SB Nation - Demetri Goodson

On the horizon: Zags get a break before taking on Duke

Zach B — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:55 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Elias Harris dominated the Wildcats of Davidson. Is he poised for a breakthrough game on basketball's biggest stage? (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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Davidson gave Gonzaga a run for their money on Saturday evening but the Wildcats did not have enough to take down the Bouldin-less Bulldogs. The Battle in Seattle was set up by Gonzaga to not only bring good college basketball to the city of Seattle but to also attract big name programs to play the Zags in the Pac-NW. While Davidson isn't much these days without Stephen Curry, you really couldn't have picked a better team for Gonzaga to play without their senior leader Matt Bouldin. As we said in our game recap, Gonzaga was able to physically impose their will on Davidson for 40 minutes and put up 100+ points in Seattle. Robert Sacre and Elias Harris fought, scrapped, and dominated the interior against Davidson while Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson ruled the perimeter. The silver lining of the whole Matt Bouldin incident may have been the way these four played. There's no doubt that they will have to consistently "bring it" if Gonzaga is going to finish out Decmeber the way we are all expecting them to. They should all be riding high after playing Davidson and I expect them to have a great week of practice before heading off to New York. With that, here are a few things to get your week off to a good start...

It's Duke week...

For the first time as a blogger I kind of feel like I'm covering a college football team. November's early season tournament madness is well behind us and were at a bit of a lull in the schedule. Gonzaga will only have two games in the next two weeks. Duke on Saturday and then Eastern Washington all the way on December 28th in the comfy confines of the MAC. Ever since the Duke game at Madison Square Garden was confirmed, Gonzaga fans have had their eyes on the 19th. When you combined one of America's most storied athletic programs with America's most fabled sports arena, there is no need for embellishment. Gonzaga will head into the game an 8-2 ball club and assuming Duke takes care of Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, they'll be 8-1. It will undoubtedly be a game most of the nation will have their eyes on. Gonzaga hasn't played in the Garden since the 2006-07 season when they played three games in the basketball mecca. They played Duke in December and lost a tightly contested game to the Blue Devils but the game most Gonzaga fans like to remember is the preseason NIT when Gonzaga upset North Carolina before being upset by Butler. That game was the official coming out party for big man Josh Heytvelt who absolutely shut down Tyler Hansbrough and established himself as a premier player in the country. I'm assuming there are a couple current Gonzaga big men that wouldn't mind having their official coming out part on basketball's biggest stage come Saturday

continue reading after the poll and jump...

Mark Few made the most of his trip to Seattle...

For big-time college basketball coaches, there really is no downtime. Even after you coaching a high-scoring, up-tempo game like the one Gonzaga played in Saturday, it wasn't as though Mark Few could go back to the hotel and relax. Nope, instead the Gonzaga head man went out to the Kentridge-Federal Way game that tipped at 7:30 PM to get another glimpse at Kentridge's Gary Bell Jr. To be quite honest, this is exactly how I was hoping Coach would spend his time in Seattle. Bell Jr. is a smooth scoring guard from the Seattle area that blew up over the summer during the AAU circuit and is poised for an enormous junior season. Gary holds offers from the likes of Gonzaga, Washington, and Cal. He was quoted as saying the two Pac-10 schools were his leaders right now but it is early yet in the 2011 recruiting cycle. The Chargers of Kentridge lost by six points to Federal Way but Gary put up 18 of Kentridge's 52 points in the losing effort.

Projecting this week's rakings...

The five teams ahead of Gonzaga in last week's AP Poll lost this past week meaning that we should be seeing some significant improvement to our position at some point mid-Monday. Wisconsin, Cincy, UNLV, Washington (sweet), and Texas A&M all lost meaning that I would expected Gonzaga to probably fall somewhere between the 16-17 range tomorrow. Gary Parrish of CBSSports recently weighed in and put the Zags at 15 while Jeff Goodman slated Mark Few's club as the 17th best team in the nation at this point. If Gonzaga could have stole a win from Wake Forest, this Duke game coming up could have solidified Gonzaga as a top 10 team (assuming a positive result).

