SB Nation - Matt Bouldin

Pre-Davidson Zags Around the Web

Zach B — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:43:41 -0000

Gary Bell Jr. scored 16 points in his last game against Auburn. The Kentridge Chargers have a huge game on Saturday against Federal Way. (photo courtesy of waprepsports.net)

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Just a few links for you this morning as we wait for the Battle in Seattle. It may not be the most anticipated BiS in recent memory but it still should be a great test for the Bulldogs. Davidson is 2-6 at this point but, looking at their schedule, they have lost some heartbreakers and have been in basically every game they've played in. For now, here is a few articles worth reading to pass the time!

-- Sacre sizzling as a Gonzaga Bulldog; basketball: Injury lay-off spent honing mental game pays dividends for ex-Royals star | Kelowna.com

Some odd formatting going on in this article but it is a nice read about Robert Sacre's time at Gonzaga. From his injury issues to his life off the court, we get a nice glimpse into what a day is like for Rob and what he expects from himself. Definitely worth a read.

-- Parsing The WAC: Some Drew Gordon tidbits

Just in case you didn't catch our article yesterday, this is a great piece by the guys over at Parsing the WAC. Like us, they are also very interested in Drew Gordon's next step.

-- Husky Men's Basketball Blog | Desmond Simmons, Angelo Chol and more Pac-10 bashing | Seattle Times Newspaper

If you are in the Seattle area, it sounds like this game is worth checking out!

And finally, one of the best local high school boys basketball games this weekend features a clash of two of the area's top point guards: UW recruit Gary Bell Jr. of Kentridge and Federal Way's Isiah Umipig, who is headed to Cal State Fullerton. Kentridge (2-0) hosts top-ranked and defending 4A state champion Federal Way (3-0) on Saturday. Bell, a junior, scored 30 points in the season opener and 16 in the second game. Federal Way also has San Francisco-bound recruit Cole Dickerson.

-- YouTube - Brett Kingma 12.08.09 vs. Glacier Peak

Brett Kingma's highlights vs. Glacier Peak in the 2nd game of the 2009-2010 season. Kingma sort of fell off everyone's radar after he broke his arm a season ago but watching this video you can sure see where all the original hype came from. Brett put up 32 points in his most recent effort against Glacier and appears to be back in full form.

-- SWX - Gonzaga - Bouldin is okay, expected to start Saturday - SWX Right Now - Sports and Weather for Spokane and North Idaho-

Matt Bouldin's going to be okay. After colliding with an Augustana player Wednesday night in a blowout win, coach Mark Few said Thursday his star guard is expected to start Saturday.

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

Always some good stuff from Jim Meehan after games. Very knowledgeable writer.

-- DavidsonCats.com :: View Forum - Men's Basketball

Want to get the pulse of the Davidson fanbase? Look no further than the heavily trafficked davidsoncats.com.

That's all for today, the Zags take the court tomorrow in Seattle against Davidson for the Battle in Seattle. Check back tomorrow as we get ready for the Wildcats. Game tips off at 4 PM and our game thread will open up at 3:30!

Gonzaga routs division three foe Augustana

Zach B — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:22:10 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

Augustana had some nice talent but just couldn't play with the Zags on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Rajah Bose)

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There's not much we can take from tonight's dominant Gonzaga victory except for the fact that Matt Bouldin was knocked out of the game with an apparent head injury. He banged heads with an Augustana defender early in the game and hit the floor hard and wound up never checking back in. Matt looked fine and stayed on the bench as the game went on but it was definitely scary moment as you never want your star to get hurt in a game where Gonzaga's bench could have started and routed the Vikings of Augustana.

The final score of the game was 79-40 tonight in the McCarthey Athletic Center and it was a pretty underwhelming performance overall. By no means was the game ever in question but the same ugly flaws for Gonzaga came out tonight. The Zags shot 56% from the free throw line (17-30) and only outrebounded the Vikings by four, unofficially. The free throws are an especially hideous stat considering this game was played at home in front of a silent crowd. It was mostly the young guys contributing to these misses with guys like Grant Gibbs and GJ Vilarino missing their fair share but both those guys will probably be pretty solid contributors by years end.

