SB Nation - Ira Brown

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.

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)

Browse more photos »

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.

What to Expect Without Austin - Upperclassmen Edition

everydayezag — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:53:27 -0000

Last week I addressed what expectations Gonzaga fans should have for the underclassmen during the 2009/2010 season (Click here to read article). Even as I was writing the article, I was utterly surprised by how loaded the roster will be with freshman and sophomores. While you can't deny the potential and talent that is littered throughout that group, the play of the upperclassmen will be vital in order to get the Zags through what should be an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule. I think it's fair that the success of the team next year will depend on two upperclassmen who need to improve their games in order for next season to be deemed a success.

Juniors: Can you believe what has become of the vaunted 2007 recruiting class? Austin Daye teased Gonzaga fans with his incredible talent, but before ever emerging as a star, he decided to take his game to the NBA. Rob Sacre has battled injuries during his time in Spokane, and was forced to use his redshirt last season. With Ira Brown graduating after his two years in Spokane, all that remains is Steven Gray.

Steven Gray: In my opinion, Steven Gray has the most pressure heading into next season. In his first two years, Steven has been able to serve as a 5th or 6th option on this team, and has been serviceable in that role. However, with the departure of the senior class and Austin to the NBA, Gray will enter next season as the #2 option on offense, and some might even argue, potentially the #1 option. We all know that Steven possesses the deadly ability to score from the perimeter, as well as the strength to attack the rim. Here is what Mark Few had to say about Steven in a recent interview.

Gray tantalizes NBA scouts with his size, his athleticism, and most importantly his butter-smooth shooting stroke. (He's a career 39.6 percent shooter from three.) The only thing Gray lacks is a superstar's confidence to go with his prodigious gifts. "We've been after Steve forever to hunt his shot more," said Few, who served as a court coach during the USA trials. "It's just not in his personality. I tell him, you've got a great stroke. Be aggressive."

If Steven can develop this confidence and have the attitude of a superstar, I believe he is a capable of being the Zags leading scorer and averaging around 18 points per game. However, I have never seen him display anything remotely close to this attitude, and have often been frustrated by how passive he is during games. Not to totally load the pressure on Steven, but his play will go a long way in deciding how successful the Zags will be next season.

Seniors: Although this group only features two guys, it's fair to say that there are completely different expectations for each guy. In Matt Bouldin, you have a proven starter, and the likely WCC POY next season. With Will Foster, you have a tantalizing 7'4 big guy, who in a team that is not proven in the post, could potentially blossom next season.

Will Foster: There is no player who causes such a differing opinion among Gonzaga fans. Half of the Gonzaga fans clamor for Will to get more minutes, and believe that he is a game changer. The other half can't believe he is still on scholarship, and think he has an attitude problem. To be honest, I don't think either assessment is fair. What Will brings to the court is the ability to alter shots on the defensive end, and he runs the floor quite well for a big guy. When Will is active defensively, it can really force a team to gameplan around him. The issue with Will is that he is not always active, and he is a liability on the offensive end. Will doesn't possess great hands, and also has a limited post game. Therefore, it becomes quite difficult for Coach Few and the rest of the staff to decide how to use him. I really hope that we see Will make an impact defensively this season, but I really think it will come down to Will and Sam for the 4th spot in the post rotation, and I'm just not sure who will emerge.

Matt Bouldin: We all know what Matt is capable of, and what he can bring to the table. Matt should have been the WCC POY last season, and is almost a guarantee to score around 15 points per game, as well as dish out assists and rebound the ball. For pretty much any Gonzaga team, those stats would be enough. However, I really believe that Matt needs to elevate his game to another level for the Zags to emerge as a top 15 team. I think Matt not only needs to average closer to 18 points per game, but he must emerge as a leader for this group. I know this is a ton of pressure to put on Matt, but there can't be any more disappearances in big games, and he must play at the highest level he is capable of every night.

What do you guys think? Am I putting too much pressure on Steven and Matt? Can Will have a breakout senior year? Let us know what you are thinking about the 2009/2010 Zags.

