NCAA basketball

PULLMAN – Jaylen Wells’ first run as a pro has come to an end.

Jaylen Wells took it upon himself to make sure the Memphis Grizzlies got at least one more day at Las Vegas Summer League.

As the majority of guests settled into their seats for the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night, a swath of name tags sat unclaimed until the final minutes before the program began.

About the Globe Trotter series: The Spokesman-Review is planning to connect periodically with Gonzaga coach Mark Few to highlight his on- and off-court experience as an assistant coach with the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

Isaac Jones blocked a potential go-ahead layup inside the final 30 seconds, but the former Washington State forward’s defensive efforts weren’t enough to help the Sacramento Kings complete a comeback against the Washington Wizards Thursday night during a 73-69 NBA Summer League loss at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

MOSCOW, Idaho – When Orlando Lightfoot travels to Spokane Saturday to be inducted into the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame, it will validate that more than three decades ago, when he came to the University of Idaho, he was at the right time in the right place.

Those hoping to see how the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team looks under new head coach Dan Monson will have a handful of in-person opportunities to do so even before the end of the upcoming football season.

Gonzaga and UCLA will resume their interesting non-conference rivalry in December each of the next two seasons. The West Coast powers agreed to a two-game series back in May. The dates are now set for the matchups: Dec. 28th at the new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and Dec. 13, 2025, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, according to a Gonzaga release.

Gonzaga is bringing another high-profile recruit to town for its annual Kraziness in the Kennel showcase this fall.

Team USA and assistant coach Mark Few should have a pretty good idea how the Americans stack up against some of the best competition in the world before traveling to France later this month for the Summer Olympics.

LAS VEGAS – The Denver Nuggets are expecting Julian Strawther to take a huge leap entering his sophomore season and that he will leave NBA Summer League more confident of that happening after a strong showing from the former Gonzaga wing and first-round draft pick.

In two weeks, the Pac-12 will cease to exist in recognizable form. At the close of business on Aug. 1, the 10 departing schools will end their membership in the century-old conference, leaving Washington State and Oregon State behind to rebuild or move on.

Luka Krajnovic, who saw limited time in his lone season at Gonzaga, will play next season for KK Cedevita Junior in his hometown of Zagreb. Krajnovic reportedly entered the transfer portal in late April just before the deadline.

LAS VEGAS – After two games at the California Classic and two more at Las Vegas Summer League, Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Washington State’s Isaac Jones are getting more comfortable playing next to each other in Sacramento’s frontcourt.

PULLMAN – Washington State’s men’s basketball coaching staff is complete.

LAS VEGAS – Under the bright lights of his hometown, Julian Strawther is getting the greenest of green lights in his second year at Las Vegas Summer League with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.

LAS VEGAS – The first shift of Saturday’s Summer League debut for Anton Watson and Killian Tillie started with three minutes remaining in the first quarter when the Boston forwards were called off the bench in tandem to replace Jaden Springer and Neemias Queta.

With virtually everything in place back home with Gonzaga basketball, Mark Few is all-in with USA Basketball in pursuit of its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Summer Olympics in France.

LAS VEGAS – Four months ago, Isaac Jones and Jaylen Wells shared the same uniform and a similar mission as integral members of a Washington State team that ended a 16-year NCAA Tournament drought and won the program’s fourth game in the tournament since 1983.