I shouldn't harp on the play of Grant Gibbs tonight as I, once again, thought that he was tremendous for Gonzaga. The guy literally does a little bit of everything and has really started to get into a groove on the floor. Grant had eight points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals tonight. He's obviously filling up the stat sheet in a number of ways and is making his mark on the team. He's never going to give fans the wow factor but when good things happen on the court you can expect #10 to be hanging around.

The best lineup of the night was at the end of the first half when it was (I believe) GJ Vilarino, Steven Gray, Grant Gibbs, Bol Kong, and Kelly Olynyk. This glimpse into the future really extended Gonzaga's lead to the 40-14 halftime mark and produced some great plays. Bol Kong really isn't fond of hitting anything but net on his shots. He made some nice drives to the rack as well and showed how he can really force the issue if he wants. Steven Gray facilitated the evening's actions and looked confident out there. He was 5-8 from the floor, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. He struggled with stupid turnovers again tonight but at least his offensive game appeared to turn a corner. GJ Vilarino had an off shooting night but drove well to the hoop and Mangisto Arop, who subbed in early and often did what Manny does. He hit the boards, worked hard on D, and took what the D gave him on offense.

We're not really going to overanalyze this game because it is not really deserving of it. Gonzaga playing Augustana at this point in the season is just a tune up for the mid-to-end of December. Next up for Gonzaga is Davidson on Saturday for the Battle in Seattle. The Wildcats have returned back to Earth after Stephen Curry's departure but will still give the Zags a decent test.

Postgame Reaction: Wake Forest defeats Gonzaga in the Kennel

Zach B — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:17:21 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

5 days ago: Gonzaga's Robert Sacre, foreground, tries to drive against Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Rajah Bose)

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There is much to be discussed about this game so I don't want to wait to hear some thoughts from you all. Gonzaga lost Wake Forest 77-75 in gut-wrenching, at times embarrassing and just all in all miserable fashion. Here are a few things that stood out for me and are things to take from this game.

-- First, the elephant in the room: Elias Harris made a freshman, bonehead play and did not look like the man he has been in the first part of the season. Chas McFarland gave him a mini-shot to the chin and Elias reacted with a forearm shiver. As we all know, the second guy always gets caught. Chas made a similar play against Kelly Olynyk and got called for it. I understand E's frustration but you can't really classify it as anything but dumb.

-- Wake's two freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart combined for more points than Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray, 36-34. Gray didn't get on the board until 10:50 in the second half and was outplayed by Mangisto Arop. Manny showed hustle and grit while Steven disappeared until the end...and then missed two of three free throws in the clutch.

-- 21-34 from the free throw line at home.

-- Bol Kong was great on offense and brought Gonzaga back to life. Say what you want about defensive issues, Gonzaga is ran out of the gym with Bol. He was 4-5 from the floor (4-4 from three) and finished with 12 points. He also had a beautiful dish to Matt. His Sudanese teammate Mangisto Arop also showed why he needs more minutes. Manny played his ass off and finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

-- The start of the second half lost the game for Gonzaga. The Zags trailed by one at halftime and let the lead get up to eight by the 15 minute mark of the second half. I expected Matt and Steven to come out in half two and set up the game to be played through them but neither did and the Zags faltered early and lost late.

-- Gonzaga was outrebounded by Wake all day long and it just appeared that they wanted it more. This is the second time this week an opponent came into the Kennel and wanted it more than Gonzaga. Against WSU, they were able to pull out the win, tonight they were not so fortunate.

-- Dino Gaudio is an outstanding coach. From their play out of the time out where Ish Smith connected with Al-Farouq-Aminu on the alley-oop to when they fouled Matt Bouldin when they were down three with time running out. Gaudio make the calls in the clutch and showed what it means it be a great in-game coach. I'm not taking any shot at Mark Few but that was an impressive display by Dino.

-- Piggybacking on the coaching, it appears that the word is out on Demetri Goodson and Rob Sacre. Meech is being defended so that he is allowed to shoot and Rob is being doubled and pressured like crazy. Neither has responded well yet as Meech took some horrible three point attempts in this game early and also let his frustration get the best of him late. I'm VERY concerned about these two and whether they have what it takes to adjust and flourish.