Bol Kong (and SSF) getting some love

The coolest part about the whole ESPN Insider set up is the Rumors section of the website. For every sport, there is a rumors page that is basically news before it really blows up. Smartly, ESPN's editors have made a conscious effort to stalk the blogosphere to get the pulse of a fan base so that they can get the inside dig quickly. We've been linked a couple of times now by this rumors page including today in a little blurb about Bol Kong:

We wrote last Friday that Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin should be able to play against Davidson despite a suspected concussion. Three hours from the Battle of Seattle's tipoff, coach Mark Few learned that Bouldin would not play or even dress for the game.

Even without Bouldin, the 'Zags were able to pull out the win and in the senior guard's absence, Bulldog fans were able to see first extensive action from heralded frosh Bol Kong. Against Augustana, Kong scored 19 points in only 10 minutes. In place of Bouldin against Davidson, Kong scored 9 points in 15 minutes of action, making one of two threes to increase his team-leading 3-point percentage to 60 percent.

While Bouldin should return, Kong's solid play should earn him more minutes and confidence from coach Mark Few. The administrators of The Slipper Still Fits (a Gonzaga men's basketball site) are definitely enthused by the freshman's play: "When Kong has the ball in his hands on offense, I have total confidence that good things will happen ... He's so deceptively fast and strong on the dribble that there aren't many players that match up well with him."

Bol seems to ideally fit ESPN's Rumors section because this kid is about to explode. I'm just waiting for that game where he comes in early in the first half and takes over. All the sudden...you look up and Bol's got twenty. That's exactly how I expect it to go and I've ran it through in my mind a number of times. I'll be curious to see if Bol has gained enough respect where Coach K recognizes when he is on the court and makes the necessary adjustment. For the Blue Devils, I'm not sure who that would be. Singler can take care of his size but I like Kong on the drive in that situation. If he is not accounted for, I would expect Bol to make some big shots against Duke like he has done all season.

With guys like Bol, Elias, Manny, and Kelly I rest at ease because they have yet to be phased by a situation. Their international experience has made them excellent competitors that have yet to show any real sign of getting caught up in the moment. Elias' ejection in the Wake Forest game was more of a hard foul in my book where he just got a bit overzealous. I exepct this solid play to continue from all four of these players as Duke waits in the wings.

Poll

Three players had career high scoring days on Saturday for Gonzaga. Which Zag impressed you the most?

No Bouldin, no problem as Gonzaga upends Davidson

Zach B — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:03:17 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

This was a common sight earlier today as Gonzaga defeated Davidson in Seattle (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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When news broke before the game that Matt Bouldin would be inactive and not even suited up for the Battle in Seattle, I wouldn't say that Gonzaga fans were worried. The word I would use to describe the feeling is uncomfortable. For the past four years, Matt Bouldin has created a legacy for himself at Gonzaga. Ever since he torched Washington in his freshman year, people knew he was special and Coach Few definitely understood this. A three-year starter, Matt's been a steady influence on this team and will probably go down as one of the best Zags to come through the program. For this reason, you can understand why today's game against Davidson felt a little bit different. That feeling didn't last long as the Zags got some huge performances from a number of different players and went on to defeat the Wildcats of Davidson, 103-91.

It was pretty obvious from the get-go that Mark Few had been preparing to play this game without Matt Bouldin since the conclusion of the Augustana game. Davidson has the reputation of being a very well-coached and fundamental team. What they aren't known for is being physically imposing. Rather than get to the rack and challenge the defense, Davidson has been built on the outside shot. Realizing this, Mark Few decided to let his bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic team take control of the game and enforce their will. What I think we may also have seen, was a glimpse into Gonzaga's future as a basketball program.

