The matchup between conference rivals Gonzaga basketball and Santa Clara had its share of history. Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard must love playing against Santa Clara after what he did on Tuesday. He became the first Division I player with two 15-assist games against the same opponent in a single season in 22 years.

The previous player to do it was Long Island’s Antawn Dobie against now-defunct St. Francis Brooklyn during the 2002-03 season. The tweet was made by Jared Berson. The 22-8 Gonzaga basketball program has had a more difficult season than in years past.

Despite the record, they've had one of the top offenses in the country. The Bulldogs are both second in points per game and offensive rating. Luckily, they have Nembhard to thank for that. He's averaging a near double-double with 11 points and a Division I-leading 9.8 assists per game.

One of the more impressive statistics is that he only has 2.4 turnovers per game. That likely gives him one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the country. The brother of Andrew Nembhard has left his mark on the Gonzaga basketball program in a triumphant way.

His second game with 15 assists against Santa Clara shows how much of a floor general he truly is.

One of the beauties of the transfer portal is the ability to snag elite players before they become elite. That's exactly what happened when Gonzaga basketball landed Nembhard in the transfer portal. He was a quality player in the Big East with the Creighton Blue Jays.

However, once he arrived in Spokane, Nembhard became one of the country's top-floor generals. Last season, he led the WCC with 6.9 assists. Now, he's leading the nation in that metric. Regardless of the numbers, the talent has always been there. He was more of a scorer with Creighton but has been an exceptional playmaker since.

Nembhard has 17 games of 10+ assists. That's virtually unheard of within college basketball. Still, head coach Mark Few found a diamond in the rough with his senior guard.

The season isn't fully over, as the Bulldogs will take on San Francisco in the season finale. Then, the WCC conference tournament will commence. With St. Mary's being the main opponent, Nembhard will need to bring his A-game for Gonzaga to win the tournament.

Then, they can make their way into the tournament as a relatively high seed. The 13-4 record in conference play is promising. If the Bulldogs make it to the big dance, the rest of the country can see how elite of a playmaker Nembhard truly is.