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Over the past few years, the month of June has rarely been a calm one for Gonzaga basketball. Yes, school is out and the players are enjoying some time off but the work being done behind the scenes by the staff is kicking into high gear. Not only is prep recruiting for the 2013-2015 classes starting to pick up, but the staff is also working a couple other angles that could produce huge results. Here are a few things that are currently going on in the Gonzaga basketball world.

1. Most notably: Providence transfer Gerard Coleman. Coleman recently visited Spokane and, according to the Boston Herald, he will decide between either the Zags or Xavier. He will have two years of eligibility after sitting out next season due to transfer rules. Gerard averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds in about 34 minutes a game last year for the Friars. He would be a big get for Gonzaga who will be in desperate need of help at the wing next season following Guy Landry Edi's senior season. As it stands now, Gonzaga's lone option at the wing for the 2013-14 season appears to be Kyle Dranginis. Many expect Kyle to be a valuable contributor but we have still yet to see what he can do making the jump from Idaho High School Hoops to Division 1 Basketball.

2. Even after the commitment of Przemek Karnowski, most knew that the staff was not done adding to the 2012 class. That belief was proven true when French center Mam Jaiteh visited Spokane this past weekend. He has swung over to the west side of the state to visit Washington and it is expected that he will decide between the two schools soon, although professional ball overseas is still very much in play. Many are labeling Jaiteh as a serious project but we have learned that he is an extremely solid prospect that could really excel in the states following a redshirt season.

3. 2013 recruiting has also heated up now that AAU ball is in full swing. One prospect that has caught the eye of the staff is Jordan Mathews. The 6'3'' wing prospect recently said that Gonzaga and VCU are recruiting him the hardest. He does not hold an offer from the Zags yet but does have offers from VCU, San Diego State, and a few other schools. He hopes to visit Spokane in the near future and it looks like VCU, San Diego State, and Cal could be the major competition if the Bulldogs continue to pursue this talented California guard. With the possibility of adding Gerard Coleman, it will be interesting to see how the staff handles wing recruiting in 2013 but Mathews appears to be a very solid prospect.

4. One of the best events of the summer kicks off today: The Pangos All-American Camp in Long Beach, CA. We know that a trio of Gonzaga prospects will be in attendance: Kendal Harris, Malik Pope (both 2013), and Kendall Small (2015). We will keep you posted as we learn more from the event.

Over the past couple weeks, we have been staying on top of a number of new developments in Gonzaga's recruiting for the next couple years. While that generated a lot of excitement, one major question that lingered was what it all meant about the Zags' relationship with Seattle guard Zach Lavine. As little as a few months ago, we remained optimistic that Lavine was a guy the Zags could work on but it appears that the talented 2013 guard is looking to take his game elsewhere. From National Recruiting Spotlight:

Class of 2013 point guard Zach LaVine has had schools that stuck out to him in the past but he didn't have a list. Now, he not only has a list, but he also knows where each program ranks among his top five.

"UCLA, Louisville, Washington, Arizona and Memphis," LaVine said. "That's the order I like them in."

It's no surprise that the Bruins top his list since he has told NRS in the past that he has family ties to them. "I kind of have an influence towards UCLA because my dad is from California and he always represents them with UCLA gear; so does my uncle," LaVine said at the time.

As the article points out, the fact that Lavine favors UCLA is absolutely no surprise. He has been a strong UCLA lean since we first heard his name. However, back in September, our recruiting correspondent checked in with Lavine and it seemed like the Zags were picked up some traction but now it just seems like the pull to Westwood is far too strong.

Although this is a bummer, it is hardly a shock and I have to imagine that the staff has anticipated this. Guys like Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Namon Wright, etc all appear to be talented prospects that will continue to get strong looks from the staff. We'll keep you posted on any future development.

It appears that Mark Few and Tommy Lloyd's trip to Europe may prove to be invalubale for the future of the Gonzaga program, as reports out of France indicate that the raw but extremely athletic Mam Jaiteh will be visiting Spokane in the coming days.

While Jaiteh doesn't address the need that Gonzaga has at SF, he would be part of an incredibly talented and deep Gonzaga frontcourt in the future. According to a DrafExpress evaluation, Jaiteh is raw but has the build of an NBA player already:

Offensively, Jaiteh is extremely limited, as he possesses very little footwork, average touch around the basket and is unable to pass out of double teams. Regardless of where he catches the ball on the floor, he's always looking to make a move, which renders him fairly turnover prone, particularly once opponents caught onto this fact.

Jaiteh is nevertheless a massive presence inside the paint, allowing him to post some solid numbers at this tournament by crashing the offensive glass and simply presenting himself at the rim for easy finishes. Interestingly enough, he knocked down his free throws at a very nice clip (13/17) and even converted one decent-looking mid-range jumper.

Defensively, Jaiteh can be effective due to his sheer length and bulk, and certainly got the job done on the glass, grabbing almost six rebounds in just 19 minutes per game. He lacks significant experience and fundamentals on this end as you can probably imagine, though, particularly in team defensive settings where he doesn't show a great feel for rotating and wasn't much of a shot-blocking threat despite his physical tools.