I promise to put up a more detailed and hopefully more positive post later. For now, there's some good football on and as far as I know, the sun will come up tomorrow!

What say you?

Gonzaga stopped Klay Thompson, then stopped the Cougars

Zach B — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:25:38 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

Steven Gray might have struggled offensively, but his physical play on defense may have been the difference last night. (AP Photo/Rajah Bose)

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At Gonzaga, the term "go-to guy" has been something synonymous with the program as it has risen to the top of the non-BCS conferences. From Dan Dickau to Blake Stepp to Adam Morrison to Derek Raivio, Gonzaga has usually had one player that had to show up game in, game out for the Zags to be successful. Things have changed a bit in Spokane as balance has become the name of the game. Instead of having two or three players score 17 or more a night, the Zags have developed a style of play that can facilitate five or even six guys hitting double figures on any given night. Last night, Gonzaga welcomed Washington State to the comfy confines of the McCarthey Athletic Center. This Cougar team, for better or worse, is currently forced to rely on the play of one go-to player: Klay Thompson. This is not to say that the rest of the Cougar team isn't skilled because they are. At this point however, they are very young basically all over the court. Heck, even Thompson is a 19 year old sophomore that is being asked to play like a vet. Leading up to this game, there was no surprise as to the man Gonzaga had to stop. In the end, they did, and it led to a big win in the Kennel.

It's almost scary the type of numbers Klay Thompson was putting up before last night's game. In the previous four games he had never dipped below 50% from the field. When you consider the fact that Klay had...oh 76 attempts in those four games, that stat is pretty damn impressive. Although WSU wasn't playing great teams in those four games, it is a situation where he was hitting those shots when you knew that they were doing everything they could to stop him. If you watched his movements on the court last night, it's pretty obvious why he is starting to blow up on the national scene as one of the top scorers in the country. First of all, he's just an immensely talented player. Sure he was off last night and a bit frustrated but just watching him move on the court and shoot the ball, it's clear that if a few more bounces would have gone his way, we'd be a much more depressed fan base this morning. Secondly, he has great length for a guard and is a match up nightmare. Much like Adam Morrison, Klay is long, lanky, and very slight. He's a polar opposite guard in comparison to someone like Matt Bouldin as you will rarely see Klay bump around in the post. He uses his length to get off screens and hit jumpers on the move much like we saw with Adam. He can also thrive in any offense. Since he is so lanky, he can absolutely go crazy in half court sets and since he is probably bigger than 90% of the players that guard him, he can frustrate smaller guards in fast break, Ken Bone type settings. In WSU's first six games, Klay killed opposing teams in both facets. Last night against the Zags, Thompson struggled to get anything going. Was it just an off night or was it Gonzaga-induced? Read on after the jump...

In past years, Gonzaga has been torched by players as versatile as Klay. Not only has perimeter defense constantly been an issue but the Zags have been historically bad in tracking players off screens and stepping out. So now the question is...why did Klay struggle so much last night and shoot 6-21 from the floor? Enter the maturation of Steven Gray and the presence of Mangisto Arop. Steven Gray has always been a solid defender at Gonzaga. He has typically always drawn the most difficult match ups from opposing teams whether it was Stephen Curry with Davidson or last night with Klay. What I saw last night from Steven was an aggressiveness and desire to be great that gives me so much hope for this season. He did a great job tracking Klay all night and showed great hustle. For as much as it seemed like he was invisible on offense, it felt like he was defending everyone at once. Part two of this new defensive excellence in Manny Arop. Manny hasn't played as much as we all thought he would early on but last night his length was exactly what the doctor ordered. Manny is one of the few players that can match Klay Thompson's overall size and it showed in his limited minutes. I really feel that having Mangisto come off the bench this season for Gonzaga as a defensive stopper and rebounding extraordinaire is just what we need and he's already shown that he can do both thus far this year. Look for him to really start to have a great impact when WCC play rolls around.

