SB Nation - Micah Downs

I am drooling: Drew Gordon to transfer from UCLA

everydayezag — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:06:49 -0000

For those fans that have followed the past decade of Gonzaga basketball, it's clear that part of what has made this program so successful is the talented transfers that have come into the program. Guys like Dan Dickau, Erroll Knight, and Micah Downs have been key guys on some of the most successful teams of the past 10 years. Over the past couple of years, Gonzaga has been rumored to be interested in transfers like Taylor King and Jeff Withey, with Gonzaga being in the final three for King before he chose Villanova. With all this information being considered, you can't be completely surprised when I started to salivate at the thought of Drew Gordon finding his way to Spokane after transferring from UCLA. Gordon is a 6'9 PF who has a rare athleticism and smoothness for a guy his size. Gordon is also a true post presence, who doesn't drift out to the perimeter. Through the first six games of the season for UCLA, Gordon is averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 boards.

So I'm sure many of you are wondering what the point of this post is. I'm not trying to speculate about potential transfers or anything of that sort. However, Gonzaga will for sure have two openings with the graduation of Bouldin and Foster. Instead of trying to find a diamond in the rough in this mediocre 2010 class, why not push hard for a West Coast kid that was ranked in the top 25 for the loaded 08 class. Coming out of high school, Gordon had offers from UCLA, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Kentucky among others. You can reasonably eliminate any Pac 10 teams as potential transfer schools, since that would cost Gordon two years of eligibility. Assuming that Gordon wants to stay on the West Coast, which is reasonable given the fact he is from the Bay Area, what better school is there for a highly talented and athletic post to play at? Here is a brief scouting report of Gordon coming out of high school:

A high energy player, Gordon sets the tone on the court with his hard working and athletic play. He is a terror on the offensive boards while also being an ever present shot blocking threat on the other end. In the post he can score with a jump hook, but he does need to improve his outside shooting and ball handling.

Now I'm sure I'm not the only one who is starting to get a little excited about a potential post rotation of Harris, Sacre, Dower, Gordon (this would allow Olynyk to play his natural position of SF). All four of those guys would compliment each other nearly perfectly and bring an excellent array of skills to the table. With Dower you have a guy who can score from the outside and float on the offensive end. Bring him off the bench with Gordon, who will make his living on the offensive glass with dunks and by running the court, and you might just have the best front court in the country. Hopefully we will hear some reports on potential schools for Gordon in the next couple of weeks, as I'm sure he will want to enroll by second semester so that he can be eligible in January of 2011. We will keep you updated on what we hear, and keep in mind I have absolutely no inside information that we are interested. However, I can't help but get excited about how good I think this kid is and how good of a fit it would be. One other important thing to note about Gordon is the fact that he was recruited to UCLA by Ben Howland. Howland doesn't recruit kids that don't play defense, so in Gordon you know you would be getting a highly skilled defender in the post.

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.

Player Previews: This is Matt Bouldin's Team

Zach B — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:29:21 -0000

Matt Bouldin has definitely developed into a fan favorite at Gonzaga but does he have what it takes to become "great"?

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Ahhh...it feels good to be back on a computer! I'd like to apologize to our readers for the past week's activity (or lack there of). I have literally just gotten home from Dallas after a week of traveling around the vast state of Texas and EDZ just kicked off his new job so it made for the perfect storm for all of you! This is the first time since last Tuesday that I've sat in front of a computer and now that I'm back, I might as well blog about something. The good news is that it was a pretty quiet week as far as Gonzaga basketball is concerned. That will all change quickly here as practice begins on Friday...that's right folks, college basketball is right around the corner. With that being said, let's get right to it...

