SB Nation - Austin Daye

Back on the grind

SFBE.NF — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:13:29 -0000

Three things I never expected (or bothered to come to expect) happened to me on this blissful Thanksgiving weekend: I solidified my brand loyalty to United Airlines after receiving two vouchers valued at over $600 for future flights; had brunch next to former Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey (which triggered a recollection of his insanely cheesy yet hilarious televised fishing and ski events featuring 90s d-list celebrities); and sat at the Marriott-LAX bar just two stools away from NBA referees Bill Kennedy, Mark Ayotte, and Rodney Mott as they caught up on NFL highlights while chuckling about "doing" the Lakers game against the dreadful New Jersey Nets.

One thing I didn't do, though, was learn how to prevent a run-on sentence.

Admittedly college basketball was not a real priority over the past seven days, as we had to rely on the tickers and newspapers to stay informed while bronzing, bathing and studying. Currently working to return to homeostasis, and continue to figure out who's chic now that Feast Week has concluded, here are a few bullets that got us thinking:

Is Duke the best team in the ACC? I keep looking for a rule that prevents teams with more than seven white players from being a viable Final Four contender, but so far have not found it. Jon Scheyer may just be capable enough to concurrently score and run the point.
Is Gonzaga the best non-BCS team in the country? Apologizes to Butler, but the Zags have been more impressive (and visible) in the early going here. They win the Maui, which had one of the more interesting fields in recent memory, and have four players averaging double figures. The losses of Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo may not be as detrimental as we initially thought. Conversely, Butler lost two games in the 76 Classic (to Minnesota and Clemson) and had to sneak by a UCLA team that just plain isn't fooling anyone this season.
Is Purdue ready to live up to all this hype? They prevailed over Tennessee in what's arguably the best game of the season to this point. The remainder of their non-conference schedule is fairly smooth sailing leading up to Big 10 play.
Am I allowed to anoint Washington State's Klay Thompson as the "Best Player You're Not Watching"? The sophomore leads an undefeated Cougars team and has scored no less than 20 points in all six of their games. And who says we are victim's of that East Coast bias?

Apologizes to Portland, Florida, Alabama, Cincinnati, Northwestern's John Shurna, and Marquette's Lazar Hayward, but I need to go kick this jetlag.

Preview: Colorado Buffaloes Take On the Gonzaga Bulldogs In the Maui Invitational

irish1611 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:17:49 -0000

3-0, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

November 23rd, 2009
Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Where: Lahaina Civic Center
1:00 pm MT
TV: ESPN2
Live Stats: ESPN.com
Line: Gonzaga -10.5
Gonzaga Blog: Slipper Still Fits

2-1, 0-0
NR (AP)
NR (Coaches Poll)

The always prestigious preseason tournament, the Maui Invitational, kicks off tomorrow with the Colorado Buffaloes taking on the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a top five program in terms of wins over the past decade. Gonzaga has won 9 consecutive regular-season conference titles and has reached the NCAA tournament in nine consecutive years as well, something only nine schools have done over that time period. Now recruiting with the best of them in college basketball, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are a true perennial power, not just a nice story.

preview after the jump...

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 2 - 1 in the early season with home wins against Mississippi Valley State and IPFW. The one loss was on the road to the #2 ranked Michigan State Spartans 75 - 71 in a game which they led until three minutes remaining. If you watched the game, you will have noticed three things. The Bulldogs are very talented, are playing a different style of basketball more conducive to the physical style of play they will see at tourney time and you may have needed a roster to see who all of the new players were. Amazingly, Gonzaga stuck with Michigan State after losing five seniors off of last year's team - F Ira Brown, F Austin Daye, G Micah Downs, F Josh Heytvelt, G Jeremy Pargo. Austin Daye was a first round draft pick in the 2009 draft while Downs, Heytvelt and Pargo were starters along with Daye for much of the year and all four were in the top five of the team in scoring. This off a team that went to the sweet sixteen a year ago. Because the Bulldogs were such an experienced team in 2009, Gonzaga has four upperclassmen and twelve underclassmen including nine freshmen. Five freshmen play and make solid contributions for this team. But don't expect much of a drop off from the Bulldogs as you can already tell, they have enough of a talented nucleus to be a contender, just ask Michigan State.

