Matthew Lang is an unsung, but vital member of Gonzaga’s roster

Matthew Lang isn’t a rotation stalwart for Gonzaga, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t played a vital role for the team over the last three seasons. All you have to do is watch the team’s process during the pre-game starting lineup introductions, and each of the unique handshakes with each starter, to understand how vital a part he plays in the makeup of the roster.

Lang endeared himself to Zag fans and his teammates as a sophomore with his penchant for draining late game threes to secure free tacos for the home crowd. Lang can definitely shoot with the best of the them, though the 2020-21 season proved to have limited opportunities to do so.

In a strange and abbreviated junior season, Lang only featured six times with 12 minutes total to his name, which represents his lowest total during the course of his collegiate career after logging 21 appearances the year prior. While the minutes and opportunities for game action were limited, Lang did make his only field goal attempt of the season, a three-pointer (of course) in the 87-65 home victory over Saint Mary’s which ensured that each Zag who made an in-game appearance last year scored at least one point.

Lang’s role will remain largely unchanged heading into his senior season. Though he won’t log heavy minutes, he will still be one of the team’s leaders and will play a key part in prepping the core rotation for each game in practice, seizing his moments on the floor, and ensuring that Gonzaga’s walk-on tradition remains strong long into the future by showing the newest additions what the standard is in the program.