For the past few years, many players have come through the Gonzaga basketball program and have made tremendous impacts. This is particularly true when you think about last season's graduating class. Jeremy Pargo, Micah Downs, and Josh Heytvelt all have their own individual legacy that will live on in Spokane, Washington. While those players were all excellent in their own way, there is one player that now has the opportunity to benefit from their departure and build his own personal legacy and can perhaps have the word "great" attached to his name when it is all said and done. That player is senior guard Matt Bouldin. Bouldin, who has been an instrumental component of this Gonzaga program since his arrival in 2006, will have to deal with the pressure of being the go-to man this season and while he has been looked upon as a leader the past few years, he has never had to be THE guy.

While I think most Gonzaga fans would agree that Bouldin can fill that role, there is no doubt that he must avoid and grow out of some of the pitfalls that have plagued him for the past three years. With that being said, he's on the Wooden Player of the Year watch list for a reason and he is going to be a player that the whole nation has their eyes on this season.

Like we've been saying all summer, leadership is going to be huge this season. Not that it hasn't been important the past few seasons, but it is particularly important this year because their is a wealth of youth on this team and only two seniors. While both seniors have been at Gonzaga for all four years, it is pretty safe to say that a majority of the on-court leadership will have to come from Matt Bouldin. Will Foster has been a nice role guy for Gonzaga but has struggled to get on the court. Bouldin on the other hand, has played about 32 minutes per game the last two years and has always been reliable to eat up quality minutes. He has rarely been dinged up and typically plays with a high level of energy. It will be very interesting to watch the way Matt handles leading this team. The past three years, we have seen him take on a more laid back on-court demeanor but he has always been a calming force under pressure. I think that kind of attitude will really go a long way with this young team. There is no doubt that guys like Manny Arop, Bol Kong, Elias Harris, and the rest of the class have tons of talent but they can't understand the pressure that comes with playing in East Lansing against a very good Michigan State team. That is where Matt will come in and he'll be able to put this team on his back emotionally, the question is if he can do it with his play on the court.

There are a number of games that you know Matt is going to play well in. He has historically been fantastic during the West Coast Conference slate. He is obviously going to play well against the cupcakes on the schedule as well. The key for Matt, and it has been something we have stressed for a long time, is that he must be more consistent in the big games for the Bulldogs. As good as he has been the past three years, Matt has caused Gonzaga fans plenty of frustration during that time. The main reason for this frustration is because of his inconsistent play during those five or six important games on the nonconference schedule. This did improve a bit last season as Matt put Gonzaga on his back in both Tennessee games, and played well against Oklahoma St., Arizona, and Indiana but there were those few games where he completely disappeared. His play against Memphis has never been good. The last two seasons against Memphis, Matt has had identical stat lines: 2-9 from the floor with six points. Whether it is the freakishly athletic ability of Memphis or just their talent in the past, it has always been a tough match up. But last season he was also bad against Maryland, Connecticut, and Utah to the point where many Gonzaga fans thought Steven Gray and Micah Downs should be starting over Matt. This inconsistent play has always been a point of contention with fans of Matt and the program and it really raise a lot of question marks about what to expect from him now that the pressure is on.

His abilities as a basketball player really can't be questioned and he has been a favorite of many Gonzaga fans since he came to Spokane as a freshman. One of the best performances I have ever seen from a Gonzaga freshman was Matt's against a top-10 University of Washington team. He scored 21 points that night against the Huskies and ended the year playing about 28 minutes a game which is huge for a freshman in Mark Few's program. Now that we are nearly four years removed from that game, Matt's role in his final season as a Bulldog is to be a consistent force every game. He doesn't have to be Adam Morrison and score 30 points and shoot the ball 20 times but he does have to linger around the 15 point mark all season or else it might become a long season. The key for him to be consistent is for the offense to run though him early in the game. If he can hit a few backdoor screens for easy buckets and rattle in some mid-range jumpers, Matt can score 20-plus points. If he doesn't get out of the gate fast, especially in big games, he tends to struggle mightily. The good thing as far as this team is concerned is that the offense kind of has to run through him as a majority of last season's offense graduated in May. Mark Few has to find ways to get him going early and I think that he will realize that pretty quickly. Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson will provide him some help in the backcourt but make no mistake, Matt's going to take this team as far as his play can.