The two top returning players from a year ago is Colorado high school product, G Matt Bouldin and G Steven Gray. Matt Bouldin, a front runner for the West Coast Conference player of the year, leads the team in scoring this year with 17.3 points per game. The biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team is the early front court play from sophomore Robert Sacre (7'0"), freshman Elias Harris (6'7"), freshman Kelly Olynyk (7'0") and senior Will Foster (7'4"). Robert Sacre, hurt last year, has averaged 16.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg. His presence is a big improvement inside from a year ago when even Bulldog fans would admit that players like Heytvelt and Daye became too perimeter oriented. Sacre and Harris have truly solidified the post position on this team. If you are fortunate enough to watch the game tomorrow, you have to check out Elias Harris, a freshman from Germany who sort of flew under the radar in the recruiting circles but has Gonzaga fans salivating. A silky smooth player in the mold of Amare Stoudemire, he has come in and averaged 14.3 points per with seven rebounds.

This team might also have more depth compared to a year ago, especially with Sacre and Harris now available, which is making the Bulldogs more competitive on the defensive end, something Gonzaga fans have always wanted to see more of. If their past performances are indicative of the future, expect the Bulldogs to really get after the young Buffs on the defensive end.

As for the Colorado Buffaloes, this game will be a pretty big challenge for them. Gonzaga, although they have one loss, will probably be ranked when the polls come out tomorrow because of their impressive performance against MSU. Where the Buffs might have the most trouble is in the post where Sacre, Harris, Olynyk and Foster are all bigger and more talented than the Buffs down low. The tallest person on the Buffs top five is Austin Dufault who stands 6'9". True freshman Shane Harris-Tunks goes 6'11" but has only averaged 8.0 minutes a game. It will be interesting to see how the Buffs try and defend the Bulldogs. You will probably see a lot of zone as my guess is the biggest threat from the Zags is their penetration game and less on the perimeter as Steven Gray is their only bona fide perimeter shooter but he has struggled shooting only 40% from the field and 35% from the three point line. The biggest question for the Buffs the past three years has been its rebounding and that has come into question again this year as they were out-rebounded 31 - 23 by Texas Southern, who the next day went up and lost to University of Northern Colorado. The Buffs shot over 60% in that game to win but unless the Buffs hit the boards hard on Monday against the Zags, it could be a long day. Colorado averages 29 rebounds a game with junior college transfer Marcus Relphorde leading the Buffs with just 4.0 rebounds per game.

Tomorrow's game does have the potential for some great matchups, though. The best in my eyes is Gonzaga star Matt Bouldin against the Buffs' star Cory Higgins. Higgins is once again proving he is one of the best players in the Big 12, averaging 23.3 ppg and shooting an amazing 70%. Bouldin is a very physical guard who uses his strength to create shots. It will be a good battle of strength vs. speed. Another matchup that will be exciting is Buffs' freshman G Alec Burks against G Steven Gray. Gray is the Zags best perimeter threat. Alec Burks is averaging a strong 18.0 points per, a great number for a guy playing for the first time at the collegiate level. If the Buffs can out play the two perimeter players in Bouldin and Gray, they might be able to make things interesting tomorrow. I am very excited to see how Burks plays tomorrow in his first look at strong competition.

I am very worried about the matchups elsewhere on the court. Colorado G Nate Tomlinson will face a very tough and quick guard in sophomore Meech Goodson, who likes to push the pace and play tough defense on the perimeter. Look for more Dwight Thorne, Cory Higgins and Alec Burks to play the point tomorrow as well. One of the reasons the signing of Marcus Relphorde got Buffs' fans excited was his athleticism at 6'8" and his self acclaimed ability to guard four positions on defense. He might have to do that tomorrow and do it very well for the Buffs to have a chance when freshman Elias Harris is in the game. This will be a good barometer for Relphorde and I hope the coaching staff puts Relphorde on him as soon as he steps on the floor and tells him it is his job to make the freshman's life miserable.

As for the post position, your guess is as good as mine as to what the Buffs will plan to do but you can bet Gonzaga goes to the post often tomorrow. If Colorado can get Harris and Sacre in foul trouble, which is what Michigan State did to beat the Zags, CU will have a much better chance tomorrow, that and if they make it a goal to crash the boards.

It should be a fun watch and a great gauge for the young Buffs' team.

Exclusive Update: Checking in with Austin Daye

everydayezag — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:15:17 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

After two years at Gonzaga, Austin Daye entered the NBA draft and was selected by the Detroit Pistons. We were able to catch up with Austin after the Pistons played in Portland.

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Although much was made of his brief career at Gonzaga, few can challenge the fact that Austin Daye was one of, if not the most, talented players in the Mark Few era. After being selected 15th overall by the Detroit Pistons this past year, Daye has at times struggled for minutes. However, he played a key role in the huge Pistons comeback tonight in Portland, and although they could not pull out the win, this was arguably Daye's finest performance in the NBA. After the loss, I was able to catch up with Austin and talk about how he is adjusting to the NBA, and also how he felt about the performance on Tuesday night against Michigan St.

