Chet Holmgren was quite literally one of the biggest players at the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The sensational 7ft 1in centre/power forward is currently ripping it up in the NBA with the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder who are bursting with precocious young talent.
Chet and Wemby have already gone head-to-head this season
Holmgren is a do-it-all unicorn who is rapidly emerging as fellow giant Victor Wembanyama’s greatest NBA rival – and the biggest threat to the French phenom’s Rookie of the Year crown.
But it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows for the towering Minnesota native, who happens to know a thing or two about March Madness heartbreak as the 2024 NCAA Tournament gets underway.
Holmgren endured March Madness pain two years ago when his No.1-seeded Gonzaga fell at the Sweet 16 stage to No.4 Arkansas.
The Bulldogs finished the 2021–22 season with a 28-4 record and punched their ticket to ‘The Big Dance’ as the West region’s top seed after winning the West Coast Conference tournament.
Freshman Holmgren was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year and entered the NCAA Tournament as a potential No.1 overall pick in that year’s NBA Draft.
The supremely skilled big, blessed with a deft shooting touch and a freakish wingspan, recorded 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists in the Zags’ 93–72 first-round win over Georgia State.
The Bulldogs survived an upset bid from No. 9 Memphis in the second round to set up a Sweet 16 clash with the fourth-seeded Razorbacks.
During the West regional semifinal, top-ranked Gonzaga’s ambitions of securing a first national championship were stopped in their tracks by a resolute Arkansas defence and questionable officiating.
Chet was a beast in collegeCredit: AP
Chet only played 23 minutes of the game and was beset by foul trouble which limited his impact.
He eventually fouled out with three minutes remaining and his fourth and fifth fouls were especially egregious.
Holmgren was penalised for playing solid defense on one play and going straight up in the air against an Arkansas player driving to the basket on another.
The questionable decisions sparked a backlash online which included an outburst from Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless who blasted the ‘amateurish refs’.
Holmgren has fired the Thunder to the top of the Western Conference this seasonCredit: Getty
“I’M SORRY, NCAA BASKETBALL WITH ITS ONLY FIVE FOULS AND AMATEURISH REFS IS A JOKE,” Bayless wrote in all caps in a post on X.
“SO IF CHET HOLMGREN JUMPS BACKWARD AND THE ARKANSAS PLAYER DRIVES THE BALL UP INTO HIS CHEST, THAT’S A FOUL ON HOLMGREN??? CLOWN COLLEGE CALL – AS WERE 3 OTHERS ON FOULED-OUT HOLMGREN.”
It turned out to be Holmgren’s last action in college hoops and he effectively kissed goodbye to his March Madness dreams as he walked off the court in the 74-68 loss.
Soon after, Holmgren declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility, and was selected second overall by OKC.
Everything was going to plan but Holmgren’s buzz came crashing back down to earth when he suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his foot during a Pro-am game in the summer.
It was later announced that Chet would miss the entire 2022–23 season and would have to wait a full year to make his NBA hardwood debut.
Fast-forward to this season and Holmgren is a major reason for the Thunder sitting atop the Western Conference standings with a 48-20 record.
The 21-year-old is averaging 16.8 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 blocks per game while hot on Wemby’s tail for Rookie of the Year honours.
His former Bulldogs, meanwhile, are still a formidable team, although not quite the powerhouse they once were.
The 2024 Zags did not win the West Coast Conference but are still the No. 5 seed in the Midwest region.
They may not be the standout team at this year’s NCAA Tournament but they still could make a splash at ‘The Big Dance’.
The 25-7 Bulldogs take on No. 12 McNeese State Cowboys (30-3) in the first round on Thursday in a contest Holmgren will no doubt be watching.
“The way the ball bounces off the rim can change the entire tournament,” Holmgren recently said as he reflected on his own March Madness experience.
“It’s like the perfect combination of everything these teams have been working towards this whole season, and yet the outcome is the most unscripted thing.”
Chet Holmgren fouls out with 3:29 left on the clock ⏱#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/SU8qtjQ0CS
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2022
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