Player Previews: The Time is Now for Steven Gray

Zach B — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:02:43 -0000

Steven Gray will be relied on greatly in 2009-10. While he came to Gonzaga as a sharpshooter, his skills now may be better fit for a more complete role.

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When we talk about the strengths and weaknesses of this year's Gonzaga team, there is no doubt that the experience lies in the backcourt. Specifically, two players in that backcourt will be looked upon to be leaders of this very young team. Matt Bouldin is obviously the face of this team but there is one more player that must step up this season for the Zags this season and that is Steven Gray. Gray, a junior shooting guard came to Spokane from the Seattle area with plenty of hype as he was part of that vaunted 2007 recruiting class. Now, as he is about to begin his third year at Gonzaga, Steven's role will certainly be increased a great deal. The question I think that most Gonzaga fans have now is how will he react to the pressure that will come with this season. While it is impossible to question the talent that Gray has, last year was a difficult one for him. He struggled throughout the season to find a consistent rhythm and battled a nagging hand injury that really affected his abilities as the sharpshooter that we all saw his freshman year.

While injuries are never a good thing, especially ones that have such a direct effect on a player's strength, Steven's hand injury seemed to force him to attack the rim more and use his size and speed to create his own shot. A great example of this and one that we often point to was the game against Connecticut in the Battle in Seattle. His best game in a Gonzaga uniform, Gray was the one consistent force all day long and put the team on his back as Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt were in foul trouble and guards Matt Bouldin and Micah Downs were largely ineffective. Steven attempted 16 field goals that day and connected on ten of them. He finished with 23 points and only one of those made buckets was from three-point range. He had no trouble getting to the rim and used great body control to make shots. After that game, Steven seemed to have turned a corner and started playing good basketball but the hot streak didn't last and his contributions as well as his time on the court really started to deteriorate. As we look towards this season and what this team needs Steven to be, I hope that he is able to watch that film of the UConn game and realize that if he can do that against Connecticut which at the time had Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and many other skilled big men, he can do it against anyone.

Looking back on last season's production for Steven Gray, it is pretty safe to say that he came into the season with huge expectations after a very stellar freshman campaign. Although he didn't play the first ten games of that season, he immediately became an integral part of the offense upon his return. He filled his role well and finished his first year at Gonzaga with a three-point shooting percentage of 46%. His performance in Gonzaga's first round match up against Davidson made Zag fans salivate at the thought of his potential. He connected on seven threes and finished with 21 points and looked to be the only Bulldog guard interested in playing that day.

Steven played in every game his sophomore season but he only averaged .4 minutes more per game than his freshman year. He was constantly battling Micah Downs for time on the court and the two typically wound up splitting the time pretty equally. This seemed to greatly affect Gray's consistency throughout the season. For example, after the Connecticut game, he went on a nice little run where he scored in double figures six of the next nine games but after that, quality offensive games were few and far between. In fact, he was only able to get in to double figures four of the next 15 games. The cause of this poor production is difficult to decipher because it wasn't like he was out there casting up three-point shots. There were some games where he would shoot five or six a game and connect only on one but, overall, most of the time he only attempted two or three and would soon disappear from the flow of the game. We've talked about his slump but it is worth noting that all of his percentages went down pretty drastically from his freshman to sophomore year. His three-point and free-throw percentage both dropped more than ten percent from '07 to '08.

One of the main things that has always been a point of contention when people discuss Steven is his attitude on the court. Gonzaga has always been a school that has produced emotional players. Whether it was because they played with that mid-major chip on their shoulder or they were just a little off mentally, people that leave the Gonzaga basketball program tend to have no issue letting emotions fly. This is a big reason why the program has been so effective in the past. When you have emotional players, they have no reservations about making impulse plays and taking over when the need arises. When we look at Steven Gray's overall demeanor on the court, it is obvious that he is very reserved. He has a very laid back persona that I think is fine when you are a freshman or sophomore on a team full of veterans. But now that he is a junior on a team where he is now one of the elder statesmen, that mentality is no longer acceptable.