Slipper Still Fits: Can you talk about what has been the biggest adjustment for you in the transition from playing at Gonzaga to playing in the NBA?

Austin Daye: It's probably been the difference in the mental approach. Like, for me coming off the bench, it's much different then starting at Gonzaga. But the mental approach is one of the biggest, being mentally ready to play whenever the coach calls on you. I think that is one of the toughest parts. Also, just being ready to play basketball everyday, because it is an everyday job. Some people think that's its just fun to play basketball and get paid a lot of money, but there is a whole different side to it.

Slipper Still Fits: After playing mostly at the "4" spot at Gonzaga, you are now playing primarily on the perimeter with Detroit. Which position are you more comfortable with and do you prefer?

Austin Daye: Ya of course. I played the "3" in summer league. I'm a "3". I could play the "4", which Coach Few asked me to do, and I have no problems with that. My natural ability, and he knew in high school when he recruited me, is as a "3". He thought I'd be at more of an advantage playing the "4", which paid off, because I'm here now after my second year. So kudos to him and thank you. I think I am more comfortable playing the "3" then in the post, but I can do both.

Slipper Still Fits: How much attention do you still pay to the Gonzaga program? Were you able to catch any of the Michigan St. game?

Austin Daye: I was set on going to the game, but we had come down here and play LA, so that kind of ruined it for me. Hopefully I will be able to make it up for a game or see them somewhere. I'm always going to support the Zags and I'm always going to support Coach Few. I want them to do good things and I know that program right now is on the rise. Even though they are young, they are going to be a really good team.

Thursday Zags Around the Web - Need more basketball!

Zach B — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:16 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Former Gonzaga Bulldog and current Detroit Piston Austin Daye had one of the better games of his young career last night against Portland. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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It's never easy to find things to take your mind off Gonzaga basketball once it has started but here are a few articles and links for you to check out while waiting for Friday. Included in today's ZATW are a new potential recruit for 2011, some interesting Maui quotes, and a look at the WCC. We have a very exciting batch of stories lined up for the rest of the day so make sure to check in often or follow us on twitter for our latest updates!

With that being said, here is the news for the day...

--- Lincoln's Coley: Mended arm, amended game | TOP SPORTS - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News

Local Lincoln High School prospect Damani Coley had a nice article written about him in The News Tribune. Coley is a 6'7'' wing who has a ceiling of 6'10''. Sounds like an intriguing prospect, but like all kids destined to grow a lot in high school, he is wiry. Why does this article matter, you ask?

Pac-10 schools Cal and Washington State, as well as Gonzaga, Seattle University and others, have taken an interest.

I think we all know that, in terms of recruiting, there is interest and there is interest. I feel like the latter is going towards guys like Wiltjer, Bell Jr., and Nick Johnson but Coley seems like a nice prospect.

--- Colorado, Texas Southern Quotes - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

No, we aren't looking past IPFW but with Colorado's victory last night over Texas Southern, there were some questions regarding their next game against Gonzaga in Maui. In this article are some quotes from Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik, and guards Cory Higgins and Alec Burks about their upcoming match up with Gonzaga. None of the quotes are really worth mentioning here but it's a good read and should give you an idea of where CU is right now.

--- Colorado men's basketball team must get better on glass - Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado was outrebounded by Texas Southern last night. In fact, Colorado only grabbed 25 rebounds last night! I expect a heyday from the big men come Maui.

continue reading after the jump for Austin Daye news, a look at the WCC, and closing the book on MSU...

--- Portland 87, Detroit 81: Trail Blazers squeeze out a win | The Blazers Beat - OregonLive.com

Austin Daye with 7 points on 3-5 shooting with a couple of boards. Played great during the Pistons frenetic comeback in the fourth quarter. They fell short in the end but it was great to see Austin get the nod down the stretch.

--- UC Irvine rallies past Loyola Marymount 82-76 - San Jose Mercury News

Tough loss for LMU but Drew Viney scored 30 points in the losing effort for the Lions.

--- Toreros Put Away Point Loma, 84-65 - SAN DIEGO OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Matt Dorr had a career-high 18 points as San Diego dominated Point Loma. They'll get their first real test of the season as they travel to Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. Their first opponent: the Oklahoma Sooners.

--- Gonzaga Hoops: Young, but Good

Decent article from what is left of the Seattle PI. Basically a nice column about Gonzaga that says we should be in the top 25 that devolves into a discussion about the Gonzaga-UW series. It ain't gonna happen with these two coaches, time to get over it.

