwood Horn Radio there,
07:09 and it's unique.
07:10 It's huge for a college state arena,
07:13 and it's got tremendous fan loyalty there.
07:18 Was that the best road environment you had played in?
07:23 - Yeah, I would say so.
07:24 I'll say one of the best.
07:25 Just, they have like an NBA arena,
07:28 and just all the stuff they do before the game,
07:31 you can just, you get chills just warming up.
07:34 So I'll say their BYU, when we played them at home,
07:39 it was always crazy, and they fill out the whole stadium.
07:43 So I'll say those two places,
07:44 probably the craziest places I played in.
07:46 - So let's go back to that game at Kentucky.
07:48 And I watched that game at home,
07:51 and it was like rinse, repeat with the same offensive.
07:55 Loop over the top to a pick and roll,
07:56 and it was either Graham or Braden Huff
07:58 had a couple good catch and finishes in that.
08:01 You had some unbelievable dive cut opportunities,
08:04 you know, baskets on the glass and things.
08:07 When you as a player see that you guys have cracked the code,
08:11 so to speak, to beat a team,
08:13 and Coach Pheu is running the same thing
08:14 over and over again, are you like, we got this?
08:17 Or what's going through your head
08:18 when you kind of get that run going in Kentucky?
08:21 - Yeah, no, you just get that confidence.
08:23 If they can't stop the play, you just keep running it.
08:27 I think that is obvious.
08:30 And they didn't have too many big guys
08:32 that could stop Graham or B Huff,
08:34 so we just kept running the same play,
08:36 kept getting buckets, and yeah, defense,
08:38 I think we kind of started locking down
08:40 the last couple minutes of the game,
08:42 which was huge for us,
08:43 'cause they got the best offensive in the country.
08:45 So yeah, that game was super fun,
08:48 but it wasn't too difficult.
08:50 It was just run the same play over and over again.
08:52 - No, it was, and that's something that, as you,
08:54 and we'll talk about this
08:56 throughout the rest of the interview,
08:57 kind of prepare for a professional career,
09:00 and hopefully in the NBA,
09:01 that's something that when an NBA team
09:04 or a professional team finds a weakness,
09:05 they'll run it over and over again
09:07 with a few small wrinkles,
09:09 whether it's spacing,
09:10 whether it's an action on the weak side.
09:11 So there's your early entry
09:14 into understanding the game at that level.
09:16 Let's talk about the Purdue game.
09:20 Picked up your fourth foul,
09:21 and a lot of people thought that changed
09:23 the dynamic of the game.
09:25 Was it a good foul?
09:26 Was there maybe a foul in the first three
09:28 that shouldn't have been called
09:29 that you felt impacted the game?
09:31 And what was your take on your final game as a Bulldog?
09:35 - Yeah, for me, the fouls, I think it got me.
09:39 Yeah, I know the second foul,
09:43 I fouled Fletcher Lloyd.
09:44 He pump-faked me.
09:45 That's a foul.
09:46 Third foul, think of it running down the court.
09:49 I bump into someone.
09:51 It's a physical game.
09:52 I'm like, it was pretty weak,
09:54 but probably could have been smarter there.
09:57 And then the fourth foul,
09:58 you know, I'm just trying to box out E.D.
10:00 He's seven-four, 300 pounds.
10:02 It's like, you just got to get him away from the hoop.
10:05 And I guess that got me on that.
10:07 But it's a physical game.
10:09 So, you know, I was pretty frustrated.
10:12 I didn't want to go out, you know,
10:13 sitting on the bench, fouling out.
10:16 But yeah, I think we played good, you know, did our best.
10:21 But it's hard when you play against E.D.
10:23 He's fouling out all three of your bigs.
10:25 - Yeah, I mean, I do remember that call.
10:27 It was questionable,
10:28 'cause that is something that could have been called
10:30 on literally every possession.
10:31 Against a guy like E.D. who, more times than not,
10:34 is the one that creates that initial contact,
10:37 'cause he's so big.