I honestly believe that Steven's production will be a direct link to the type of attitude he brings on the floor. If we see his three-point attempts increase from last year's total of 142, I think he'll be in for another difficult year. The key for him, like I said in the opening, is to avoid becoming one-dimensional and merely relying on the three-point basket. For this to happen, I think there has to be an understanding among the coaches about the kind of player Steven is. When he was recruited during high school, his best assets were his ability to move without the ball and come off screens and nail the mid-range or deep jumper. Often times last season he became a spot up shooter and he never seemed to get into the rhythm of coming off a screen like we saw in his freshman season. His mid-range game will be great to this team when you consider that guys like Matt Bouldin, Manny Arop, Grant Gibbs, Meech, and GJ all feel more comfortable getting to the rim. Steven also has the ability to get to the rim and I feel like that will best be utilized when he is moving without the ball and creating mismatch opportunities due to his size. Another avenue which he can take when creating his own shot is by using the pump fake. When coaches (especially in the early season) game plan for Gonzaga, they will have to account for Gray's ability to knock down the jumper and I think that opposing teams will be so dedicated to getting a hand in his face that he will be able to throw in a pump fake and get himself into the lane.

Besides Matt Bouldin, I don't think their are any greater expectations on an individual player's shoulders than there are on Steven Gray. If you asked most die-hard fans of the program, they would not see it as unreasonable to expect him to be in the running for leading scorer on this team. His shooting stroke, size, and deceptive quickness should make him one of the toughest match ups in the conference and hopefully by the end of the year, he will be one of the toughest in the nation.

Jeremy Pargo Signs with Israeli Pro Team

Zach B — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:08:44 -0000

It has come across the wire that former Gonzaga point guard Jeremy Pargo has signed on with Gilboa Galil, an Israeli professional team. Jeremy had worked played his summer ball for the Magic and Pistons and was quite impressive with the Pistons but he has decided to take his game overseas. Gilboa has struggled in recent years but hopefully the addition of Jeremy can boost the team.

Pargo joins fellow former Zag Micah Downs overseas. Micah recently signed with a Croatian professional team. Josh Heytvelt is the only remaining unsigned player from the 2009 senior class. Many thought that Downs, Heytvelt, and Pargo could all find a home on an NBA team but a few years overseas could prep them for what hopefully ends up as successful careers in the NBA.

Wednesday Buffs Bites: Bzdelik's Future, Gonzaga Looms On Horizon

irish1611 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:05:51 -0000

Andy Katz's Daily Word: Cancer-free Dave Rose: 'I feel great' - ESPN

It sounds like the Jeff Bzdelik rumor to the Minnesota Timberwolves isn't necessarily dead. It has been a while since we have heard anything about it but Andy Katz of ESPN says if the job is offered, Bzdelik is gone.

Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik still hasn't heard from Minnesota about being the top assistant for the Timberwolves' next coach. If he does get the call, according to multiple sources, then he's likely gone and assistant Steve McClain would be the top choice to replace him.

Bzdelik's Buffs open Maui Invitational vs. Gonzaga - Boulder Daily Camera
The Colorado Buffaloes basketball team will play the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first game of the Maui Invitational this November in what should be a real good look at how strong the 2009 team is. Gonzaga will be replacing a ton of talent off of last year's team including Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, Josh Heytvelt and Micah Downs. Still, this will be a very difficult matchup for the Buffs. Gonzaga has recruited well enough to be able to reload and although they will be young, like the Buffs, they have the talent in the wings to once again be a top 25 team. These sorts of matchups get me excited for basketball, it might be a winless tournament but it will be good exposure and a good non-conference test, something that was not there in 2008.