--- SLAM ONLINE | " Deconstructing an Early Season Game

A nice take by SLAM magazine on how to digest these early season games. Obviously the Zags impressed the author...and I love hearing the term "reloading".

--- Spokesman.com | Blogs | SportsLink | Day after Michigan State

Jim Meehan always puts out good reads at the Spokesman Review and he comes in with another following the MSU game.

It has arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MSVU visits the MAC

everydayezag — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:27:03 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Mark Few is all smiles as the 2009-2010 season is finally upon us.

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I don't think there is any way to explain just how long this offseason has felt. After the tough loss to a truly incredible North Carolina team, Gonzaga fans were forced to endure one of the most dull, and at times upsetting, six months in recent memory. Directly after the loss, we were forced to deal with the Austin Daye draft watch, that led up to literally the last hour before a decision was required. This was followed by an AAU season that was far from captivating because of the scholarship situation that this program faces. Instead of rabidly following guys like Sam Dower and Anthony Marshall (I'm currently wiping the drool off of my computer now), we instead were forced to focus on guys that will not be making their decision until next year. However, when the Mississippi Valley St. Delta Devils arrive at the MAC tomorrow, the 2009-2010 season will begin, and so will a new era and generation of Gonzaga basketball. While I'm sure most of fans have turned their attention towards the upcoming game against Michigan St., I can assure that you Mark Few and the team have their sights solely set on the season opener.

As I write this preview, I can hardly contain my excitement knowing that the season is so close to finally getting started. However, as I did after the Alberta game, I will caution people that Mark Few will not show much in this game. I think we will get a better sense of the rotation and where each guys sits in the pecking order. With that said, I'd expect to see a very vanilla game plan and defensive scheme, as I am sure that the coaching staff does not want to give Tom Izzo any hint of the type of wrinkles and new aspects of the offense that we may see this season.

It will still be nice to see what some of these new guys can do against the best competition that any of them have ever faced (except for Elias of course). The two guys that I am most excited for are Grant and Andy. After being forced to red shirt last season, both of these guys figure to have an opportunity to contribute this season. With Andy, it will be interesting to see exactly where he seems to fit in the pecking order. I came away surprised by his limited minutes against Alberta, so it will be interesting to see if he is in fact the 4th option in the post. I don't see any situation in which Grant plays major minutes, but I think he will be important in giving Matt a break for about 5-8 minutes per game.

With nothing to lose, MSVU will come into this game and play with a high amount of energy and physicality. No one expects them to come into Spokane and win, and they will definitely use that as motivation. I'm sure they are hoping that this young team is looking ahead to Michigan St., and if that is indeed the case, then you better believe MVSU will make this a tough game. However, if Meech, Bouldin, and Gray can have this team focused on the Delta Devils, then we could see a tremendously efficient and impressive performance from the Zags.

I know that it's never good to look past any opponent, but there is no reason for Gonzaga to not completely dominate this game. With Elias and Rob, this team has a huge skill and height advantage in the post. Obviously, the back court of Meech, Bouldin, and Gray has the talent and athleticism to run MVSU out of the gym. Behind terrific performances by Elias Harris and Demetri Goodson, I except a 91-54 Gonzaga win.

Zags Around the Web - Gonzaga to scrimmage Texas on Saturday

Zach B — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:17:57 -0000

Remember this guy? Former Zag Larry Gurganious is now enrolled at UC-Riverside and excelling on the court.

View full size photo »

Preseason scrimmages have become a huge trend recently in college basketball. Mostly every division one program schedules a practice game with another school to see where they are without having to put anything in the win-loss column. A season ago, Gonzaga scrimmaged Texas in Colorado and this year the two schools will be matching up again tomorrow. The game will take place on one of the practice courts inside the Pepsi Center in Denver. Media and fans are not allowed into the venue for the game which is a bummer for us since it would be great to see how the young Bulldogs take on Texas, who is a favorite to make a very deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have a fantastic returning core of players led by Damion James and arguably the best freshman in the nation, Avery Bradley. It will be a major test for Gonzaga and it should give them an idea where they are at before the season starts on the 14th with Mississippi Valley State. Here is the rest of the news/links for the day...

Gonzaga transfer Gurganious scores 15 to aid UCR win | Sports | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Good to see the former Gonzaga Bulldog playing well after he transferred due to personal issues. LG was a great on ball defender and a very electric offensive threat that was really missed last season at GU.

Austin Daye runs with chance | detnews.com | The Detroit News

A very nice article about Austin Daye and his adjustment process in the NBA. He hasn't gotten a whole lot of playing time but he has made a nice contribution to the Pistons.

