March Madness
March Madness is full with heartaches, Cinderella stories, and occasionally amicable bets amongst colleagues.
Guard Christian Braun of the Denver Nuggets showed up for Monday’s game with a Gonzaga Bulldogs jersey. It is assumed that Braun lost a wager with teammate and Bulldogs former player Julian Strawther.
Kansas Defeat
The fourth seed Kansas was defeated 89-68 by No. 5 seed Gonzaga on Saturday in the men’s tournament round of 32.
To honor the wager, Braun put on Strawther’s Gonzaga No. 0 jersey.
Even if Braun didn’t enjoy the pregame attire, it did set the stage for one of his greatest games of the year.
In a 128-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 17 points on 8 of 10 shots, which is his highest point total in a game since he scored 25 on November 17, 2023. Having 14 points was Strawther’s highest since December 12, 2023.
Nuggets Selection
In2022, Braun’s junior year of college, the Jayhawks won a national championship. In the championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels, Braun finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds. In the 2022 NBA Draft, Braun was selected by the Nuggets with the 21st overall choice.
Additionally, Strawther played collegiate ball for the Bulldogs for three seasons. He was a member of the 2020–21 squad that the Baylor Bears defeated in the title game.
Following a junior season in which he averaged a career-high 15 points per game, Strawther declared for the NBA draft in 2023. The Indiana Pacers, who selected Strawther at No. 29 in the first round, traded him to Denver.
On Friday, Gonzaga will play the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers.