10:38 But with that being said,
10:41 like, you guys played against Purdue twice,
10:43 and you were in both games.
10:45 You lost to UConn in what, my eyes,
10:48 and share me your experience,
10:50 that was the only game you guys really weren't in
10:51 throughout the year.
10:52 I mean, after about eight minutes,
10:53 it was like, damn, UConn is fricking good.
10:56 Give us your take on both those two teams
10:59 when you watched the national title game.
11:01 Knowing that, hey, you did make the ninth straight
11:04 Sweet 16, and you guys were pretty damn good this year.
11:08 - Yeah, I was actually talking to Kurt,
11:12 one of our coaches, yesterday,
11:15 and he was saying, out of our six losses,
11:18 two of them were to Purdue, one of them to UConn.
11:20 But yeah, just watching that game,
11:24 I thought UConn was going to win.
11:26 I felt like they were going to win it all
11:28 since we got out.
11:30 So, just how they play, and their pace,
11:32 and their sets on offense,
11:35 it's like, they just look, they look good,
11:38 they look professional.
11:39 Defense-wise, they're locking up.
11:42 For Purdue, you know, Zach Eaddy's a beast,
11:45 but I just feel like they need some more pieces.
11:48 They got all the shooters,
11:50 but when you come against a good defensive team,
11:52 and just teams that's going to run you down
11:55 on the offensive end, like UConn,
11:58 I don't think Purdue could've kept up with them.
12:01 - Yeah, UConn was a well-oiled machine.
12:03 I had one broadcast of theirs this year,
12:06 and I was impressed from shoot-around,
12:08 to pre-game prep, to actual product on the floor.
12:11 They were head and shoulders above
12:12 pretty much everybody they played.
12:14 We touched on Zach Eaddy.
12:16 I would imagine he's the toughest matchup
12:19 that you had to face.
12:20 Granted, he wasn't your primary assignment,
12:22 but you had plenty of possessions against him.
12:25 Would he have been the toughest matchup this season?
12:27 And if not, who was?
12:29 - Nah, it's gotta be him.
12:31 I'm trying to think of who else we played,
12:34 but there's no one compared to him.
12:36 - It's the only one that, sorry to interrupt,
12:38 but I think the only one that would come to mind
12:40 really quickly, there's two guys,
12:42 would've been Keon Brooks at UW,
12:44 and Ladee at San Diego State for different reasons.
12:47 I mean, those two and Eaddy
12:51 would've been the toughest matchups, I think.
12:53 - Yeah, yeah.
12:54 - I think Eaddy, still the best
12:57 that I've matched up against in them.
12:59 Ladee's actually really good.
13:00 He's strong as hell.
13:01 - Yeah.
13:03 - But yeah, Zach Eaddy,
13:04 you don't really have an answer for that.
13:06 You try to throw everything at him,
13:08 and it's like you can't really,
13:09 you can't double, can't do really anything with him.
13:12 - Yeah, I mean, it's not every day
13:13 that you're having to prepare for a 7'4" guy.
13:16 It's not just 7'4", but his skill,
13:18 that he understands angles,
13:19 and the team runs pretty much
13:20 every offensive set through him.
13:23 - So let's talk about overall,
13:24 who's been your toughest matchup
13:26 in your five years at Gonzaga.
13:27 And we can include practices,
13:29 'cause you went back and forth with Drew Timmy,
13:32 went back and forth with Chad Holmgren,
13:35 Petrushev before he went back to Europe.
13:37 I mean, you had to battle against
13:38 a lot of good players in practice, too.
13:40 - Yeah.
13:41 Nah, there's a lot of good players I played against.
13:44 Even like Gary Bell, he used to practice us freshman year.
13:48 - Okay.
13:49 - And he looked like the best player I've ever seen.
13:51 Like, he was cooking everyone.
13:53 But yeah, practices were crazy.
13:56 You got Chad, Jalen, Drew, going against Drew, Corey.
14:00 It's like, yeah, practices, you just get better every day.
14:03 And then in games, some games I remember,
14:07 Brandon Miller, he dropped like 37 on us.