Ultimate Rankings Countdown: Top 50 - Mid-Major Madness

34. Gonzaga: Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo and Austin Daye carried Gonzaga to another WCC title and a Sweet 16 berth, the fourth trip to a regional semifinal under Few. Without those three, Gonzaga likely will be unranked in the preseason AP poll for only the second time since 2002-03. Few will learn much about his team in the early months, with games against Michigan State, Washington State, Wake Forest, Duke, Oklahoma and Illinois, plus the Maui Invitational. Gonzaga's record on Jan. 2 might not be pretty, but the Bulldogs almost certainly still will be the favorites for the conference title.

Wizards go with Withers in Round 1 - NBA D-League Draft

Former Gonzaga Bulldog Ira Brown was drafted in the fourth round of the NBA D-League draft by the Austin Toros. Best of luck to Ira who was always a fan favorite thanks to his ability to jump out of the gym. Hopefully he can have a nice career and maybe even work his way up to the NBA.

The Bulletin - Take note: Kennel etiquette

A Gonzaga student writer lays out some of the ground rules for cheering in the Kennel. The students this year will get a rare treat when Wake Forest comes to the Kennel. Hopefully everyone in the stadium abides by rule #1 on that day.

Thursday Zags Around the Web - Exhibitions Proving Difficult

Zach B — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:26:20 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Steven Gray gets changed after Gonzaga's loss to North Carolina in last season's Sweet Sixteen. Gonzaga will rely heavily on Steven this season and we're still wondering how he'll react. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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In the world of Twitter and ESPN having five television channels, there is rarely an event in the sporting world that goes unnoticed. Case in point, Syracuse's loss two nights ago to the LeMoyne Dolphins (I swear if it was a different name it wouldn't be a big deal) was treated as ESPN's lead in story all day long, was discussed on every daytime show such as PTI and will stick in the sides of the Orange until they get a big win in the Big East. A good thing that came from this was that most players for big time programs were noticing the Syracuse loss and you can bet that it motivated them not to have the same thing happen to them. With that in mind, I was stunned when I heard the news that UCLA barely, and I mean barely escaped an upset bid from another school that can't even award athletic scholarships! We'll get more into that a little later. For now, here is some Gonzaga news to get you through this Thursday...

Bainbridge's Gray Changing in Many Ways at Gonzaga : College Sports : Kitsap Sun

In a very, very well done piece by Howie Stalwick, we get an in depth look into easily the most dynamic personality on the Gonzaga roster. Steven Gray has often been criticized for his relaxed on-court attitude and the perception that he doesn't play at 100% and this article kind of speaks to that. In the article, Stalwick notes how Gray views basketball in his mind, whether or not we can expect an increased leadership role from him, and what else is he involved with besides basketball. It is pretty obvious that Mark Few will always be wanting more leadership from Steven if this article is any indicator. I honestly didn't know how to react after reading this piece in the Kitsap Sun and it will be very interesting to see how Coach Few deals with Steven if he strugles.

Gonzaga hoops has new look this season

Surprise, surprise! Gonzaga will have some new faces this season. Not much in this AP story put out by the Seattle PI. Some nice quotes from the guys and Coach Few but other than that, it is a pretty standard season preview.

Local News | Gonzaga-Love & Hate | Seattle Times Newspaper

Interesting/weird little list done by the Associated Press and put out in the Seattle Times. Not sure why people would have the fact that Gonzaga must win four more WCC titles in a row to match UCLA's record of 13. I'd put that in the love. A fun little fluff piece to read.

Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors - Box Score - November 04, 2009 - ESPN

Austin Daye played by far his most minutes of the season, 17, in the Detroit Pistons loss last night against the Toronto Raptors. Daye accumulated five points, three rebounds, and two blocks during his time on the court but also picked up a familiar five fouls. Good to see him getting more minutes on the court, however. Hopefully he settles in as a regular contributor.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: UCLA squeaks by lowly Concordia, 62-61 - Whittier Daily News

It's always interesting to watch how these big time programs come out of the gates in their exhibition matchups and if this early season is any indication, it is going to be an interesting year in college basketball. Syracuse goes down two nights ago and last night UCLA needed a three-point basket with 16 seconds left to beat NAIA opponent Concordia.

Ultimate Rankings Countdown: 101-51 - Mid-Major Madness

Eric Reveno's Portland Pilot's checked in at #70 in our SB Nation partner Mid-Major Madness' Ultimate Rankings. Here is what they had to say about Portland:

70. Portland: This season, the Pilots will be Gonzaga's main challenger in the conference. Coach Eric Reveno is building quickly and has the Pilots poised to battle it out with Gonzaga in his fourth season. Last year's JUCO sensation, 5-9 sniper T.J. Campbell (53 percent shooting on 3-pointers), joins Nik Raivio (16.0 ppg) in the league's best backcourt. There's quality size, too, in 6-10 senior Robin Smeulders and 6-8 Luke Sikma, the son of former NBA star Jack Sikma.

