SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga men’s basketball player Rui Hachimura announced he will return for his junior season in 2018-19 on Sunday.
Hachimura averaged 11.6 points per game, starting only twice during the 2017-18 season. He scored a team-high 12.9 points per West Coast Conference contest. The Toyama, Japan native was fourth in the conference shooting 56.8 percent from the field, and third shooting 60.3 percent from the field in league play.
“I’m excited to come back to Gonzaga next season,” Hachimura said. “I appreciate everything I have learned from the coaching staff, and look forward to learning more and growing my game. I’m excited to have another season with my teammates in front of Zag nation.”
Hachimura was named First Team All-West Coast Conference and Second Team District 9 by the NABC. He scored double-digits in 23 games this past season, reaching 20 points five times. The sophomore scored a career-high 25 points, with a career-high four blocks, in the Bulldogs’ second round win over Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament. He grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game.
Gonzaga finished the season ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/Coaches’ poll, after advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season. The Zags ended 2017-18 with a 32-5 record, and won their sixth straight West Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles.
Press Release Courtesy of Gonzaga University Athletics