14:10 We still won, but it was like, yeah, he wasn't missing.
14:14 But yeah, that's the one I remember probably the most,
14:18 just 'cause he dropped so many.
14:19 - Yeah, and he's having a good rookie year, too.
14:21 - Yeah.
14:22 - So that's funny you mention that,
14:22 because for me as a former player,
14:24 if somebody was like, "Who was your toughest matchup?"
14:26 I'm going strictly point guards,
14:28 'cause that's all I guarded.
14:30 You were going from Jalen Suggs in practice,
14:32 Corey Kispert as a wing, to Chad Holmgren as a four,
14:35 to Drew Timmy as a low post score, exactly.
14:37 How did your defensive mentality develop,
14:42 and what is it that enables you to guard
14:45 that many skill sets and have success against them?
14:48 'Cause I think that's the thing that's gonna give you
14:51 an opportunity to get into a big time professional career.
14:55 And then the other things you'll work on
14:57 and you'll grow into once you kind of realize
14:59 in that setting what you need to do.
15:02 - Yeah.
15:03 For me, it started in high school.
15:05 Just my high school coach, Manny McIntyre.
15:08 You've seen GPrep, right?
15:11 It's just strictly defense.
15:13 Our games would be like 50 to 32.
15:16 And yeah, we just emphasized defense all season,
15:20 all four years I was there.
15:21 And then even Stockton, playing on his AAU team,
15:26 he just kind of has the mind games that you tell yourself.
15:29 He doesn't talk smack,
15:31 but you kind of get into other people's grills,
15:34 try to get in their mental.
15:35 That's kind of how I look at it.
15:39 You can use it as an advantage on the defensive end,
15:41 'cause everyone's just worried about scoring
15:43 and how many points they scored.
15:45 And defense-wise, you can really use that as a tool.
15:49 And you can get easy buckets off of steals and stuff.
15:51 So that's how I see it.
15:53 - So when you look at the next level,
15:55 mentioned the ability to guard multiple positions.
15:58 Offensively, what are the skill sets
16:03 or the parts of your game that you have to enhance
16:08 between now when you go to pre-draft workouts
16:11 and hopefully the combine, those things?
16:14 - Yeah, I got to be able to hit knockdown open threes.
16:19 I think that was the biggest thing.
16:20 Corner threes, wing threes, just be a spot-up shooter.
16:25 And yeah, I think just getting stronger,
16:27 getting my body right, that's the biggest thing.
16:30 That's a lot of feedback that I got from last year,
16:33 is you got to be in the best shape.
16:35 You got to pass the eye test, really.
16:38 And yeah, I think that was the biggest thing for me.
16:42 A lot of teams like how I play, like how I pass.
16:45 They like my feel of the game,
16:47 but yeah, being able to knock threes down
16:50 'cause the game's changing.
16:51 And yeah, I think getting my body right is the biggest thing.
16:55 - So you had the advantage of being around John Stockton
16:59 playing some AAU, being around the warehouse,
17:02 and then you've had the advantage
17:03 of being around pros at Gonzaga.
17:05 We mentioned Kispert and Suggs
17:07 and Chad Holmgren and other guys.
17:09 Any advice that any of those guys have given to you
17:12 now that your college career is over
17:15 and you're truly focused on your next steps?
17:17 Because what a lot of people don't realize
17:19 is you got to be great at one thing,
17:22 sorry, you got to be great at the college game first
17:25 to impact it in college.
17:27 But the pro game is a completely different.
17:30 Now you're shifting to the point
17:31 where you really got to focus on yourself
17:33 over the next few weeks.
17:34 What's the best advice you've been given
17:36 by any of those guys?
17:37 - Yeah, just act like a pro, really.
17:40 I think that's the most advice that I've gotten
17:42 from everyone is just, once you hit that level,
17:46 you got to be a pro.
17:47 And they was telling me that last year.
17:50 So that's kind of been my mindset.
17:53 Just what you eat, what you do off the court,
17:58 if you're watching the game, watch film,
18:00 just always thinking about it.