So what does Steven and Manny shutting down Klay Thompson mean for Gonzaga in the long run? I truly feel like this may have been Gray's best game of the season and really carried on from what we saw in Maui. Against Cincinnati, we saw Matt Bouldin really play terrible offensively. Usually when a player of that caliber struggles offensively, it has a ripple down effect on the rest of their game. Instead, Matt dedicated himself on the boards and pulled down 10 rebounds. We've seen this before with Matt in previous years and it sometimes has affected his play. Typically with him, we see a lot of forced shots and increased urgency but against Cincy, he just thought it would be better to let the offensive work around him and dominate the boards. Last night, Steven Gray could have easily been frustrated with his offensive play and let it take away from the rest of his game. He had some careless plays with the ball, and just never got in rhythm with his shot. In the past two years, we've seen him have these kind of games and he sort of disappears from the floor. His defense goes down the tubes, he gets lazy, and it drives us crazy. Last night, he took his frustration out on Klay Thompson and flew around the defensive side of the court. He was diving for balls, creating contact (smartly), and showed great leadership. To me, this tells me that, although Matt and Steven are our offensive leaders and catalysts, they are also team first players. They understand their roles extend beyond offensive production and that this team has enough skill to help them when they struggle. Steven could have forced up 15 bad shots last night and lost this game for the team. It didn't happen and that cleared the way for Matt and Elias to explode offensively and Steven did his job and made sure Klay Thompson had his worst night of the season in WSU's biggest game yet. The result: the Zags are now 6-1 and have defeated a team from the Big 12, Big 10, Big East, and the Pac-10.

Will a team from the ACC be next? That test comes Saturday with Wake.

Gonzaga 74, Washington State 69

Grady. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:29:39 -0000

NCAA Basketball Stats

There's a reason I (usually) only use the final score as the title on my game recaps. Not because I'm boring, or can't think of a catchy title that would summarize the game in a few snappy words.

It's because it is what it is.

All that really matters in the end is the final score. It didn't matter if the Zags went on their run in the first five minutes or the last five. We knew they were too good a team not to have a stretch with momentum on their side. It was a matter of how we responded. Tonight, we didn't. In that event, it doesn't matter what the score was 10, 20 or even 30 minutes in. All that matters is the result.

What you saw tonight was a young team falling apart on the road against a veteran team. Of course the Zags are young at a couple spots, but we're young at every spot, minus Nikola Koprivica.

Ultimately, I think what really hurts about this loss is the brief glimpse of what this team could become. With Reggie Moore on the bench in foul trouble, and Klay not up to living up to his usual scoring prowess, this team dominated Gonzaga in the first half. Thames, Koprivica and Harthun played well off the bench. Casto and Lodwick controlled the interior. Scoring was balanced. Shots were in rhythm. The defense was taking away the three-point shot, for the most part.

But then we saw the ugly head of what this team really is, or at least has been up to this point. Horrific three-point defense. Rebounding issues. A lack of a reliable scorer outside of Klay and Reggie Moore. We also saw our inconsistencies: free throw shooting, turnovers and forced shots all in the final ten minutes. An inability to match the Zags' aggressiveness and ability to get to the foul line. 8 turnovers on 10 possessions is unacceptable; one of many lessons to be learned from this game. This was no longer a team hungry for an upset; it was a team trying to hang on. We did against Eastern because we were the better team; we didn't against Gonzaga because we aren't.

Still, try to see this for the whole picture, not the end of the second half. This was a five point loss to a great team, who is nearly unbeatable on their home floor (I know we debunked the Kennel myth a little bit earlier, but the fact is their dominance is due to the fact that so often they ARE the better team). And the Zags don't easily get upset. It hurts now, but next year when this team closes out a game just like this you can be thankful they had this kind of experience.

It is what it is. K-State next.

Player of the Game: DeAngelo Casto. 10 points, 10 boards, on 50% shooting with 3 blocks and 3 steals.

[I should also give some well-deserved respect to the Zags' Steven Gray, who did a phenomenal job defensively on Klay Thompson, especially late in the game.]

Unsung Hero: Xavier Thames. Did most of his damage in the first half, but still had 11 points on 3/5 shooting (including 3/3 from three-point range), 3 rebounds and an assist.