The Buffs will play Gonzaga in the first game of the prestigious tournament Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. MT (ESPN2). The Bulldogs won the West Coast Conference tournament last season to earn their 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

Orlando Sentinel - Phil Steele's Teams of the Decade (Part 2) by Phil Steele
This is a fun read from Phil Steele. Although it has been a tough run the past few years, the Buffs are still in range to have the best record in the North this decade:

Nebraska has the clear lead in winning % out of the North teams but if Colorado was to finish a couple of games ahead of them in the North standings they would have a shot at being the Big 12 North team of the decade as they would have more conference and division titles this decade so that one is up in the air.

Dave Plati of the CU Sports Information Department has a nice 2009 Colorado Football Outlook

Road Trips I'd Like to See: Washington, Colorado, Maryland - Roll 'Bama Roll
Roll 'Bama Roll, the SBNation Alabama Crimson Tide blog, is doing a cool piece on places they would like to road trip to and watch a game. Boulder comes up #7 on their list:

07: Colorado Buffaloes: Though the two teams have only met three times, the two recent contests have been rather exciting. The 1991 Blockbuster Bowl saw the Tide defeat the defending national champions 30-25 in a bizarre contest that found CU leading 12-10 at the half (with the longest scoring drive for either team being a whopping three yards.) The 2007 Independence Bowl saw the Tide win 30-24 in a game that should never have been close after going up 27-0 five minutes into the second quarter. We've never played them in the regular season though and it seems like it could be a fun match up, though one we should win at this point in both program's development. Anyway, the reason I'd like to see a road trip is the outdoor activities: hiking, mountain biking, climbing, etc. It's an outdoor lover's dream to combine with a weekend of football. Not only that, but it's a mere 28 miles from Denver according to Mapquest. You could make a pretty sweet week long vacation out of that one. Spend half in the city, half in Boulder and see a game. Not too shabby.

High-And-Mighty ESPN Should Take It Down A Notch : NPR
Great look at the control that ESPN exhibits over our North American sports universe.

Birdman drives a semi truck - Denver Stiffs
Head over to SBNation's Denver Nuggets blog and check out the ridiculously awesome vehicle that Birdman is sporting these days.

Last Day of the NBA Summer League Raises Question Marks for Former Zags

Zach B — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:46:53 -0000

Micah Downs is just one former Zag hoping to find a place on an NBA roster next season.

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Today is the last day of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and for many former college stars, it is probably their last time playing basketball in the United States. For those who were drafted, they obviously have a good shot to make their respective team but a good amount of the players in Las Vegas are vying to fill a very limited amount of spots on NBA rosters. Their journey from that point will probably be long and arduous and could possibly land them in the D-League. Four former Zags from the 2008-09 season took part in the summer league this year. One proved his vast amount of doubters wrong with his consistently excellent play, two were up and down but made some good impressions, and one has barely gotten off the bench long enough to do anything.

continue reading this post after the poll...

For Austin Daye, the summer league experience couldn't have gone any better. Not only was Daye one of the best performers at the summer league, but he had his moment where he could tell all of his doubters to shut up. Daye played 34 minutes a game, shot a solid 47% from the field, and averaged about nine rebounds and 17 points again. Everyone that was in attendance in Las Vegas came away very impressed with Daye, commenting that he could not only withstand contact but often times he initiated it and it never really bothered him. His one major struggle was in the turnover department where he struggled from time to time but that it is too be expected and was probably a result of nerves combined with the different style of game. The most exciting part for Daye is that he is on a team that should be a power in the future. Along with him, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko are both rookies that impressed in the summer league. It's safe to say that Daye will have more of an immediate impact in the NBA than most people initially thought.