18:02 So yeah, I think just having that mindset
18:06 is really like, you're professional now.
18:08 You got to take it as a job
18:10 and you got to work on everything.
18:12 So I think that was, yeah, that was the biggest advice,
18:15 that just be a pro.
18:17 - So who do you maybe look at as a pro
18:20 and try to emulate to become like?
18:25 - There's a lot.
18:28 A lot of comparisons I got from other guys,
18:32 like GMs and stuff.
18:34 Like Grant Williams, they said I could be
18:36 more active Grant Williams.
18:38 I don't know.
18:40 I feel like my game's unique,
18:43 but to compare it to a lot of guys in the NBA,
18:45 I try to take pieces from kind of everyone.
18:48 Going to the NBA, I don't think I'm going to be
18:50 like a Jason Tatum, but I can still take things
18:53 from his game, what he does in the post,
18:55 his post phase, I like how he plays.
18:59 So just taking pieces from everyone's game
19:01 and just kind of implementing it in my own.
19:04 - So let's go back to your stretch of Gonzaga.
19:07 So spent five years,
19:10 did you have a, maybe a most memorable moment?
19:12 I know that undefeated team that lost in the Baylor,
19:15 to Baylor in the championship game,
19:17 had a lot of memorable moments,
19:18 Jalen Sugg's shot in the final four.
19:21 Was it that Kentucky game that we mentioned,
19:23 but give me maybe one or two of your favorite moments.
19:27 - Yeah.
19:28 First, it got to be the final four,
19:32 just being in the hotel with your teammates for a month.
19:35 I don't think you can forget that.
19:37 We were just spending so much time together,
19:40 enjoying that time.
19:41 And yeah, Jalen hit one of the biggest shots ever
19:44 in college basketball.
19:46 That was just a crazy experience and be part of,
19:49 and yeah, it was super special.
19:51 And then even the Alabama game last year
19:55 where Brandon Miller was cooking,
19:57 I feel like I had a super good game
19:59 and that was like one of the first times my grandpa,
20:02 he lives down in Tennessee, he got to come watch.
20:05 - Awesome.
20:06 - Yeah, he was saying my good luck charm,
20:09 you know, he was super excited,
20:10 talking smack to all the Alabama fans, you know.
20:13 So that game made me super happy
20:15 just that he was able to make it and I played well.
20:18 - So Jalen Sugg's being a memorable shot to be a part of,
20:23 you know, Gonzaga Nation kind of has been born
20:27 out of Scorebook Live Sports, SB Live Sports.
20:30 Obviously we covered you at Gonzaga Prep.
20:33 You hit a couple of big game winners at the state tournament
20:36 if I remember right against Richland.
20:38 Would that be your favorite memorable shot that you made
20:42 or do you have one at Gonzaga that you remember making?
20:44 - That one, I'll say shot like buzzer beater,
20:49 that's gotta be it for me.
20:51 Like that was probably one of my best shots,
20:53 most memorable shots actually.
20:56 And yeah, that was just special just 'cause
21:00 it was a semifinals week.
21:01 We hate Richland, Gonzaga Prep,
21:03 we don't like Richland at all.
21:05 But yeah, we needed it and I hit that shot,
21:09 but I'll say at GU, it's probably gotta be a dunk,
21:13 something that I remember most.
21:14 Just had a dunk at Pepperdine.
21:17 I think that one was crazy.
21:19 It was a sophomore year COVID season.
21:21 - Well, it's COVID season, it doesn't matter
21:25 if it's COVID or not COVID.
21:25 There's no fans at Pepperdine Gym watching.
21:28 - But I punched on him and yeah,
21:31 it was, I don't think a lot of people expect me to do that.
21:34 So it was cool.
21:35 - Well, I mean, talking about being at the top of the zone,
21:38 getting a steal, that's where you made your mark early
21:41 and earned yourself minutes.
21:42 If you were, and I'm sure you did this
21:45 as a host on recruiting visits,
21:47 if you were to talk to a prospective Gonzaga player
21:50 talking about how can you become an impact player
21:52 early in your career at Gonzaga,
21:54 what would you share with them?