Play of the Game: I have to go with the Casto block that brought Robert Sacre back to the floor. Takes us back to the first half. Simpler, happier times.

It was over when... the Cougs failed to score on a field goal for an almost ten minute stretch late in the second half. Thanks to free throws we were able to score six more points in that stretch, but that obviously was not going to be enough. Ugh. I thought the scoring droughts were supposed to move to Virginia along with Tony.

Stat of the Game: I've already mentioned the scoring drought, so let's go with the Cougars missing 8 out of 20 free throw attempts - the secret killer for WSU in this game. Make just half of those misses and, well...

OPEN GAME THREAD: Washington State at Gonzaga

Grady. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:58:32 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Mark Few ponders the important questions. Such as, "What is the meaning of life?", "Why are we here?" and "How did we lose to Portland State at home last winter?"

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Enough leadup. Let's do this for real.

Cougs

Moore
Capers
Thompson
Lodwick
Casto

Zags

Bouldin
Goodson
Gray
Sacre
Harris

Why it's important: Eastern Washington supremacy! Also, a quality win for someone's tournament resume.

Players to Watch:

Gonzaga - Matt Bouldin. An exceptional perimeter shooter, good passer, and surprisingly good rebounder, Bouldin is a young man who can put up points in a hurry. And with the Cougars' inability to defend the three-point shot at times this season, it's imperative they keep an eye on him.

Washington State - Reggie Moore. Not Klay? For shame! Ok, we all know how important Klay Thompson is. We know he has to score. But what if he comes out cold? What if the Zags throw everything and the kitchen sink at him? Then it's going to be up to Reggie Moore to stay aggressive in the lane, find open shooters, or get to the line and keep our offense afloat. If not, Wazzu runs the risk of being blown out for the second consecutive year.

X-Factors:

Zags - Elias Harris. The Cougs don't have a lot of size, but neither do the Zags, and that's where Harris becomes key for GU's frontcourt. Harris is 6'7" and 215 out of Germany, and has already proven he has the talent to log big minutes for a ranked team. He can provide a huge lift to the Bulldogs if he can secure boards and score a few points on Casto.

Cougs - Xavier Thames. Like a Reggie Moore 2.0, Thames can come in off the bench and provide the Cougs with a lift by shooting and passing the ball. And that's good since Moore probably won't play 40 minutes tonight. Gonzaga's one of the few teams that can claim a considerable advantage in guard play over us - X can help alleviate that.

The Zags when if... They shoot the ball well and continue to dominate the defensive glass.

The Cougs when if... They defend the three-point shot and stay away from turnovers. Oh, and they still might need another scintillating performance by Klay Thompson.

AUDIO: CougCenter Podcast, Episode 17

Nuss — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:03:16 -0000

As promised, this week's CougCenter Podcast. We switch gears into full-on basketball mode with the Gonzaga contest tonight. Topics covered include a debrief of the Great Alaska Shootout, how long Klay Thompson might actually stick around Pullman, and a breakdown of just what the Cougs need to do to beat the Zags.

As usual you can listen to the audio via the player below, or visit our podcast page for myriad subscription options. You can also find us in the iTunes directory under keyword "CougCenter." The advantage of subscribing? Besides having the audio directly delivered to your player of choice, I often upload the audio to the podcast site before posting it here.

AUDIO: CougCenter Interview - Jim Meehan, The Spokesman-Review

Nuss — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:41:51 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

Spokesman-Review writer Jim Meehan says Matt Bouldin has evolved into one heck of a leader for the Zags.

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It's Gonzaga day! Remember when we used to get this excited about football games?

Anyway, it's time to ramp it up for tonight's contest with the Zags. We'll be back later this afternoon with our own edition of the podcast to extensively preview the game, but to kick off our coverage, we present to you our interview with Jim Meehan, Gonzaga beat writer for The Spokesman-Review. We talk about the changing nature of Gonzaga's basketball team (they're tough? what?!?!?), Matt Bouldin's evolution as a leader, and whether the Zags want to run with the Cougs (you'll have to listen to find out).