Austin Daye Opts for the NBA

Zach B — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:13:07 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Austin Daye has chosen to keep his name in the NBA Draft and hire an agent. This move eliminates his remaining two years of college eligibility. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Browse more photos »

Well, we tried as hard as we could to convince ourselves that Austin Daye would return for his junior year but the son of former NBA star Darren Daye has decided to forgo his remaining two years of collegiate eligibility for a shot at the NBA. The news of Daye's departure recently came across the wire but it probably won't shock many people as he has been projected as a first round selection thanks to his tremendous upside.

Austin put himself into consideration for the NBA Draft after Gonzaga fell to North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen and he has been a hot topic since then. Up to this point, Austin still has no guarantee by any team that they will select him in the first round but apparently he heard enough to remain in the draft. Daye's decision comes on the heels of fellow WCC star Patty Mills also electing to remain in the draft (per DraftExpress).

Everyone agrees that the best years of Daye's career are still many years ahead of him as his body still has plenty of maturing to do. While it would have been nice to see him at Gonzaga for another year, it is pretty easy to see why Daye made the leap this year. The back-half of the first round is as topsy-turvy as ever and Daye could go as high as 13th to the Pacers but many think he could fall out of the first round. While the latter is not likely to happen, that is the kind of offseason it has been for Austin. He's been beaten up on the court in some workouts and has been the star of others. Ten days now separates Austin from finally realizing his fate and seeing if his gamble paid off.

Mark Few confirmed the story to Jeff Goodman at FoxSports and it will be interesting to see where Gonzaga goes from here. Daye joins seniors Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, and Micah Downs in the NBA Draft and his inclusion means that six players will be gone from last years team (including Andrew Sorenson and Ira Brown). Filling Austin's shoes will not be easy. Averaging nearly 13 points and 7 rebounds a game, Austin will likely be replaced by someone with zero collegiate experience. The guards are pretty much set but now the front line of Gonzaga is basically as young as humanly possible.

Andy Poling and Elias Harris: You better get ready.

2008-09 Year in Review: Old Spice Classic

Zach B — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:46:38 -0000

Continuing our look back at the season that was, we now leave the hype behind and enter one of the better moments for the Gonzaga faithful. Mark Few and Jerry Krause have been recognized for their willingness to throw the Bulldogs to the wolves and let them battle the best in the country. This year was no different and by the end of November, Gonzaga was faced with the challenge of playing three teams ranked within the top 25. The Old Spice Classic took place in Orlando and was without question the most impressive preseason tournament field of the year. Tennessee, Georgetown, Michigan State, Maryland, Oklahoma State, and others all traveled down south to take part in the classic. In early season tournaments like the Old Spice, teams are still typically trying to find their groove before they hit conference play. For a small conference team like Gonzaga, however, it was their opportunity to show the entire nation that they were for real.

continue reading this post after the jump...

When Gonzaga took the court on November 27th against Oklahoma State, the game was supposed to be a pretty simple challenge for the Bulldogs. The Cowboys were coming into the season with a new coach, Travis Ford, and an entirely new identity. If you followed Oklahoma State through the season however, you know that Travis Ford has this team pointing in the right direction. Along with an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Cowboys gave Gonzaga all they could handle but thanks to the emergence of some key bench players, the Zags advanced, This was the game in which Ira Brown played some key minutes and really brought some enthusiasm to a previously dead team. In fact, the bench combination of Ira Brown, Demetri Goodson, and then healthy Robert Sacre looked to be a trio that would provide great things for Gonzaga all season. Sadly, Sacre got bit by the injury bug and Brown's minutes were very up and down but the three of them were special all tournament long. Looking back on the game, I have to say that I am impressed. Oklahoma State proved to be a very good basketball game, and looking at our recap, Gonzaga did not play one of their better games and still came out strong with a 12 point victory.