21:57 - Kind of just like Dusty's role this year.
21:59 You know, he made such a big impact and he was starting,
22:05 had to come off the bench kind of like my freshman year,
22:07 but he kept getting better.
22:11 Throughout the season, even that game against McNeese,
22:14 he had a huge game, hitting threes.
22:16 And you know, he just kept his confidence up,
22:18 you know, trying to find ways to help out the team.
22:21 You know, he didn't get down that,
22:22 he had to come out the starting lineup.
22:24 And defense-wise, rebounding,
22:28 he always brought energy with that.
22:29 And I feel like that's the biggest thing.
22:31 When you're a freshman coming on a new team,
22:34 you know, you got to do something to impact.
22:35 And yeah, my mom, she's like,
22:38 "That Dusty kid, he reminds me of you."
22:40 I'm like, "Yeah."
22:41 I was like, "I like Dusty too."
22:43 And yeah, he just impacts the game.
22:46 So yeah.
22:48 - This year was an interesting one
22:50 for the fact that the expectations were so high early on.
22:54 You guys dropped a couple against really good teams,
22:58 which I think was overlooked by the average fan
23:01 who started to question some things.
23:04 I know yourself and a couple other guys
23:05 made some comments to different media outlets,
23:08 like, "Hey, didn't believe in us now,
23:10 "don't believe in us later."
23:12 You know, that's that athlete mantra is like,
23:14 "Hey, block out all the noise,
23:16 "we're just gonna do what we can do.
23:18 "If you don't believe in us now,
23:19 "don't come jump on the bandwagon later."
23:22 That had to have been difficult
23:24 because you're from Spokane,
23:25 you know how passionate the fans are
23:28 about Gonzaga Bulldogs and the success that they have.
23:32 What was your approach when people were questioning
23:35 on the outside that didn't know
23:37 how things were going on the inside?
23:39 'Cause I would see it when I would go to shoot-arounds
23:41 or I would see it when you watch the fine details
23:44 of a broadcast, when I'm calling it,
23:46 this team's good.
23:47 There's no way they're not getting the NCAA tournament.
23:49 You were just looking for a win
23:51 that sparks everybody, all the outsiders' interest.
23:54 What was that like going through that process this year
23:56 and how frustrating might that have been?
23:58 I'll say it was pretty difficult at first,
24:01 I'm not gonna lie.
24:03 Just hearing all the fans, you know,
24:05 even the analysts saying that, you know,
24:07 "We're not the same team," you know, "We suck."
24:10 It's like, we know we're not the same team,
24:12 but it's gonna take some growth throughout the season.
24:15 I think any basketball fan, basketball player
24:18 understands that.
24:19 Pretty much a new team, I would say,
24:23 you know, new starting lineup, new guys.
24:26 It just took us a while to figure it out.
24:27 And yeah, just the outside noise,
24:30 I think we all blocked it out at some point.
24:33 You know, there's a point in the season
24:34 where it's like you hear it,
24:36 and you kind of pay attention to it,
24:37 and then you just got to block it out
24:39 and start focusing on yourselves.
24:41 And I think that was just the message that we all had,
24:43 is like, "You're not rocking with us now.
24:46 You know, once we start winning,
24:47 don't jump on the bandwagon."
24:49 - Well, thankfully, not too many Gonzaga fans
24:51 jumped off the bandwagon.
24:53 They stayed, obviously.
24:54 But what are you gonna miss most
24:55 about playing in the McCarthy Athletic Center
24:58 and being at Gonzaga?
25:00 - Yeah, it's definitely the fans and just the atmosphere.
25:03 It's a special place, the Kennel.
25:06 Anytime you get to play in there,
25:07 it's, you know, you got to embrace it,
25:10 never take it for granted.
25:12 And yeah, it's just special.
25:15 Being part of the program, it's a big family.
25:17 Coaches, players, you know, everyone just feels connected.
25:20 So yeah, the whole university is super special to me.