The Wildcats couldn't keep up with the speed of Demetri Goodson and they couldn't handle the power and size of Elias Harris and Robert Sacre. These three all had the best offensive nights in a Gonzaga uniform as each went for a career high. Demetri Goodson constantly sped past the Davidson defense as he finished with 22 points on 6-7 shooting. Meech was also 10-13 from the free throw line. The power of Sacre and Harris was evident from the very start of the game. Robert Sacre used a variety of post moves to score his 23 points. He was so good, in fact, that the only time he missed was from the free throw line as he hit all six of his field goal attempts and went 11-18 from the line. Elias Harris did it from all over the court. Whether it was from the low post, driving from the wing, or spotting up for three, Harris was a man possessed this evening. He finished with 27 points on 7-9 shooting and 11-14 from the charity stripe. These three set such a physical tone all evening that, despite Davidson's best effort, there wasn't anything in the world that was going to stop them from getting a win in Seattle.

It wasn't all a field of roses for the Gonzaga Bulldogs today at Key Arena. Two of the three stars had their fair share of issues on the court. For Demetri Goodson, it was turnovers. Meech had six turnovers in comparison with two assists in today's contest. He had some issues keeping the dribble up with his own speed and just got out of control at times. He made a few ill-advised passes as well but overall it is really hard to critique Meech because I think he did exactly what Coach Few asked of him. By pushing the tempo early and often, Davidson was constantly in reactionary mode on defense. Due to this, Gonzaga was able to get to the line 54 times and really take this game over. People are going to look at the box score and clamor for Meech to be benched because of the turnovers but I just think he's too valuable to the team in other areas. He'll make you pull your hair out at times, but for a kid that's only started 10 games, I'm happy with what I'm seeing. Robert Sacre struggled with his normal issue, fouls. Rob picked up two midway through the first half when it looked like he couldn't be stopped. Once he came back in the game, Davidson was dead in the water. The big man had his most outstanding offensive night and only picked up one more foul in the game.

Matt Bouldin's absence meant that Steven Gray and first-time starter Grant Gibbs had to step up in a big way for Gonzaga. Steven Gray, who came out of the gates hot in 2009, struggled early in today's game and it appeared that we were heading to another frustrating Steven Gray performance. In the second half, however, Steven Gray was sensational in my estimation. He hit some big time jumpers at crucial points in the game and connected on 3-5 shots from beyond the arc. Finishing with 16 points, I think Steven did a great job leading this team and delivering the big shot when necessary. Grant Gibbs had to fill in for his good friend Matt Bouldin and he did an admirable job. Gibbs played 29 minutes and it was clear that Mark Few wanted to keep him out there a lot early on so that he would gain confidence. Even though he only finished with two points, he did a lot of good things on the court. First and foremost, his court vision is Bouldin-esque. When Matt came in as a freshman, he dazzled as a passer and Grant did the same today. His passing into the post is crisp and he puts his team in great position upon reception. Gibbs also pulled down eight big boards and just continues to fill up the stat sheet for this team.

Four other newcomers played a part in today's win over Davidson. Two looked like they need more minutes and two looked like freshman (which is good). First and foremost, it has come to my attention that we, as Gonzaga fans, just have no clue how good Bol Kong is. When Kong has the ball in his hands on offense, I have total confidence that good things will happen. Kong was 3-4 from the floor today, connecting on one three-pointer but I think I was most impressed with his drives. He's so deceptively fast and strong on the dribble that there aren't many players that match up well with him. For a 6'6'' player to have his ability with the basketball on the perimeter is truly remarkable. I also liked what I saw from Kong in other areas. He hit the boards well, hustled well, and I think he more than held his own on defense. Does he have mental lapses time to time? Of course...but he's still learning. Mangisto Arop is another guy I have great confidence in just because I love what he brings on defense. His length on defense is such an asset and when you combine that with Demetri Goodson's quickness, the tandem is a nightmare for opposing guards. He's still gun shy offensively if he can continue to make this type an impact on defense, I'm sure Coach Few will be able to find a way to play him.

I think we all know what lies ahead for Gonzaga. The Zags have a week off to get Matt Bouldin healthy and prepare for the eighth-ranked Blue Devils of Duke. To make things even bigger, the two teams will square off on basketball's biggest stage: Madison Square Garden.

