The Zags picked up key transfers with Khalif Battle, Michael Ajayi and Braeden Smith all expected to be major contributors.

Four of the five starters, minus Anton Watson, are set to retake their spots in the lineup: Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman ... Shead’s ankle injury against Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears have an exciting group of players including Duke transfer Jeremy Roach ... Expect a big year out of senior guard Nolan Hickman, who averaged 14 points per game last season for the Bulldogs.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg — the nation’s top-ranked recruit and a preseason Associated Press All-American — made 6 of 15 ...

Nolan Hickman led a balanced attack with 17 points as No. 6 Gonzaga trounced No. 8 Baylor 101-63 on Monday at Spokane, Wash., ...

If the No. 1 storyline in college basketball is Connecticut chasing history, then right behind the back-to-back champion ...

Nikolas Khamenia, a four-star forward who’d been on Gonzaga’s recruiting radar for three years, committed to Duke over the Zags ... roster – Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Ben Gregg, Graham ...

In the weeks that followed, Hardaway formally hired Louisville assistant Nolan Smith (who was an All-American guard at Duke). Hardaway labeled “the September situation” as “unfortunate.” ...