Report: Gary Bell Expected To Play Thursday Against Pepperdine

While Gonzaga has been praised this season for their excellent depth, it has become abundantly clear how important several of the key contributors are to the success of this team. One such contributor is sophomore guard Gary Bell Jr. who is arguably the most well-rounded guard on the roster. Late in the Oklahoma State game, Bell suffered what looked to be a nasty knee injury that left him writhing in pain for a minute or so before slowly limping off the court.

Amazingly, Bell returned to action against the Cowboys after stretching his knee out a bit and actually hit the game winning jumper with 38 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 67-65 lead. While they shot is probably the shot of the season thus far, many fans were still concerned about his knee because he did appear to be favoring it when he returned to action. It appears now, however, that Bells' knee has healed well and he is expected to see action tomorrow night against Pepperdine, per the Spokesman's Jim Meehan.

Hopefully, the Zags will be able to take care of business early against Pepperdine so that Bell can get as much rest as possible before traveling to Santa Clara to take on the very dangerous Broncos on Saturday.