AUDIO: CougCenter Podcast, Episode 17

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

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

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

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

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

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

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

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

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

Two items of note before you listen:

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

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

Gonzaga upends Cincinnati, wins the 2009 Maui Invitational

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

More photos » by Eugene Tanner - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Full Maui Invitational Field Overview

Ben Broman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:28:06 -0000

We're just hours (okay, days) away from tipoff in Hawaii, and Maryland actually have a legitimate shot at winning the entire thing. Here's a quick overview of their competition; we'll go more in-depth as each game goes along (minus Chaminade). The bottom half of the bracket seems unusually loaded this year - it'll be a tough championship for whoever escapes the upper half.

First Round

Chaminade Silverswords

Maryland's first round game as the de facto #1 seed in the tourney pits them against hosts and traditional upsetters, Chaminade. Everyone remembers that one time they faced a team from the ACC in this tourney, but they shouldn't prevent much of a problem. They might be the worst team Maryland plays this year.

So Far: No games played

Watch Out For: Joel Smith, last year's leading scorer and disco extraordinaire. His straight-outta-the-70s fro may distract Eric Hayes.

Second Round

Vanderbilt Commodores

The favorite to play Maryland, Vandy could present a big-time problem for the Terps with their established size (skilled big man A.J. Ogilvy) and sweet-shooting freshman guard John Jenkins. This one will be tight, and would give Maryland a chance to test their young bigs against an established center.

So Far: An easy win over Libscomb and a 2-point nailbiter over St. Mary's to get to 2-0

Watch Out For: Jeffery Taylor, an athletic Swede with a penchant for big dunks and grabbing rebounds. Ogilvy and Jenkins have been disappointing in the first two games, and the onus has fallen on Taylor to get the points, which he's done - he leads the Commies (that's what I'm going to call them) with 19.5 points a game.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Two words: Lance. Stephenson. That's what this matchup will be about, even though Cincy has enough surrounding players to cause Maryland some trouble. Hopefully, Stephenson will be so concerned with beating Maryland that he takes the Bearcats out of the game with forced shots. Otherwise, they have the talent to make this interesting.

So Far: A close win over Prairie View A&M and a blowout of Toledo; they're 2-0

Watch Out For: Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates. Stephenson will get the talk, but senior PG Vaughn is the team leader, and super-talented Gates, a face-up four, can hurt opponents when he's focused in.

Third Round

Colorado Buffaloes

Well, Colorado did return four starters from last year, including stud SG Cory Higgins. Unfortunately for them, they're four starters from a team that had 9 wins. Still, more experienced usually means better, though probably not good enough to get all the way to the championship game. The lack of a dominating rebounding presence may hurt them, as it takes away from their ability to exploit Maryland's young bigs.

So Far: Three wins on the year, all showcasing an ability to score a lot of points against lesser opponents

Watch Out For: Dwight Thorne. Higgins is the star of the team and will score the points, but Thorne is the lone senior and a steady presence. He's very good from outside; whoever's manning him up will need to extend their defense.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

If you didn't notice, Gonzaga took Michigan State to the wire a few days ago. These guys are plenty talented, and will probably be Maryland's opponent in the final. That's not a great sign, if you look at recent history: Maryland's played Gonzaga three times since 2000 and lost all three, including two blowouts - one of which came last year. The Zags lose star PG Jeremy Pargo, but return SG Matt Bouldin and consistent inside presence Robert Sacre. Without a doubt, this will be Maryland's toughest matchup.

So Far: Two blowout wins a close loss to the #2 team in the country; 2-1

Watch Out For: Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson. Gray is the #2 man for Gonzaga and another solid outside shooter. Goodson is replacing Pargo, and has been a little turnover prone so far this year. Vasquez should be able to outclass him at point.

Arizona Wildcats

Ah, a game against Sean Miller. Personally, I'd love to lay down the law on Miller for messing with our recruit (Terrell Stoglin), and I'm sure it'll be an interesting game for Stoglin, too. Senior PG Nic Wise is the leader of this team, and one of the few holdovers after the ugly Sean Miller transition. Big man Jamelle Horne is also back, and he's capable of putting up numbers close to double-doubles. Arizona has talent, but I wouldn't bet against Maryland if this is the championship game.