Two items of note before you listen:

The audio quality on Jim's end is less than superb. He was on the road and talking on an apparently cheap Bluetooth headset (either that, or he should get his money back), so it's not great. I tried to clean it up in the audio file and amplify it, but it's still dicey in spots. Sorry.
Pay no attention to my apparent confusion over when the game actually is. Yes, I know the game is tonight. It was recorded yesterday, and I kept getting caught up in which way to say it because I wasn't sure when the audio was going to hit the site. So I just more or less sounded stupid. Forgive me -- I'm just not a podcast pro yet.

If you liked what Meehan had to say -- or if you just can't have audio at work or just prefer to read stuff -- here's his preview from the Gonzaga side. You can also read Grippi's preview from the WSU side here.

Gonzaga upends Cincinnati, wins the 2009 Maui Invitational

Zach B — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:18:40 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

Rob Sacre was huge for Gonzaga tonight in the physical Maui championship. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

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Time and time again in tonight's Gonzaga-Cincinnati match up I had to shake my head and wonder how in the world the Zags were still in this game. Throughout Maui, we have seen tremendous individual performances from veteran leaders like Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray. Tonight, however, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin threw out a great gameplan against Gonzaga and basically forced them to have someone else beat his Bearcats. It worked wonders early on and in some ways, was effective the entire night. What Cronin didn't account for was a combination of other members of this Gonzaga teams stepping up and his squad attempting a dizzying amount of outside shots. This combination was enough for the Zags tonight as they outlasted the Bearcats in a thrilling overtime game, 61-59.

If you couldn't tell from the final score, this game was not exactly an offensive slugfest. Cincinnati's defense was absolutely outstanding all game long as they dedicated themselves to doubling Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray on the perimeter and not letting them get their drive started. This opened up lanes for Gonzaga's unheralded back court member. Demetri Goodson, who has been scrutinized to begin the season came up big for the Bulldogs all night long. He attacked the basket with vigor early on and really took what the Bearcats gave him. He finished with 12 points and was a nice catalyst for Gonzaga in the first half when no one else could really figure out Cincy's defense. It was only fitting that it was Meech's defense at the end of the game that won it for this team.

For as stellar as Meech Goodson was tonight on both ends of the court, the most outstanding player of the tournament for me was Steven Gray. Like a commenter said in our live game thread, Steven has developed into a flat-out gamer. He contributes in so many ways, shows great control and decision making on the court, and is such a calming presence especially during tonight's high tension game. He had 13 points tonight but delivered (unofficially) three assists and brought down seven boards. Like Matt Bouldin, he is learning to contribute in a number of ways and continues to shine all over the court.

continue reading more on Gonzaga-Cincinnati after the jump...

There were obviously a number of negative plays for Gonzaga tonight. Anytime a Mark Few-led team scores 61 points, including an overtime, something is not right. The great thing about this win, and the entire Maui experience in general, is that they have increased their toughness ten-fold. From being taken to the wire by Colorado, to battling a defensive-minded Wisconsin team, and then tonight facing an aggressive, athletic Cincinnati team, I feel like Gonzaga is now prepared for every team on their schedule. Obviously you'd like to see more production from Gray and Bouldin but I would wager that they were near, if not at, the top of the minutes played list in all of Maui.

I'd be remissed if I didn't speak a little bit about the post play for Gonzaga tonight. I do apologize that this post has become a large rambling. I guess beating Big 12, Big 10, and Big East teams in consecutive days does that to me! Back to the post guys. Elias Harris and Rob Sacre struggled early. Elias was settling for outside shots and was kind of taken aback by the physical nature of Cincy. Mark Few wisely sat him early to settle him down and he came out in the second half firing. Sure, he made rookie mistakes and got whistled for a few travels but his bounce is so evident and his motor never stops. He finished in double figures once again and continues to be the hustle player this team needs all over the court. You can't really say enough about Robert Sacre. Early in the second half I said that his game effort was pretty forgettable and he made me eat some serious crow. He made a beautiful mid-range jumper to tie the game with time winding down and blocked Yancy Gates last second dunk attempt to send the game into overtime. He added a powerful dunk in the extra session off a pretty feed from Steven Gray which gave the Zags another lift. His impact has been pretty remarkable as his post moves continue to improve and it's now obvious to me that Rob's improvement since arriving at Gonzaga is nothing short of amazing.