Have a great Thursday, Gonzaga fans. We'll keep you posted if anything else comes to light the rest of the day. As always you can follow our updates on Twitter: @slipperstillfit

Zags Around the Web - Former Bulldogs Making News

Zach B — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:49 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Former Zag Austin Daye is part of a very deep Detroit Pistons team and has been doing more learning than playing at this point. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Now that we've had the taste of real, live college basketball, it is difficult to sit here and realize we have to wait ten more days for the regular season to start. With that being said, it does give us an opportunity to sit back and judge Syracuse for their loss to D-II LeMoyne last night. The worst part about it is that LeMoyne is about four miles away for the Syracuse campus so as far as inner-city bragging rights are concerned, the Dolphins have got that down for the year. It seems like some sort of crazy exhibition upset happens every season and I pray that it never happens in Spokane but I can't imagine Mark Few being the victim of such an upset. Jim Boeheim, I can see that. With that being said, here are a few things going on in Zag-land today...

Spokesman.com | Blogs | SportsLink | Day-after Alberta

The Spokesman's Jim Meehan had a nice blog about a variety of topics yesterday and one bullet point was this blurb about Bol Kong. Obviously a topic of much discussion, it is good to hear he will be on the court and working with the team after Will Foster came down on his ankle.

Talked briefly with Bol Kong and he said he expects to be on the court again by today or Wednesday. He’s been sidelined by an ankle injury.

Ballin' is a Habit: 2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Shooting Guards

One of the best college basketball blogs bar-none is Ballin' is a Habit. Always up to date with great, relevant content. The guys over there recently laid out there rankings for top shooting guard this season and Matt Bouldin checked in at #6. Click on over to read what they had to say about Matt. The top three were Willie Warren (#1), James Anderson, and Isaiah Thomas.

Eastern rolls over Central | Spokesman.com | Nov 4, 2009

In a pretty shocking delivery to my inbox this morning, this e-mail came through with a stat line for Ira Brown. Gonzaga's "glue guy" and leaping extraordinaire has apparently hooked on with the Spokane Athletic All-Stars. I'm honestly unsure what the All-Stars are all about but it's good to see Ira still in the community playing ball.

New Look, Same Results vs. Orlando, 85-80 - Motown String Music

In a win over the Orlando Magic last night, here is what SB Nation's Detroit Pistons blog had to say about Daye's game:

Speaking of rookies getting (or lack thereof) their first points, Austin Daye played four minutes and scored his first career points on a nice breakaway slamma jamma.

Obviously the people of Detroit will need to be patient with Daye as he just needs a little time to develop but I know that EDZ and I are confident that he'll develop into a very sound NBA player. With Adam Morrison failing to get off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers despite "an outstanding summer" it looks like Austin, along with Ronny Turifaf, will be the primary flag bearers for Gonzaga in the NBA down the road. If Adam can't get off the bench and show other teams he can contribute, it's very likely that his time in the NBA is coming to an end.

Player Previews: What will be the legacy of Will Foster?

everydayezag — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:24:32 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Will this be the year that Will Foster is finally able to grab a regular spot in the Gonzaga rotation?

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It seems that every season there is one player that causes derision and debate among the Gonzaga fanbase. Most recently, that player has been Austin Daye. However, ever since he arrived on campus four years ago, Will Foster has been an intense topic of debate for Gonzaga fans. There is a large percentage of fans that feels that the "Foster experiment" has long run its course, and that the program would have been better served with having that extra scholarship open the past couple of years. On the other end of the spectrum, there is a group of people that feel that Will has never been given the proper opportunity by the coaching staff to excel, and that he can be a game changing type of force on any given night for the Zags. With there being so many question marks about how the post rotation will look, this season should give Will the chance to earn the consistent playing time to try and prove his supporters correct. However, if Will can't play his way into the rotation, then it appears that those who have long called for his spot on the team to be vacated would have been correct.

Perhaps the greatest example of the impact that Will can make was seen in the game at Tennessee last season. Although his stats were nothing to write home about (2 points and 4 rebounds), Foster made an immediate impact on the defensive end when he entered the game. Tennessee, which had aggressively attacked the rim the entire game, no longer entered the paint with the same reckless abandon. In only eight minutes of action, Foster was able to totally disrupt the attack that had made the Vols so successful, and helped give Gonzaga the momentum that saw the team comeback and win in OT. While he went on to have success in a couple different WCC games, Foster was never able to earn a regular spot in the rotation, and seemed to continue to fall out of favor with the coaching staff.