So Far: Two easy wins that might not've been as easy as they should've been

Watch Out For: Solomon Hill. The freshman SF moved over to a area of relative stability (no, really) from his originaly USC commitment late last year. A cerebral wing with everything but a jumper, he's second for the Wildcats in scoring.

Wisconsin Badgers

It's supposed to be a building year for Wisconsin, but they aren't buying it. And really, there's no reason they should: these guys are the BC of college basketball. They simply find ways to always have a solid year and get an NCAA berth, no matter how bad they may seem. This year they have to deal with their star forward and a major starter leaving. They still have two guards back, Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon, who will be expected to shoulder a lot of the load. They're a big question mark right now, so I don't feel too comfortable taking a big stance on them one way or the other at the moment.

So Far: Two easy wins - though neither over 20 points - over bad but not terrible opponents.

Watch Out For: Jon Leuer. Bohannon and Hughes are the ones I mentioned, but it's Leuer - a long, lanky PF who would draw Maryland's big men out with his shooting ability - who's led the Baders in scoring and surprised everyone with his development.

Gonzaga dismantles IPFW in Bol Kong's debut

Zach B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:53:51 -0000

More photos » by Rajah Bose - AP

26 days ago: Gonzaga's Demetri Goodson drive against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne's Jeremy Mixon in the first half of their NCAA college basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Rajah Bose)

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First of all, if you are reading this blog and are wondering "hey, do these guys know what they are talking about?" Just check out EDZ's score prediction in his preview. A late Andy Poling field goal with less than a minute gave the Zags a 90-55 victory tonight over the Mastodons of IPFW. Four Bulldogs scored in double figures for Mark Few this evening including a career night for Demetri Goodson. Meech was 6-7 from the field and finished with a great 14 point effort. Unofficially he had four turnovers but countered that with four steals and two assists. He really penetrated well and took every lane that IPFW gave him.

Joining Meech in double figures was Matt Bouldin, Robert Sacre, and Steven Gray. Overall it was a much tighter shooting performance for this team. IPFW never really challenged the Zags as they shot 63% from the floor. In fact, the entire starting lineup only missed ten shots all evening. The problem with the starters was ball handling as they combined for 14 turnovers in this game. A lot of this can be attributed to playing down a stroke to IPFW's level but there's no doubt that the guys have to clean it up. Eight turnovers by Meech and Bouldin isn't going to cut it. Another nasty stat was the free throw shooting. The Bulldogs went 18-34 from the line, an obviously glaring issue. For what it's worth, many of those misses came late in the game. Redshirt freshmen Grant Gibbs and Andy Poling gave us a small glimpse at why they maybe aren't playing more as they missed eight combined free throws late in the game.

Ok, ok, now on to the real story. Bol Kong and his merry bench players. The bench played pretty well in my estimation this evening. The much anticipated arrival of Bol Kong finally took place this evening and how did he respond? By knocking down two straight three's. Make no mistake, you can see where Bol needs to improve. His foot speed on defense is slow and he will be a big liability there but when he crosses to that offensive side of the court it really slows down for him. He didn't really press and made some nice plays. He missed three shots but connected on both of his free throws and looked like he belonged out there. Kong's nice night was supplemented by the nice showings from G.J. Vilarino, Mangisto Arop, and Kelly Olynyk. G.J. played 16 minutes and connected on 3-4 shots for six points. He had a beautiful drive to hoop finished off by a scoop shot for an amazing deuce. Mangisto Arop delivered a great line tonight. In 13 minutes, Manny didn't attempt a shot, collected six rebounds, and had some nice assists. Kelly Olynyk finished off the trio's nice night. He played 15 minutes, scoring six points, and grabbing five boards. His foot speed and athleticism will be really tested in Maui but his offensive ability seems to be developing nicely.

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

I was happy to see Mark Few work with the four guard lineup. I feel like with the depth at the guard positions, he has to find some kind of way to get Mangisto Arop on the court more. Especially with Elias Harris and Robert Sacre's foul trouble, this could be a real asset. We saw Kelly Olynyk become the center of this lineup but obviously Rob or Elias are interchangeable in it. I imagine we will see this a lot against Colorado as they are one of the smallest "BCS" teams in the country. Many people worry about this lineup because it would obviously put us at a rebounding disadvantage but I'm confident that as long as Manny Arop is involved, the team won't suffer on the boards.