The fun part about the Detroit Pistons summer league team was that Austin Daye was joined by Jeremy Pargo. Pargo played for the Orlando Magic in the Orlando summer league a few weeks ago but joined the Pistons in Vegas. Jeremy did a lot to improve his position in Las Vegas. The former Gonzaga court general averaged 10 points a game in only 18 minutes per game. He shot 50% from the field and really impressed the Pistons fans and it isn't completely crazy to think that Jeremy could find a spot on their roster. The Pistons were auditioning guards for a third-string spot on the roster and many think it became a battle between Jeremy and former Virginia Cavalier Sean Singletary. They both had very similar stat lines for Detroit and I feel like Jeremy has more NBA ready size. You have to wonder if Detroit passes on Jeremy because they have a player kind of similar to him in Will Bynum.

Micah Downs also made some waves in the summer league and did a lot of things right the past few days to give himself a fighting chance. What we grew to love about Micah Downs at Gonzaga was his versatility and his strong desire to do whatever it takes to get a win. Here is something from the wonderful Twitterworld that I found about Micah from an ESPN.com "Tweeter".

Thabeet just got beat by Downs on a rebound under PHX hoop. Micah freaking Downs...Micah Downs is on my all Make Good team for Summer League. PHX has a lot of multi-taskers out there.

Micah had a game to remember a few days ago against the D-League Select team where he shot 8-11 and finished with 19 points. Micah still has one more game this evening before his summer league is over but thus far he has filled up the stat sheet. He's averaged a little over seven points a game, about three rebounds, and has had a few steals. He hasn't made a whole lot of mistakes either, with only four turnovers in four games. Downs, like Pargo, has the chance to make a roster with his performance but we will have to wait and see. The Suns have some options for him with their roster and if they pass, he could catch one elsewhere. Micah has his last game tonight against the Clippers at 7:30 PST.

The most perplexing summer league belonged to Josh Heytvelt. Josh was a guy that was labeled as a draft day snub but signed on with the Washington Wizards summer league team. Josh seemingly had the inside track to being signed to a roster when this was all said and done. He possesses great NBA size and versatility but his summer league tenure has been odd to say the least. Josh has only played seven minutes a game, attempted nine shots, and made three of them. His average stat line in four games has been 1.5 PPG and 2.0 RPG. He hasn't made a lot of mistakes defensively and actually was impressive against Blake Griffin when they matched up with the Clippers. I posted a FanPost over on the Wizards SB Nation site Bullets Forever asking about Josh and they seemed pretty iffy about him at this point as well. The Washington roster is kind of loaded with young, mediocre post men in Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee so it is hard to tell if Josh will stick. I really can't imagine him not finding a place on someones roster but in a league with a lot of good young players, it is pretty easy for players to get lost. Hopefully Josh gets more minutes in the Wizards final summer league game today against the New York Knicks at 1 PM PST.

Let us know what you think, who you are rooting for and what former Zags you think have the best shot at making a roster in the comments below!

Poll

Now that the summer league is nearly complete, which former Zag do you think has the best shot to make an NBA roster?

Jeremy Pargo (10 PPG, 3 APG)

111 votes

Micah Downs (7 PPG, 50% from 3 point range)

124 votes

Josh Heytvelt (7 MPG, 1.5 PPG, 2 RPG)

27 votes

262 votes | Poll has closed

Weekend Zags Around the Web: AAU, FIBA, and Summer Leagues

Zach B — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:27:38 -0000

Canada guard and Gonzaga commit Manny Arop goes up for a shot attempt against Puerto Rico.

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AAU News:

-- We're only a week into the July AAU Evaluation period but their have already been a number of major tournaments and skills camps. The adidas It Takes 5ive event and the King City Classic both wrapped up this week in Ohio. The two events only had a couple of Gonzaga prospects and in all reality, only one of them still is likely to become a Bulldog. Cameroon native Yannick Atanga plays for Impact Basketball but it has been so hard to get information from the tournament that all we know is that his team made it to the final four of the 17s gold tournament after placing second in their pool of three.