The match up that everyone had been talking about since the Classic brackets came out was Gonzaga-Michigan State. The mention of the game brings back memories of 2005 and the Maui Invitational in which Adam Morrison and Maurice Ager delivered some of the best individual performances in recent memory. The idea of Mark Few and Tom Izzo butting heads was also appealing but it wasn't meant to be. Gary Williams and the Maryland Terrapins proved that they should never be doubted. It was supposed to be an awful year for Maryland as they really only had one serious threat, Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez was recruited heavily by Gonzaga and Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd even helped bring the youngster to America. It didn't work out between the two parties and Vasquez found a home with Maryland. The Terps demolished Michigan State in their first round match up behind some Vasquez heroics and set the stage for a Gonzaga/Maryland match up. Vasquez would have no heroics against the Zags as they completely shut down Maryland. Instead of settling for the three like they did against Oklahoma State, Gonzaga came out on the offensive and Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye were sensational against an over matched Terrapin team. Austin had a double-double and Heytvelt finished with 22 points and nine rebounds to give Gonzaga a 81-59 victory.

Gonzaga was hitting on all cylinders at this point but their were two sides to this bracket and the other side was putting on one hell of a show for the onlookers. Tennessee had the most difficult road for a high seed in the entire tournament. They had to start out with a very game Siena team that would wind up going to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Then they had to take on Georgetown, who by all means peaked too early but was playing great basketball at this time. The two programs matched up in the second round and put on an absolute show. Georgetown came out hot and actually built up quite the impressive lead but thanks to the play of Tyler Smith and the rest of the Volunteers, Bruce Pearl's team was able to outlast the Hoyas and set up Gonzaga-Tennessee part one as the two teams were already set to play later in the year.

Gonzaga and Tennessee was the game that no one was surprised to see as the championship game in the Old Spice Classic. Michigan State was supposed to make some noise but the intrigue of these two teams facing off so early in the season made for a great game. Both teams are just fun to watch because they play the game with an emphasis on offense and getting the ball up and down the court. Tennessee is especially fun to watch because they have the ever emotional Bruce Pearl as their head coach and he does an outstanding job filling those kids with emotional toughness. Toughness had been the question for Gonzaga all summer and into the start of the year. The Zags have always had great talent but everyone wanted to know if they could get punched in the mouth and get up and fight back. The November 30th match up against Tennessee proved they could. The game was tight throughout the entire first half as it was becoming quite clear that these two teams don't like each other. Gonzaga shot lights out the entire game as five Bulldogs would enter double figures, led by Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin. By the ten minute mark of the second half, Gonzaga was running in full force and built an 18 point victory. Tennessee wouldn't go quietly into the Orlando night and they battled back quite valiantly and they were helped by some very stupid choices by Gonzaga. I can still remember Matt Bouldin and Jeremy Pargo pulling up for a three-point shot early in the shot clock when Gonzaga already had an 18 point lead. The 18 points cushion proved to be too much for Tennessee and they wound up falling to the Zags 83-74.

With the Old Spice Classic victory, everything was just about perfect in Zag Nation. It was not only the fact that Gonzaga defeated three "BCS" teams but it was the fashion in which they did so. Gonzaga basically answered every major question coming into the season. The depth was as god as advertised with Ira Brown, Steven Gray, Rob Sacre, and Demetri Goodson all coming in and playing important minutes. They played with toughness and really attacked against Maryland and Tennessee. They played so tough in fact that Meech even got in a little tussle with Tennessee guard Bobby Maze at the end of the first half. They had swagger against some of the best programs and coaches in the nation and came away from the Old Spice Classic as one of the best teams in the nation and the top five ranking that came a few days after proved it.

Poll

What were your expectations after the Old Spice Classic?

Probably the same as the outcome; Sweet Sixteen

27 votes

We played great and I was dreaming of a final four

79 votes

This team actually made me believe Gonzaga could win it all

24 votes

I never bought into it, they just peaked early.