All in all, you couldn't have asked for much more before Maui. There aren't many questions left to be answered with this team when you consider the fact that there is so much youth. The rotation is set, the starters are shooting the ball at a nice clip and the bench seems to be very confident and ready to go. My main point of curiosity now is a simple wondering of what Mark Few does next with Bol. Was this an isolated glimpse for Coach Few to say "see, look what you can do if you work harder" or is this an indication that he is ready to go under the bright lights. Obviously guys like Kelly, G.J., and Manny will still be ahead in the rotation but he gives a nice option for someone who can set up and shoot. If nothing else it's just an amazing story that has finally come true for Bol. I'm sure he always imagined connecting on his first real shot on US soil so it was neat to see it come together like that.

Bring on the Buffs! Gonzaga now will probably be on the first flight out to Maui tomorrow to prepare for the EA Sports Maui Invitational. First game will be Monday at Noon against the Buffaloes of Colorado.

Poll

How confident are you in this team's chance heading into the Maui Invitational?

Expecting to come home with a title.

237 votes

We'll make the title game but still too many holes to win.

71 votes

Hopefully we have a good showing but not expecting too much.

42 votes

I don't even want to watch.

1 votes

351 votes | Poll has closed

The Morning After: Thoughts on Gonzaga-Michigan State

Zach B — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:48:24 -0000

More photos » by Al Goldis - AP

G.J. Vilarino's speed and defensive toughness were one of the things that stood out as Gonzaga fell to Michigan State last night. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

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How much fun was that last night? As I wrote that postgame reaction piece after the game, I knew I would have to write a more concise wrap up this morning as I could barely think clearly after Michigan State outlasted Gonzaga 75-71. After re-watching the game this morning and thinking about a few things, there are definitely some aspects of last night's contest that many Gonzaga fans will emotionally overlook or they will settle for a quick glance at the box score and make their judgments and move on. It can't be emphasized enough how much we, as fans, will have to change our perceptions of how this team is built and last night's game showcased all of those changes.

I tried to write down a few things I noticed while re-watching the game and develop them into some broad themes to make this as readable as possible. Here are a few of these ideas, please don't hesitate to share what you saw and I really urge you to watch the game again on ESPN360.com

--- First, Demetri Goodson and GJ Vilarino will rarely have flashy and dominant stat lines this season. This is the first thing that I noticed after watching the game again this morning. In year's past, Mark Few has put the game in Jeremy Pargo's hands. Pargo was often the first one to penetrate into the defense in half court sets and that is why Gonzaga became such a good team for the "kick out" shot. This season, in half court sets, you will RARELY see our point guards drive past the three-point line. Honestly, once Meech and GJ pass the half court line they are already looking for Matt or Steven and those are the two that Coach Few wants this offense to run through and that makes sense. What this means is that Goodson and Vilarino will get their points in transition. Both are absolute speedsters that go along very well with the more slow and deliberate tempo of Matt and Steven. Through two games, it is very clear to see why Mark Few jumped at the opportunity to sign GJ. Not only is he a great fit with what he wants his point guard to be, but his poise in that first game was truly remarkable.

Both players will get a lot of heat after games I'm sure. Their will be games where they only combine for four or five assists, or one (which I think is a false stat) like last night. Especially in games like last night, against slow-tempo big ten teams, Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray will be responsible for facilitating the offense. This is why they combined for eight assists in comparison to Meech and GJ's one. It's going to drive you crazy when you look at the box scores...but keep that in mind.