The main factor that has stopped Foster from gaining a spot in the rotation is the fact that he is a gigantic liability on the offensive end. He has not been blessed with a good pair of hands, and it is nearly impossible for any of the guards to enter the ball to the post with confidence when he is in the game. Even when he is able to gather the ball in the paint, Will has not developed any semblance of a post game during his time at Gonzaga. His one move typically seems to be to turn and throw the ball over his shoulder, but because of his lack of touch, this isn't the type of move that helps to make Will an asset on the offensive end of the court. As we all saw with Larry Gurganious, the coaching staff will not give any player regular rotational minutes if they can't contribute on the offensive end of the floor.

Even if you are not a fan of Will as a basketball player, it's nearly impossible to deny the natural impact he makes on the defensive end when he is on the court. Will immediately can change any game plan and strategy that a team might have on the offensive side of the ball. However, I feel that this season, the impact that Will might have been able to make on the defensive end could be slightly nullified. I say this, because for the first time in years, Gonzaga has guards that are elite level defenders. Over the past couple of season, it would not be a surprise to see Pargo or some of the other guards get beat off the dribble. When this was the case, it was a huge advantage to have a force like Will waiting in the paint. This season, Coach Few will have athletic and quick defenders like Meech, GJ, and Arop on the perimieter, and these are the type of the guys that won't get beat off the dribble very often. If this proves the case, then it might not be necessary to sacrifice the offensive production for the strong defensive presence that Foster can provide.

One of the most interesting battles during this preseason will be between Sam Dower and Foster, as they should be battling for the 4th spot in the post rotation. I would argue that it's nearly set that Elias Harris and Rob Sacre will start at the PF and C positions, with Andy being the first big off the bench. With that said, I think it will come down to performance in practice and in early season games in order to determine who will be the second big body off the bench. In reality, it would be highly beneficial for Sam if he were to have the luxury to redshirt. Dower could use the year to build his body and continue to get comfortable in the Flex offense. However, some of the early reports that have surfaced suggest that Sam is developing very quickly, and it may be hard to keep him off the floor this year. If that is indeed the case, then I don't see Will being able to have the opportunity to play regular minutes this season.

Zags Rely on a New Core of Players as Practice Begins Tonight

Zach B — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Even though Mark Few has facilitated the rise of Gonzaga basketball since 1999, this year might require his most outstanding effort as the head man in Spokane.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

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In the race that is the college basketball offseason, we have now finally reached the home stretch. It has definitely been an offseason to remember. We started off the summer months with a bang as a few members of our incoming 2009 class made a name for themselves on the international stage. Recruiting news, which is typically our bread and butter, was remarkably scarce. The 2010 will reportedly only carry at most one person and although rumors have been rampant about who that player might be, nothing definite has been confirmed. The story of the summer was obviously Bol Kong and his arrival at Gonzaga. His story and, in particular, the ending made the summer go much faster and now that we are well into October, it's time to focus on basketball and nothing else.

When practice starts tonight, Gonzaga will be about two-and-a-half weeks away from their first and only exhibition game against the University of Alberta. If you have been following the path the 2009 class has traveled to get to Spokane, you'll know that these two weeks will have to be loaded with outstanding coaching to get all the youngsters familiar with the system. Bol Kong and Elias Harris arrived on campus less than a month ago, and Mangisto Arop and Kelly Olynyk weren't here all summer because of their duties with the Canadian basketball team. Everyone will be watching these newcomers especially when you consider that their are really only four established returning players.

To get you ready for the start of official practices, we've compiled a brief primer to get you through the next few weeks as we look forward to the beginning of the season. Included in this preview will be a brief look at the rankings that are starting to leak out and a detailed look at what should be a very intense two weeks of preseason practice.

Let's take a quick glance at the rankings that are spilling out. So there are really only three preseason rankings I put much stock in before the AP and Coaches Poll come out. I know that these preseason rankings are supposedly don't matter to the team but as fans, they do. Gary Parrish (CBSSports), Jeff Goodman (FoxSports), and Luke Winn (SI) are the best general college basketball writers in the business right now and they have all weighed in on how they view Gonzaga and the rest of the Top 25ish.

Jeff Goodman has Gonzaga just outside of his Top 25 in the Twenty more to Watch section.

Gary Parrish slated the Zags 25 in his Top 25 (and one).

Luke Winn also put Gonzaga 25th in his preseason power rankings.