5 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

Zags Dominate in an Emotional Senior Night

Zach B — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:30:56 -0000

It was everything the departing seniors could have asked for and more. Five Gonzaga Bulldogs played their last game in McCarthey Athletic Center tonight and they will all leave Gonzaga with some fond memories of their home court. Andrew Sorenson will remember his very well as his most outstanding performance came on his senior night and it is something that he does not plan on forgetting for quite some time.

"This is going to be a long-told story, my kids are going to get sick of it." Sorenson said after the game.

Sorenson, who walked on to the team after spending his first year at Gonzaga as a member of the Kennel Club, finished his final game with a career high 15 points on 5-11 shooting as Gonzaga defeated South Carolina Upstate tonight 90-40 in Spokane. Even though Matt Bouldin was the high point scorer tonight with 16, the night belonged to the five seniors that the Spokane community said goodbye to. Sorenson started the game along with seniors Jeremy Pargo, Micah Downs, Ira Brown, and Josh Heytvelt and each one of them were praised throughout the night. All five were accompanied at the game by family members or close friends and were sent off the court at the end of the game with a rousing standing ovation from the 6,000 that were in attendance.

continue reading after the jump for more about senior night...

In games like these, where it is pretty obvious from the outset that it is not going to be competitive, the players get a chance to have fun on the court and the seniors took advantage of it. Jeremy Pargo seemed like a different player tonight as he played without any sort of worry or pressure and he finished his regular season career nicely with eight points and seven assists. Josh Heytvelt started the game at his usual torrid pace as he connected on a number of jumpers and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Micah Downs made sure to get plenty of shots in during his final game and finished 5-16 from the field with 11 points. Even Ira Brown, who is known as more of a glue players that does a lot of the intangibles, scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds.

The Zags did a great job creating havoc against the significantly over matched Spartans. All in all, the team forced 26 turnovers. Matt Bouldin led the charge, stealing the ball five times for USC-Upstate. Each senior got in on the act as well, with each having 2 steals. Gonzaga, on the other hand, only turned the ball over four times and had no trouble carving up the Spartan defense.

Don't get confused, USC-Upstate was probably one of the worst teams to ever grace the McCarthey Athletic Center and that is saying something with some of the teams that have made their way to Spokane. There is not a whole lot to take from this game besides the fact that it was an excellent way to send of a great senior class that has given so much to the university. The Zags will have to strap it on for real less than a week from now as the West Coast Conference Tournament just got a lot more difficult with the re-emergence of Patty Mills.

We won't see Gonzaga again until Sunday in the WCC Tournament semifinals as they have clinched a two game bye in the tournament. The likely opponent will be the Santa Clara Broncos, who tout conference player of the year John Bryant.

Senior Night: Zags vs. USC Upstate

everydayezag — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:48:46 -0000

It's hard to believe that this tremendous regular season is coming to its conclusion. It seems like yesterday that the Zags were celebrating a championship performance in the Old Spice Classic. However, tomorrow night will mark the end of a terrific regular season, which has seen the Zags go undefeated in WCC play and earn a top 15 ranking. Tomorrow will mark the final appearance at the MAC for Micah Downs, Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, Ira Brown, and Andrew Sorensen. No matter how frustrated some fans have been with the performance of the seniors, it's important to remember the impact that some of these guys have had on this program, and even more importantly, the impact that Gonzaga has had on them. It will be bittersweet seeing these guys play their final home games, but each has left a truly defined mark on the Gonzaga program, and I can assure that they have not yet left their greatest mark on Gonzaga.

The opponent in the finale will be none other than the USC Upstate Spartans. This game presents the Zags with an opportunity to send the seniors out in style, but it might provide the Spartans with a little more.

“The main reason we are playing Gonzaga,” USC Upstate athletic director Mike Hall said, “is the money.”

Upstate’s athletics department will receive about $70,000 for the trip. That’s how much Gonzaga was willing to pay for a game in which to stay sharp during the week between the regular season and the West Coast Conference tournament.