-- The other tournament that we had circled on our calendar was the Chicago Summer Classic which is going on in the Windy City as we speak. The CSC wasn't getting as much as the hype as the adidas event or even the King City Classic but it had plenty of potential for Gonzaga fans. Net Gain Sports, based out of Minnesota which features prospects like Chanse Creekmur, Doug McDermott Jr., Joe Hanstad, and Cole Stefan were supposed to take part in the tourney but we learned from our good friend The Twin Cities Hoops Czar that Net Gain pulled out of the tourney at the last second. It is a huge bummer as Net Gain was supposed to have three games yesterday and we were counting on some juicy reports from our friend at TC Hoops.

-- The good news is that the Nike Peach Jam kicks off tomorrow in lovely Augusta, South Carolina. The tourney will be loaded with college coaches as it features 24 Elite Nike Travel teams including Seattle Rotary Select (Gary Bell Jr.) Hopefully they are a little better at getting results across the wire than the adidas folks.

FIBA:

-- A disappointing FIBA U-19 Tournament continued for the Canadian National team last night as they were defeated at the hands of the Puerto Ricans as they battle for positions 5-8 in the tournament. The final score only separated the two teams by two points, 67-65. I only watched one of the games live and obviously only have a small sampling of what Canada basketball is all about but it is pretty clear to see that the coaching of this team may not be up to snuff. After struggling all tournament long shooting from the perimeter, Canada jacked up 17 three point attempts against Puerto Rico and only made one!

continue reading after the jump to see more about Canada's loss and the Zag's in the NBA Summer League...

Mangisto Arop really asserted himself in this game, taking 19 shot attempts and connected on eight of them. He finished with nine rebounds but also an ugly four turnovers.

Kelly Olynyk played arguably his best game the day before against the Americans but backed it up yesterday with another erratic shooting performance. Olynyk shot 33% from the field (4/12) including four missed three point shots. To make an ugly statline even uglier...Olynyk had his worst day on the glass, only collecting six rebounds which, coincidentally is the same number of turnovers he had against Puerto Ric.

So if we are doing the math at home...Manny and Kelly combined for 0/6 from three-point range and 10 turnovers. Yikes.

Canada is now 3-5 overall and will play France tonight at 4 PM PST (I think) to see who gets to seventh and eighth place.

Summer League:

-- Austin Daye had his first game as a Detroit Piston summer leaguer yesterday against the Sacramento Kings. Daye shot 3-9 from the floor and was impressive early in his 19 minutes which you can see in the first clip of the highlights here. He also had a pair of rebounds and steals.

-- Now that the Orland Magic have concluded their summer league, Jeremy Pargo is joining up with Austin Daye according to the Detroit Press. Their next game tips today at 1 PM PST.

-- Josh Heytvelt and Micah Downs begin their summer league experience next week with the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns, respectively. Downs will begin play on Monday at 3 PM PST and Heytvelt will begin Tuesday at 3:30 PM. Schedules are here.

NBA Draft Doesn't Live Up to the Hype for Gonzaga

Zach B — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:56:37 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

6 months ago: NBA commissioner David Stern, left, poses with Austin Daye, who was picked by the Detroit Pistons, during the first round of the NBA basketball draft in New York, Thursday, June 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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The 2009 NBA Draft was supposed to be a groundbreaking event in Gonzaga hoops history. With four Zags in draft contention and two players that were stone-cold locks, the sky was the limit. As it turns out, nothing is ever guaranteed in professional drafts and Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs, and Jeremy Pargo found that out tonight. The trio of Gonzaga seniors that competed for a spot in the draft all came up short on Thursday night and never heard their name called. Next up for the three is NBA free agency which will probably lead to the Las Vegas summer league or they could opt for the more lucrative European route. Needless to say, their path to the NBA got a bit steeper.

It wasn't all bad news for Gonzaga. Upside-ridden sophomore Austin Daye was selected early in the draft at #15 by the Detroit Pistons. Daye avoided the freefall that plagued many other prospects Thursday night and went to the team that probably had the most longstanding interest in him. The Pistons should be a tremendous fit for Austin because they have holes in their frontcourt and Detroit is synonymous with toughness and they should be able to really help Austin mature and play with more tenacity in the NBA.