25:25 - Coach Few, Hall of Fame coach,
25:29 he's gonna be in the Olympics.
25:31 Well, he's not in the Hall of Fame yet,
25:32 but he's for sure going to be there.
25:35 What's something about Coach Few and his coaching style
25:39 or his personality that,
25:41 now that you're a former player of his,
25:43 maybe you can share.
25:45 'Cause, you know, I played there
25:47 when he was kind of first coming up,
25:48 you know, establishing himself as a head coach.
25:51 And it's been fun to hear stories from different eras
25:54 when Coach Few was a grad assistant
25:56 to when he was second in command behind Muntz
25:58 to the head guy to now be in this future Hall of Famer.
26:02 Everybody sees it different kind of steps along his path,
26:05 but what's something about Coach Few for you?
26:09 - Yeah, I'll say something I appreciate
26:12 from Coach Few is just, you know,
26:14 how hard he pushes people.
26:16 And he pushed me all five years, you know,
26:19 he never wanted me to be complacent or, you know,
26:22 relaxed even throughout my senior years.
26:24 And, you know, that's something I don't want.
26:26 I don't want to be relaxed going into practice,
26:29 you know, taking plays off.
26:31 You know, he's always pushed me
26:32 and always wanted me to do better,
26:35 make layups if I miss them.
26:37 You know, he reminded me like make a layup, but yeah,
26:41 sometimes he tries to get under your skin.
26:43 (laughing)
26:43 - Yeah, he does.
26:44 - Yeah, and you get kind of pissed,
26:47 but it's not even like, he not even cussing,
26:51 he not talking smack.
26:53 He just says these little things that gets under your skin.
26:56 It's like, it might stick with you for a little while,
26:59 but you know, you just kind of got to block it out,
27:01 you know, just get back to work.
27:03 But yeah, I'll say that's the biggest thing,
27:06 getting under your skin and trying to,
27:08 those little jabs that he throws at you,
27:10 you know, they hurt sometimes,
27:11 but it definitely makes you play harder and pushes you.
27:15 - And it's funny because you also have the difference
27:18 in the fact that, you know, his kids go to Gonzaga Prep
27:21 where you went, so you've known him
27:23 in kind of a different setting.
27:26 - Yeah.
27:27 - G-Prep, supporting of his kids,
27:29 athletic program in high school,
27:30 then now being a coach.
27:32 How do you expect that or hope for that transition to go
27:35 as now he supports you embarking on a pro career?
27:38 - Yeah, no, he's full support.
27:41 You know, after the season, you could just tell,
27:44 you know, how proud of me he was.
27:48 Yeah, it just kind of took me some time to just realize,
27:51 you know, he wants the best for me.
27:54 He's prepared me to get to this point, you know,
27:57 he just wants me to go all out going into this pro career.
28:00 He has full confidence in me, you know.
28:03 Coach believes in you, believes in that.
28:05 It gives the player so much confidence.
28:08 So, you know, I just appreciate everything he's done
28:10 for me to this point.
28:11 - That's 100% truth.
28:12 When a coach believes in you,
28:13 it gives you so much confidence as a player.
28:16 And I can speak to that,
28:17 but you're now about to embark on getting yourself ready.
28:22 So it's all focused on getting Anton Watson
28:26 as good as he can be in shape, skill-wise,
28:29 understanding of how the pro game works
28:31 versus the college game.
28:33 How are you going about getting yourself ready
28:36 for a hopeful NBA Draft Combine invite?
28:40 And what is the next couple months look like for you?
28:42 - Yeah, so I'm going to be training probably out in Tampa.
28:46 But yeah, I think the biggest thing is getting my body right.
28:49 So I'm going to be doing a lot of lifting,
28:53 a lot of just conditioning, you know, just preparing.
28:57 I have a lot of workouts coming up probably next month
29:01 in the NBA Combine.
29:02 But throughout that whole month, it's crazy.
29:06 It's like you're just flying every single day
29:08 to a different city and working out with a team.
29:11 And you got to make that first impression.