--- The idea of big men that want to play in the post and battle is so refreshing. I don't want to take any unnecessary swipes on last year's big men for Gonzaga but the guys on this season's front line are tough as nails. They don't float the perimeter looking for threes, they don't take Tim Duncan mid-range turnarounds, they just back you down and challenge you to outwork them. I thought last night's interior play was the most sound play I've seen since JP Batista's senior season. The scary thing is that Rob is a sophomore and Elias and Kelly are freshmen. Michigan State isn't a bunch of slouches; they had some wide loads in the paint but once Sacre or Harris got the ball in the blocks, I had no doubt they were going to win the battle. Sure, the shots wouldn't fall all the time but more often than not, they put up good, high percentage shots. Here's a few more thoughts on the bigs last night

Elias Harris is as good on defense is as good as he is on offense. In the first ten minutes, Elias' defense was outstanding. He was aggressive and physical and you could tell that he was not at all scared of the name on the jersey. He had three tremendous steals and, for the most part, played smart defense. A few teams here and there he let his hands drop down and that drew fouls but overall, his defense was absolutely fantastic.

Rob Sacre is still young and learning. Rob picked up his first foul pretty quickly in the game and that was by far his worst play of the night. As Kalin Lucas (I think) drove to the hoop, Rob was attempting to close off to the hoop and just slid right into him as Lucas was looking to dribble by under the basket. It was an easy foul to call on Rob and his foul issues kind of snowballed from there. He'll learn to "make his fouls count" as he continues to get game experience. His inexperience also showed late in the game. He had a couple of nice opportunities in the paint with less than five minutes to go and missed on both attempts. It was pretty clear that he may have let the emotions get to him and rushed his shot but like I said, for his first real effort in that hostile of a crowd, there aren't many negatives about Rob's effort.

continue reading after the jump for a couple more thoughts...

--- (Over)Analyzing Matt and Steven's performance last night. If you were with us for our game thread last night, there was a lot of frustration in regards to the play of Gonzaga's two veteran guards. Re-watching the tape, there were definitely multiple instances where they each looked like freshmen in their own regards. At the same time, I think there are two things that shouldn't go unnoticed about Steven and Matt. First of all, aside from Meech, Steven played the best defense of the night. Accumulating three blocked shots and a beautiful steal on an attempted backcut, Steven flew around the court and he left me little doubt where his effort was. He's Gonzaga's best option against a lights out scorer because he understands how to follow his man around the court. Michigan State utilized some great perimeter screens but for the most part, Steven always got a hand in his man's face. I was thrilled with his effort after watching the game. The good thing that Matt did last night was that he was the point guard in half court sets. Before scoring his first points, Matt had already made beautiful assists to Rob, Will, Elias, and Kelly. His pass to Rob was a half-court strike right in between his numbers and his dish to Will was a great penetration move and dump off that made it easy for Will to take it right up with no delay.

I really hope watching this film makes Matt realize that he doesn't have to force shots. A couple times in transition and early in the shot clock he would take a three or penetrate the lane with no backside post that left him dead to rights. I've never really thought of Matt as being a "star" in college basketball and I think his greatest asset is making great passes to the post men and making big shots when the team needs him because he has to be the leader.

--- This is the rotation. After the Mississippi Valley State game, there were a lot of rumors and thoughts about the absence of Andy Poling and the few minutes of Manny Arop and Grant Gibbs. I think after last night, however, there is no doubt about where Mark Few wants to play his guys. Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris will spell eachother all season long and I think they've both shown why Mark Few has great confidence in them. Harris for obvious reasons and Kelly just because he works his butt off on defense and has great basketball sense. The refs called at least two awful fouls on him and he'll learn to maybe hold it back a little bit on the road. If that game is at K2, Kelly would not have been in foul trouble. Elias and Kelly's arrival mean that Andy Poling is on the outside looking in. All summer long we heard about Andy's great redshirt year but it is just apparent that he might not be the complete player Mark Few envisioned. With four guys ahead of him in the big man rotation (Rob, Elias, Kelly, and Will), don't expect Andy to get more than five minutes a game all year unless it is garbage time.

Another guy that was noticeably absent was Grant Gibbs. Gibbs, who has been injury prone since arriving at GU, is fully healthy and impressed in his first game action against MVSU. Last night he didn't get off the bench and while that disappointed me, I'm not terribly surprised. In such a big early season game, Mark Few had to go with his veterans. Matt and Steven played 39 and 38 minutes, respectively and there was little time for Grant to come in considering he is their backup. The arrival of Manny Arop and GJ Vilarino also means that Grant is in a dogfight for minutes. It's clear that GJ is the guy backing up Meech and that Manny's overall ceiling is very high. This could be another case where a redshirt frosh struggles to get in the game. When Bol turns it all around, and I think it is only a matter of time, that is just another talented wing with loads of potential and instant offense.