Cincinnati played a hell of a game out there tonight and they deserve a lot of credit. Yancy Gates is a legit big man and Lance Stephenson has all the talent to be a star. They've also got great talent with some of their role players and appear to be a team headed to a nice season in the Big East. I would say that they were doomed by their horrid shot selection as they attempted 31 three point shots in this game. You can take that many if you are going to make a decent percentage but when you only make eight...odds are you aren't going to win the ball game.

All in all, it's another early season tournament win for Gonzaga. Last season they rolled through the Old Spice Classic and this year they fought through a dangerous Maui team. This tournament proved to be a real sleeper as I'd wager that there will be at least five tournament teams from this field come March. Gonzaga's win tonight means that they are likely destined for a spot back in the Top 25 and will be rolling into their match up with cross town rival Washington State with plenty of momentum.

Enjoy this one, Gonzaga fans, and have a tremendous and relaxing Thanksgiving!!

Zags too much to handle for cold Badgers

Adam Hoge — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:47:40 -0000

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

It was a long night for Trevon Hughes and the Badgers.(AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

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Anu. That's "cold" in Hawaiian. And that's excactly what the Badgers were down the stretch in their 74-61 loss to Gonzaga Tuesday night in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, the Bulldogs' starters were hot for most of the night and scored 67 of the team's 74 points, including a team-high 18 points from Matt Bouldin. Gonzaga consistently pushed UW out of their game and got easy fast break baskets -- a big reason why the Zags made 48 percent of its field goals.

But despite Gonzaga controlling the tempo for most of the night, the Badgers creeped back into the game late before falling into a late drought that proved to be the dagger.

After a Jon Leuer putback cut the Gonzaga lead to 60-54 with 7:54 left in the game, UW did not hit a field goal until they were down 17 with 1:34 left in the game. It was a stretch that featured poor shot selection and a 14-4 run by the Zags. UW missed seven shots in that time period -- including five threes.

Of course that wasn't the only stretch in which the Badgers went cold. That was just stretch that cost them a chance at a comeback. UW was playing from behind because of a six minute period in the first half in which it didn't hit a field goal and gave up a 13-5 run. A one-point deficit became a 32-23 Gonzaga lead in a hurry and left Wisconsin in catch-up mode the rest of the night.

There were a lot of things one could pick on Tuesday night but two common themes were poor shot selection and the failure to hit wide open shots.

Down seven with 1:45 left in the first half, UW had the ball but freshman Ryan Evans took a bad shot from the baseline and airballed it. Bouldin then hit a three just seconds later and UW trailed by 10 at the half. Evans didn't play much after that and failed to score a point.

Then to open the second half, Keaton Nankivil missed a wide open dunk that would have cut the lead to eight and sent an emphatic message to Gonzaga that UW wasn't going anywhere. Instead, Elias Harris threw down a dunk on the other end of the court and put the Zags up 12.

Over the next two minutes, Nankivil missed a wide open 15-footer and a wide open three. That's seven points left off the scoreboard.

Eventually Wisconsin worked itself back into the game by feeding the ball to Leuer in the point. The junior forward was hot, hitting 8-of-17 shots to finish with 18 points.

That's why it's hard to fathom why five of the seven shots UW missed in its crucial six minute second half drought were three point attempts. Instead of continuing to feed Leuer, the Badgers started shooting lower percentage shots and eventually Leuer moved out of the post.

Considering UW only hit 5-of-24 three-point attempts, it was a recipe for disaster. Jason Bohannon ended up hitting only 1-of-7 threes, while Tim Jarmusz went 0-for-2 from the behind the arc and Nankivil and Leuer each missed three 3-point attempts as well. UW is now shooting only 24 percent from behind the arc this season.

One bright spot was the play of sophomore guard Jordan Taylor who scored a career high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

Wisconsin will now face Maryland at 3:30 p.m. CT Wednesday in the third place game. The game can be seen on ESPN2.