The bad news began with the freefall of DeJuan Blair. The one Gonzaga player besides Austin Daye that I felt was a complete and total lock was Josh Heytvelt. He was predicted by ESPN, DraftExpress, and every other draft outlet to go in the mid-second round AT THE LATEST. However, once DeJuan Blair and fellow Pitt Panther Sam Young started falling, their was a cause for concern. The mid-to-late second round is typically reserved for the "best available" type player and as long as those two were around, Josh's odds of getting picked were low. The one spot that I prayed Josh would go was #46 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Right before the Cavs selected, Jay Bilas and Jeff Van Gundy (who knows nothing about college hoops) were saying how the Cavs needed a versatile big man who can shoot on the outside. Perfect. That describes Josh Heytvelt to a T. North Carolina 'tweener Danny Green was the Cavs choice and that kind of spelled the end for Josh. Maybe the Jazz at 50 but I thought Jeremy Pargo had a better chance of going there as the Jazz front office really liked Jeremy.

continue reading more post draft thoughts after the jump...

What we saw tonight was a combination of scared GM's and a weak economy. Foreign players really ruled the second round; I can't count how many times I heard the dorky associate commissioner say "and this foreign player is actually in attendance". GM's in this draft were content to take their 2nd round picks and put them with foreign players who would need three years rather than take an American player who may not have as much upside but is ready right now. The weak economy was just what some of the foreign-born players needed to get drafted tonight.

As I mentioned, Jeremy Pargo and Micah Downs were also not drafted this evening. While their omissions from the proceedings were not quie as surprising, their was still plenty of hope for them. Both, by all accounts, worked out very well in their pre-draft workouts and put themselves in good positions to be drafted. We thought that Micah had a nice niche as an athletic player who could specialize as a defensive stopper and Jeremy Pargo is the ideal leader at the point guard position and a guy that commands respect and knows how to run a team.

We will anxiously be following these three as they take the next step in their respective basketball futures. I believe that all three have the ability to sign on and make an NBA roster but, at this point, would not be surprised to see any of them take off to Europe. Plenty of congratulations are due to Austin Daye who proved that his decision to remain in the NBA Draft was very well thought out. We look forward to seeing how he progresses in summer leagues with the Pistons!

Poll

What are your thoughts now that the draft has come and gone?

Stunned. Josh and at least one of Micah or Jeremy should have been taken.

158 votes

Pissed. All four should have been drafted!

27 votes

Confused. No Josh?

242 votes

Satisfied. Only Austin deserved it.

61 votes

488 votes | Poll has closed

Tracking the Zags: NBA Live Draft Thread

Zach B — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:55 -0000

When North Carolina ended Gonzaga's season in March, it meant the end of six collegiate careers. Five seniors graduated and super sophomore Austin Daye chose to forego his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility for a shot at the NBA. Tonight we will find out whether Austin made the correct choice and we will also learn the fates of Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo, and Micah Downs. All four former Bulldogs have been traveling across the country trying to impress NBA brass. After weeks upon weeks of workouts and mock drafts, we still really have no clue what is going to happen at 4:30 PST (well except for the 1st overall pick).

Austin Daye is likely to be selected in the first twenty picks, probably going as high as 15 to the pistons. Josh Heytvelt is also a pretty solid lock to hear his name called in the draft. He finished his workouts impressively and should go in the early-to-mid second round. Micah Downs and Jeremy Pargo are both the wild cards of the draft. From all indications, Micah Downs really exceeded expectations in the workouts but their are plenty of players at his position that could go ahead of him. Jeremy Pargo showed a lot in workouts as well. Their is no doubt he can lead a team and that could land him a spot late in the second round. Smart money is that both will not be drafted but don't be surprised if they sneak in as both their skills translate well to the next level.

We'll be discussing the draft here all night so treat this as a live draft thread and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Coverage begins at 4:00 PM PST on ESPN.