Postgame Reaction: Gonzaga falls to Michigan State; Leaves huge impression on nation

Zach B — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:58:40 -0000

More photos » by Al Goldis - AP

Elias Harris meet the nation; nation, this is Elias Harris. Get to know him quite well. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

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I struggled to write a headline for this post because I feel like, although it was a loss, there is so much to be proud of if you are a Gonzaga fan. While I don't believe in emotional wins, Gonzaga provided a look into the future tonight against Michigan State that has to make every Bulldog fan ecstatic about this team's prospects.

The Zags fell tonight 75-71 against the second-ranked Spartans of Michigan State in East Lansing after establishing themselves early on in the first half. In fact, Gonzaga jumped out to a double digit lead at multiple points in the first half and carried a lead all the way until the three-minute mark of the second half. The outstanding veteran play of Michigan State's dynamic trio of Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and Raymar Morgan proved to be too much for the young Gonzaga team. Durrell Summers gave the Spartans the lead 68-67 and the Spartans proceeded to go on a mini run which did Gonzaga in. Raymar Morgan and Kalin Lucas added buckets to make it a five point margin and by that time, the Breslin Center was rocking. Gonzaga gave a great effort in the closing minutes as Steven Gray had two looks at a three-pointer with 25 seconds left but missed both. The man who gave the Spartans the lead, Durrell Summers, iced it by hitting two free throws in the closing seconds to give Michigan State the slim four point win.

As I said in the intro, this post is a bit hard to write. Am I disappointed? Absolutely. I think Gonzaga was the better team tonight. They looked worlds better than the #2 team in the nation for a good balance of the night but just didn't have enough veteran brass at the end to drive the final nail in the coffin. I'm not at all upset with this team. The young guys were absolutely sensational. Elias Harris will be a freshman All-American, G.J. Vilarino has garnered Mark Few's trust early on, and Kelly Olynyk might be the hardest worker on the floor. The veterans were in and out all game. Robert Sacre turned in the most outstanding performance of the returners with 17 points on 7-12 shooting. Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray were...okay. Like we said at the outset of the game, they had to play their best for Gonzaga to win and Michigan State's vets outplayed Gonzaga's.

If I was to look at these stats and not see a score, I would have told you Gonzaga would have gotten smoked. Check these out:

--- Gonzaga shot 35% from the floor, MSU shot 44%
--- Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray were 8-29 from the floor.
--- Frontcourt starters outscored the backcourt starters 34-28.

Yeah these stats are not what we thought coming into the game but damn...Gonzaga can play with the best in the nation and not play their best game. That is very, very good news for such a young team.

I must also give special recognition to some of the bench guys tonight. Will Foster played enormous off the bench. In 12 minutes, Will came into the game and not only was serviceable but looked like he belonged. He made some good rebounds, came up with some big tipped shots and was generally in the right place at the right time. I have confidence in him now that he can be a valuable big on this team. Speaking of valuable contributor, Kelly Olynyk played 19 minutes tonight, the most of any bench player and was very good. You are always going to get Kelly's best effort and he is a very heady player. He played the passing lanes very well, made some big rebounds, and shot 2-4 from the floor. His hustle leads to some fouls which was obvious tonight as he fouled out but he really gutted it out tonight. Lastly, G.J. Vilarino. Talk about looking like a vet. G.J. played 13 minutes all in key moments and ran the offense well. He hit one shot from the floor and had a nice steal. What won't show up is that he played great defense as he spelled Meech. No doubt he is a big time player!

I realize I jumped around quite a bit but I'm just extremely excited about the future of this team. The next game is against IPFW and I expect them to be very confident heading into that game. There may be a slight emotional letdown but I expect the Gonzaga community to really rally these kids as they were the better team for 37 minutes of the game.