‘Gold Standard’- Gonzaga Bulldogs’ Corey Kispert Reveals How Watching Klay Thompson Has Inspired Him

Published 02/11/2021, 3:00 PM EST

Follow Us

via Getty

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the number one team in the country. They have a lot of weapons on the team, but senior Corey Kispert is arguably their most important player. He is their leading scorer so far and is in the race for the Wooden Award.

Kispert has been a sniper for the Bulldogs this season. He is averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 48% from three on 6.2 attempts per game. His playing style is similar to Warriors’ star Klay Thompson, who is one of the best shooters in basketball history. So when he revealed that his idol was Thompson, it wasn’t surprising. He mentioned this during a recent interview for The Field of 68.

“The way he moves without the ball is just special,” he said. “He gets his feet set, his back turned to the basket or wherever he’s moving.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Corey Kispert reveals watching Klay Thompson helps him

Later Kispert spoke about how when he is going through a slump, watching Klay at his best gives him the motivation he needs.

He said, “Whenever I’m in a slump, I watch the highlight reel of him scoring 60 in (11) dribbles. I feel that just gets me going. That’s the kind of player I could strive to be especially at the next level. He’s like the highest ceiling, the gold standard for me as a player.”

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

When it comes to off-ball movement, there are few better than Klay. His ability to be in the right place to receive the ball is spectacular and was an underrated aspect of the Warriors’ success. If Kispert is able to emulate his idol, the Bulldogs will only get stronger.

Will the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak carry on till the end of the season?

After being ranked as the #1 team in the preseason, the Bulldogs have been on a rampage. They have beaten every team that has faced them, and they have a 19-0 record to show for it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

They have three more regular-season games left, but their goal will be to stay unbeaten in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs haven’t won a single NCAA title, and the closest they came was a runner-up place in 2017. This is their best chance in years, and they will be keen to bring home the silverware.

USA Today via Reuters

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Aaron Mathew

1,689Articles

One take at a time

Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
Show More>