USC Upstate is currently in the process of transitioning to the DI level, and still has three years to go before they are a fully fledged member. However, this is not a terrible team, as the Spartans have gone 9-11 since an 0-9 start, which featured losses to Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Boston College. USC Upstate has gone 8-12 in the Atlantic Sun conference, and has an impressive win over conference champion Jacksonville in the Dolphins home gym.

Leading the way for the Spartans is Bobby Davis. The 6'6 PF is the leading scorer and rebounder for the team, as he averages 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Davis is coming off a special performance against Mercer, when he played all 45 minutes in the overtime victory. Davis scored 33 points and grabbed 11 boards in the win.

Another player to keep an eye on is Nick Schneiders, who is truly one of the more physically imposing specimens in college basketball. The 7'3 German doesn't have tremendous stats (9.6 points and 6 rebounds), but he has blocked 7 shots in each of the last two games. Schneiders should provide an interesting match up for Josh Heytvelt, and it will be fun to see how Heytvelt attacks Schneiders on the offensive end.

Make no mistake, this game is on the schedule to provide the Zags with a game between the end of the regular season and the semifinal round of the WCC tournament. This should be a tremendous send off for this great group of seniors, and it should be a tremendous show for all the fans at the MAC. I expect vintage performances from Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt in the 88-57 victory.

Poll

What do you think the result of this game will be?

Zags win by 11+

86 votes

Zags win by 1-10

2 votes

Spartans win by 1-10

0 votes

Spartans win by 11+

3 votes

91 votes | Poll has closed

"What a Dunk" Zags Around the Web

Zach B — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:10:19 -0000

First of all...there's this.

God that was a great game last night. What is even better than that game last night is the way our schedule works for the next couple games. Mark Few may have got burned by scheduling in nonconference but the conference schedule is setting up nicely. Two away games at Pepperdine and LMU set up two huge, huge home games against St. Mary's and San Diego. The conference should be decided in two weeks of basketball from January 29th-February 12th because Gonzaga and St. Mary's will have matched up twice in that time.

In other news...

I was surprised by the amount of quotes coming from the Broncos after last night's loss. Coach Keating and little John Bryant were pretty quick to try and give Gonzaga as little credit as possible. It's funny that this was John Bryant's last rodeo in Spokane and this is how the front-runner for the WCC POY goes out.

"Heytvelt flopped on me a couple times in the past so I wasn't that aggressive in the first half because I didn't want to get two fouls early," Bryant said. "I should have been more aggressive in the first half. They didn't do anything we didn't expect."

I was front and center for one of those flops but come on John, against a team like Gonzaga you are going to have to force your will just a wee-bit if you are going to have any chance. Here is a quote from Coach Keating regarding the students and their impact on the game. I feel like Keating might be a big proponent of throwing people under the bus...just a gut feeling.

"St. Mary's has a good student section, too. It's not as big. But because of the local aspect of it, it's just as intense, maybe more spirited toward us. We handled that great. The crowd shouldn't be a factor if you're disciplined, a tough, hard-nosed team. Because they're not inside the lines, it's just noise. It's another aspect a young team is going to have to learn."

continue reading after the jump for more quotes, links, and comments...

This article is basically what I was going for last night. Whenever you have been the top dog for as long as Gonzaga has, people really want to see you fall. After last night's performance and watching the rest of the WCC, there really shouldn't be any doubt who is the best team in this conference. Here is a nice quote from the article by AOL Fanhouse.

The Bulldogs put any doubt to rest with a dominating performance over Santa Clara on Thursday, winning 95-53. The kind of exclamation to let the rest of the conference know that any momentary lapses were just that. And really, I thought Kerry Keating's club could have been a contender this season. Yeah, not so much.

Getting away from last night's game...we thought we would point out this midseason player rankings done by CollegeHoopsNet.com which is a pretty good source for hoops news and random stuff like this. They've got a couple Zags on the list but it's really not that pretty.

Austin Daye is ranked as the 62nd best player in the nation right now after being ranked 46th earlier in the season. Jeremy Pargo saw his stock drop a ton. He is now 67th after being ranked 19th earlier this season.