While these rankings are not as glamorous as last year's basically consensus top-10 ranking, it shows the national respect Gonzaga gets now. When you think about Pargo, Downs, and Heytvelt all graduating and Austin Daye going to the NBA early, it is pretty clear that these national writers are putting plenty of faith in Mark Few's coaching and Matt Bouldin's ability to be a star.

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation. The past few years, Gonzaga has not bee forced to rely on their new players to make an immediate impact. Sure, some guys like Matt Bouldin, Meech Goodson, and Austin Daye have made immediate impacts but the veterans have always historically been the majority. This year that isn't the case. Six brand new players, three walk-ons,and two redshirt freshman make up a sizable piece of the roster. What this means is that Mark Few will probably spend a lot of nights burning the midnight oil trying to figure out a solid rotation. We all know that Meech, Matt, and Steven will be roaming the backcourt at the start of games. Also, Rob Sacre will be the rock in the middle but aside from that, nothing is really set in stone. We'll get to the battle at power forward in a bit but the rest of the bench should be very interesting to watch. Backing up Meech will probably be GJ Vilarino. Behind Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin will probably be guys like Grant Gibbs and Mangisto Arop. The interior guys will be Rob Sacre, Andy Poling, Elias Harris, and Will Foster. I'd expect the first three guys to get pretty equal minutes down low with Will's minutes still being a mystery. That leaves Bol Kong who should be up there on the rotation and I left him out because he can play both the small and power forward at times. What is my best guess as far as the rotation? I'd guess the minutes will go something like Bouldin, Meech, Gray, Sacre, Harris, Kong, Poling, Arop, Gibbs, Vilarino. Obviously, this is a tough thing to call as we are only in mid-October.

The battle to watch is at power forward. As I said, the backcourt is all but set in stone. Meech Goodson will be the director of this offense, Steven Gray might be the most talented player on the team, and Matt Bouldin is by far the most decorated Zag on the roster. Rob Sacre is the de facto center and it should be his time to shine barring unforeseen injuries. That leaves one spot up for grabs, and from all indications, it is completely wide open. The Spokesman-Review's Jim Meehan recently caught up with Leon Rice and this is what he had to say about the two guys vying for the job at "4"

Elias Harris: "His game has a maturity about it, he doesn't look like a normal freshman. He's a ‘4', maybe a 3. He's got perimeter skills, a savvy about him. He can have the ball in his hands."
...
Andy Poling: "He made great physical gains from his freshman to sophomore year, put on a lot of weight and got a lot stronger. He's making steady increases. He's one of those smart players; he can really make things go right and he knows where to be. Something good happens and you look up and hey, Andy's involved."

It breaks down pretty simply. Andy seems like a very fundamental, solid player that you know what you'll get game in, game out. Elias Harris, on the other hand, is a wild card. He'll have growing pains but he has that potential to explode if he is given enough minutes right off the bat. He has size and has played against players much older than him on the international stage. I think it'd be a huge confidence booster if Elias came out and beat out Andy for the job. Having a freshman in that starting line up who can change the game with the athleticism would be huge for this team coming out of the gates. Just because Andy doesn't start, it doesn't mean he won't get plenty of minutes and there will be some games where he fits better in the rotation of the game. In the long run however, I'd love to see Elias get the nod to start the season.

Final redshirt thoughts before practice starts. I think I'd elect to redshirt Kelly Olynyk, Sam Dower, and David Stockton this season. Based on Coach Rice's comments with Meehan, I would say that it seems like that is the way the staff is leaning. Rice said both guys are still really growing into their bodies at this point and are still in adjustment mode. I think one of them will still suit up just in case injuries or fouls become an issue but, best-case scenario, I'd expect to see Kelly and Sam both redshirt. A lot of this will hinge on if Will Foster can provide quality minutes. Going four deep with Sacre, Poling, Harris, and Foster would be huge. When you pepper a little bit of Kong in with those four, it is pretty clear that Olynyk and Dower don't HAVE to play this year.

Now all we can hope for is that these guys all stay healthy. Manny Arop has been hampered a bit by a nagging foot injury and Grant Gibbs is struggling with a bad back but so far, so good as they will both be practicing full bore tomorrow. The Zags have typically suffered a major injury in preseason practice but this is a new team, hopefully they start a new trend.

Poll

What storyline are you most interested in as practice gets going?

Who will emerge as the starting power forward?

33 votes

How will Mark Few sort out the rotation?

80 votes

Which freshman will have the greatest impact?

123 votes

Who will redshirt?

37 votes

Don't care about storylines, just keep the injury bug away!

72 votes

345 votes | Poll has closed