29:14 You know, they watch your games before.
29:16 They talk to your coaches a little bit,
29:19 but once you're there in person,
29:21 you just got to play 100%, you know, show your game,
29:25 and then talk to the coaches.
29:27 And yeah, it just all kind of happens so fast, though.
29:31 It's within like a month or two,
29:33 and you have, what, 20 workouts with teams,
29:36 and then the Combine within that,
29:38 which is about a week long.
29:39 So yeah, it's not too much time to be sitting around.
29:43 It's going to be a lot of work.
29:44 - Well, if anybody remembers how hard you worked
29:47 as a Gonzaga player,
29:49 you'll put everything into this next little stretch
29:51 and be as prepared as possible.
29:53 And best of luck with those upcoming workouts.
29:56 They're fun, they're grueling,
29:58 but the biggest advice that I can give you is be yourself
30:02 and don't back down.
30:03 Because there's a reason you were successful
30:04 in the college game,
30:05 and so many of the attributes that you have
30:08 do translate to that next level.
30:10 - Yes, sir, I appreciate it.
30:11 - So a lot of people watching this
30:15 have seen you play for five years,
30:16 but if there's somebody that is coming across
30:19 an Anton Watson description for the first time as a player,
30:23 how would you describe your game?
30:26 - Yeah, I would say big defender, switch one through five.
30:30 I think I can switch one through five, point guard, center.
30:33 I feel like I can guard them all.
30:35 Just kind of offensively,
30:39 I feel like I do a little bit of everything.
30:40 You know, I pass good, good feeder to the post,
30:44 good finisher.
30:46 Yeah, being able to knock down threes,
30:49 you know, I feel like I got a lot better at that.
30:52 And yeah, just a good guy to, you know, jail everything.
30:56 I feel like in offense,
30:59 I can get offense flowing, you know,
31:01 have a good feel for that.
31:03 But yeah, just a little bit of everything.
31:06 - And Coach Few gave a player one of the best compliments
31:09 and he gave it to you,
31:10 he called you a problem solver.
31:12 - Yeah.
31:12 - And that's on both ends of the floor
31:13 because every possession in the game of basketball,
31:17 something has to be figured out,
31:18 whether it's where your advantage is
31:20 or how to take away an offensive team's advantage.
31:22 And you did that on both ends of the floor.
31:24 So last question before we let you go is,
31:28 you spent five years at Gonzaga,
31:29 you became an integral part of the program.
31:32 You're from this community of Spokane,
31:35 also across the border into Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene.
31:38 But do you plan for Spokane to be your home?
31:42 Do you see coaching in your future at some level
31:45 when your playing career is done?
31:47 What's in the future for Anton Watson?
31:50 - Yeah, haven't really thought too far about that,
31:54 coaching wise.
31:55 But yeah, I love Spokane.
31:59 I could see myself living here when I'm older,
32:02 but you just never know.
32:03 I'm gonna let my journey take me where it takes me.
32:06 But if I end up in Spokane,
32:07 I'm not gonna be upset about that.
32:09 Coaching, I think I could see myself coaching.
32:12 Right now, I'm like, I don't know,
32:14 see my dad coaching, my brother coaching.
32:17 But once I get older, I know I'm gonna still love the game.
32:21 Eventually, if I have kids,
32:23 I'm definitely gonna coach it.
32:25 So, awesome.
32:26 - Well, Anton, again, thank you for five great years
32:29 as Gonzaga Bulldog.
32:30 You are definitely one of the all-time greats
32:33 for many reasons.
32:34 I wish you nothing but the best of luck
32:35 as you prepare for what hopefully is a long
32:38 and productive professional career,
32:40 and hopefully it's at that NBA level,
32:42 'cause with the way the game is played,
32:45 I think that there's a very real possibility there.
32:47 So, best of luck and thanks for joining.
32:49 - Sir, appreciate it.
32:51 - For Gonzaga Nation, Anton Watson.
32:54 I'm your host, Dan Dickow.
32:56 (upbeat music)
32:58 (upbeat music)