Well that's too bad. But I would have a hard time arguing. I think we have four guys that could be interchangeable on that list with Bouldin and Gray but I don't think anyone is really going to wow you with their stats. Like I said, these rankings are very arbitrary and subjective. Just keeping winning.

Lastly as a little recruiting update, 2009 commit Sam Dower continues to dominate the Minnesota prep landscape.

Champlin Park 23 31 — 54 Osseo 32 43 — 75

Highlights—Sam Dower had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Orioles and Scott Theisen had 20 points to lead the Rebels.

Dower is such an exciting prospect for Gonzaga because it seems like he will be able to step right in immediately and contribute from the get-go. He is an absolute double-double machine and seems to possess a ton of versatility. Just check out the fanpost about Dower's statline...I'm sure you will be impressed.

Zags Issue a Statement to the WCC; Dominate Santa Clara

Zach B — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:18:08 -0000

FYI...Santa Clara will no longer by #3 in my WCC power rankings...woopsie.

Heading into tonight's game, there weren't many content Gonzaga fans. The team sputtered through December and was extremely lackluster in their 17 point victory over the Portland Pilots. In tonight's game against the Broncos of Santa Clara, one of the best players in the WCC, John Bryant, traveled to Spokane. The man formally known as "Big" John Bryant (he is very thin now) came in on a roll. He's been a double-double machine all year and has had a number of 20-20 games as well. Bryant got his double-double tonight...but that was about all that went right tonight for the Broncos.

Gonzaga dominated this basketball game from start to finish, ending up with a 95-53 victory. There is never anything perfect in sports but this game was something close to perfect. Gonzaga did everything right tonight and to criticize the effort would be nearly impossible.

continue reading the breakdown after the jump...

The game started out pretty poorly. Matt Bouldin dribbled the ball of his foot, picked up a foul and Austin Daye got called for two quick fouls as well. Usually when these two don't start off well, they don't pull it all together for the duration of the game. Tonight was different as Daye and Bouldin dominated and lead this team to victory. Bouldin and Daye were not alone however. Everyone stepped up tonight and played well which is something we have not seen all year.

All five starters averaged in double figures and newly minted sixth man Micah Downs added nine points and a great defensive effort. Daye led all scorers with 20 points in 17 minutes, shooting a blistering 80% from the field and hitting all three of his free throws. Bouldin scored 16 on 6-9 shooting and Steven Gray added 15 points. Rounding out the guard play was Jeremy Pargo who was so silent the entire night but had 11 points and 8 assists in one of his more impressive outings of the year. He turned the ball over three times but he made some outstanding passes that made us forget about the miscues. It was one of the few times when all the guards played inspired basketball together. This season we have become accustomed to seeing Bouldin and Gray play well while Pargo struggles or Pargo and Matt play well when Steven can't find his shot but tonight the three big guns on the outside all played excellent basketball.

The guards were great but everyone knew that the big match up tonight was taking place down low between John Bryant and Josh Heytvelt. Mr. Heytvelt is a player that I have been very hard on this season. I was about to throw him under the bus tonight again when he came out and shot a contested three point shot early in the game but he really turned in on after that point. He didn't do anything extraordinary on the offensive side of the court but he really helped his team with his defense. John Bryant can look at his stats and not be too sad about tonight but for all intents and purposes, he was dominated tonight. Josh Heytvelt was very fundamental tonight and did not get sucked into Bryant's post moves and actually forced him to take a number of shots from a distance. He didn't commit the stupid foul and stayed on the court for as long as his team needed him. Without Robert Sacre, this is going to be a big thing for Josh because he can not pick up cheap fouls. Reserve center Will Foster was also excellent tonight in limited action. Foster has really started to come around on the offensive side of the court with a few nice post moves. Foster helps this team first and foremost with his defense. He alters so many shots and it was obvious that Santa Clara was unable to deal with his height. We have to give some love to Ira Brown who threw down the best dunk I have ever seen at Gonzaga. For his efforts, Ira is #1 on Sportscenters Top 10 and it is well deserved. We're dying to find a video right now so if you have a link, let us know!

Here is just a little stats to emphasize the dominance that was Gonzaga-Santa Clara. In fact, it was the largest margain of victory in the history of the Gonzaga-SCU matchup.

Category	Santa Clara	Gonzaga
Points	53	95
FG Att	55	65
FG Made	20	36
FG Pct	36.4	55.4
FT Att	15	22
FT Made	7	15
FT Pct	46.7	68.2
3pt FG Att	18	20
3pt FG Made	6	8
3pt FG Pct	33.3	40
Rebounds	29	46
Off Rebs	8	13
Def Rebs	21	33
Team Rebs	4	8
Assists	7	20
Steals	2	11
Blocks	0	6
Turnovers	17	10
Fouls	15	20

These stats are just astounding. The two things I usually always look for with Gonzaga stats are rebounding and assists to turnovers. Well, there is nothing to really complain about tonight. The rebounding was dominated by Gonzaga, in particular Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt who led the team. The Zags had 20 assists (eight by Pargo) and only 10 turnovers. This is excellent especially when you add the fact that Gonzaga forced 11 steals against their opponent.

Those steals were a very small sampling of the defensive stranglehold. Led by Micah Downs and Steven Gray, the pressure in the back court was extraordinary. They forced a back court violation and forced the Broncos to call a timeout to avoid a five second call. Downs brought a lot of fire off the bench and that has got to be a tribute to Mark Few. Few did something that he does not like to do and that is shuffle the starting lineup. Gray entered and Downs sat and it appears to be working. Gray was hot early on and hit some big threes and Downs came in off the bench and played some intense defense.

Gonzaga is in great position right now. Sitting pretty at 2-0 in the conference, the Zags will take on three WCC cellar dwellers in USF, Pepperdine, and LMU in their next three games. After those three warm up games, the Zags will host the Gaels of Saint Mary's for the first of the two team's match ups.

Poll

Who was the player of the game against Santa Clara?

Matt Bouldin (16 pts, 5 boards, 4 assists)

37 votes

Austin Daye (20 points, 7 boards)

19 votes

Ira Brown (just for the dunk)

39 votes

Jeremy Pargo (11 points, 8 assists)

11 votes

Micah Downs (9 points and oustanding defense)

29 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

Twice is Nice: Zags Down Vols in Overtime

Zach B — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:32:09 -0000

Gonzaga had no business winning this game tonight.

Literally, if you were looking at this game objectively at the start, their is no way you could see the Zags being the favorite. What was going up against them? They were playing a ranked opponent in one of the most difficult atmospheres in the nation. So difficult, in fact, that an opposing team had not won there in 37 attempts. Oh, and they were coming off two embarassing losses which left them in an identity crisis.

It didn't matter on Wednesday night, however, as the Zags took down the Volunteers of Tennessee in Knoxville. The score wound up being 89-79 and that is pretty darn accurate. Yes, it was an overtime game but the second half was largely dominated by the Zags and the overtime period was not even close. What was even better was that two players that I have been particularly hard on, Matt Bouldin and Austin Daye, were absolutely exquisite tonight. You have to feel good for these two because they came up big in the most important game of the season for this team.

In fact, this could wind up being the game that saved the season.

continue reading after the jump for more postgame thoughts...

It was a very curious and frustrating first half of play. But, once again, Mark Few proved why he is the coach of this basketball team and why I am just the one complaining. Gonzaga jumped out to a cute 6-0 lead but it never seemed stable. In the first two minutes, Tennessee had three offensive rebounds and everyone knew what was about to happen. The Volunteers, who were plagued by questionable shot selection the entire night, found peace in Cameron Tatum. The redshirt freshman was the only Volunteer who scored in the first seven and a half minutes of play. He got the Vols out to a 14-7 lead before the Zags could blink. Scotty Hopson and Wayne Chism got in the mix soon enough for Tennessee and the lead for Tennessee balooned to 28-14. The game, in my book, was all but over. The Zags chipped away at got the lead down to seven points at halftime. Junior guard Matt Bouldin lead the charge for Gonzaga. After the Vols scored the first five points of the second half, Bouldin responded with eight points of his own and cut the lead down to six. Austin Daye and Steven Gray joined in the fun and before you knew it, Gonzaga was in control. After a missed goaltending call by the officials, the game went into overtime where the Zags cruised. The Volunteers looked extremely average in the extra session and Daye, Bouldin, and Gray made them pay. It was an excellent effort by a team that looked like they did around November.

"We just got our swagger back," Daye said.

You have to give a ton of credit to Mark Few and the Gonzaga coaching staff. I'll admit that I was extremely tough on the staff during the slump but the way these kids battled Wednesday night was extraordinary. Their were plenty of opportunities for them to fold. They could have gone down when the game was 28-14. They could have quit when Tennessee scored the first five points of the second half and the lead was 12. They could have given up when the refs missed the goal tending call at the end of regulation and the game went into overtime. They never quit and that has to be directed at the coaching staff. Another great thing that the coaches did was that they simplified the offense. They put the guys in positions where they could succeed and Bouldin and Daye really benefited from that. We saw Matt come off a number of screens near the hoop for easy layins. Austin Daye also came off screens and nailed jumpers from all over the court. Josh Heytvelt was also around the basket a lot more tonight and had a statline that I wish he would have every night (15 points, 12 boards). If the offense continues to rely on screens and back cuts the way it did tonight, guys like Bouldin and Daye are going to shine because they are excellent at moving without the ball.

There is something really special about this team when Austin Daye plays the way he did tonight. It's like when you are watching a hall of fame quarterback. Every time he drops back, you know he is going to make a great throw and watching Austin play in the second half, you just knew he was going to come up big. It was funny in the first half because Jay Bilas was all over Austin. He was saying that he needs to mature and has work to do and is not ready to take over games and then in the second half, he seemed like he was blown away. I agree with Bilas and hope Daye does stick around but I do believe this is a very mature young man. He played with four fouls for a great deal of the second half and overtime and played very smart basketball. He also played tough. It was a man's game down low tonight and Daye was leading the charge. He was getting shoved around in the paint but was able to snag eight boards. The most beautiful stat of the game for me was that Daye and Heytvelt lead the team in rebounds with 20 combined. This team will be hard to stop if they stay committed to the boards. It opens up the opportunity for second chance points and quick fast break run-outs.

I've got to give Mark Few even more credit tonight. And at the same time, I have to give credit to the play of the bench, in particular Will Foster. It is no secret that the Volunteers are a bunch of undersized athletes in the post. Mark Few used the length of his players beautifully. By playing Will Foster and Josh Heytvelt at the same time Wednesday night, he was able to slow down the pace of the game and allow his team to own the glass at key points in the second half. The Vols did out rebound the Zags by four but you would have never of guessed it by watching the game. Foster came in and pulled down four rebounds and had a great post move for a basket. He was able to alter shots in the post and did a number of good things to help his team win tonight. The rest of the bench was very good as well. Demetri Goodson came in and played well at the guard position. He doesn't do much for this team in the stat sheet right now but he is not forcing things and provides another excellent ball handler for this team. Ira Brown came in and grabbed three quiet rebounds and nailed a very big three-point basket.

So I guess simplicity is the purest brand of science for Gonzaga. After watching this team against Utah and Portland State, it's hard to believe that tonight's outcome happened. The beautiful thing about tonight's win is that it could have a "UConn" like effect on this team but instead of being depressed they are now reinvigorated. Conference play is next for the Zags and there are only a handful of meaningful games remaining in the regular season. Tonight's victory should provide a very confident spark heading into the next phase of the season. The icing on the cake for this team is that the next three games are all at the friendly confines of the McCarthey Athletic Center. They don't travel again until January 22nd so rest should no longer be an issue.