The past 24 hours have been a recruiting fans dream for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Yesterday, we outlined how the staff is already hot after some of the top prospects along the west coast and this morning, Przemek Karnowski announced via Twitter that he would be a Gonzaga Bulldog next season.

For several years, the 7-footer has been the biggest piece of Gonzaga's 2012 class. It was first made public that the Zags were the leader for him about a year ago but the courtship started well before that. Similar to Elias Harris, Tommy Lloyd did an incredible job sticking with Karnowski even when his stock absolutely skyrocketed. A week ago, we were sitting here thinking that he was slipping away. He visited Cal after visiting Gonzaga and Marquette, Kansas, and Duke all jumped into the fray late to try and snag his signature. In the end, the relationship with Lloyd and the comfort factor with guys like Kevin Pangos won out for the Bulldogs.

We have discussed Karnowski so much over the past year but it is worth noting once again that, similar to Elias Harris in Germany, had he played high school ball in the states he would likely be a top 30 recruit in the 2012 class. With his experience playing against professionals, Karnowski has gained valuable experience and has become one of the most coveted amateur centers around. His incredible feel for the game is his driving force and the expectation is that he will have an instant impact from the moment he steps on campus. While he has work to do on the defensive end, the addition of Karnowski truly makes the Gonzaga 2012-13 frontline one to reckon with..

We will have much more on this commitment in the coming days. Welcome Karno!

If you follow us on Twitter (@slipperstillfit...you really should), you already are well aware that today has been an exceptionally busy day in Gonzaga recruiting. While the 'big news' of Przemek Karnowski's college decision has yet to come, there was plenty to keep us entertained today. What we learned is that three of the most well thought of prospects on the west coast in the next couple years either hold Gonzaga offers or have serious interest...or both. Read on for some more about today's trio...

While I was going to lead with the prospect that intrigued me the most, I had a hard time and went back and forth on all three. For that reason, it was literally a random decision so we'll lead off with Namon Wright. Via the wonderful world of Twitter, Namon tweeted that Gonzaga had just offered him. The 6'4'' shooting guard/wing prospect holds offers at this point from the Zags, USC, and New Mexico State. He's a 2014 prospect so his recruitment has barely scratched the surface but he's already picked up solid offers. Wright has been described as an exceptional athlete and someone that is still growing even though he already possesses a division one frame. At this point, he projects as a shooting guard but it is possible that we see him at the next level as a small forward/wing type player due to his above average slashing ability. Like all young high schoolers, Namon is still working on making his jumper more consistent but he is absolutely going to be one to watch as the Zags look to add more athleticism to their roster.

Mark Few secured the first member of this 2013 class a few days ago in Luke Meikle. Another prospect that the staff has been looking hard at recently is Seattle Prep guard D.J. Fenner. Fenner, who transferred back to Seattle after living in Washington D.C. and playing for Gonzaga College High School, is getting from interest from schools such as Georgetown, Washington, and UCLA. He will likely visit Gonzaga however in the near future since he is such a short trip away. Similar to Wright, D.J. Fenner has the prototypical frame that D1 coaches look for when pursuing a small forward/wing type prospect. D.J. is a bit more of a refined scorer than Wright at this point, which you would expect given the class difference and now that he is back on the west coast, many are really expecting his recruitment to skyrocket. One other great thing about Fenner is that he plays for Seattle Rotary's AAU club which is the former team of Gary Bell Jr. On that squad he will take on some of the top talent from across the country.

If you are looking for a name that I would bet you are going to be hearing a lot of on this site in the near future...it is Kendall Small. The 2015 point guard prospect from Huntington Beach was just the subject of a recent Scout.com piece. In that piece was a nice little nugget that is always fun to hear:

There is a school that Kendall Small grew up rooting for.

"He's a Gonzaga fan," his father said. "He wants to go to Gonzaga. He just likes Mark Few's offense and the guards that come out of there are really good."

From all the stuff I have read on Kendall, it sounds like Mark Few and co. may have a leg up for one of the top rising guards in the west. The one big knock is something that you can hardly knock Kendall for at all: he's 5'11''. As a 2015 prospect, this is something most aren't worried about as either he will grown or learn to get the most out of his stature. Each description I have read is that Kendall is a pure, pass-first point guard. As such a young player, this is wildly exciting news as most young guards tend to be gunners and let their athleticism make up for what their basketball IQ lacks. In Small's case, his biggest strength is his feel for the game and ability to drop in dimes. Developing a consistent knock down jumper will be the key for this Southern California prospect.

This is why recruiting is so wildly exciting and this staff is obviously looking at the current scholarship chart and realizing it is time to be aggressive. With Karnowski likely being the only 2012 commit, the staff has a lot of space to play with and adding talented and athletic guards like Fenner, Wright, and Small all make a ton of sense. Also, it is great to see the Zags once again making some waves in California. In 2012, the staff was on the list for a number of top prospects from California and surrounding states but, for a number of reasons, did not land anyone. I have a feeling that the next few cycles will see more prospects from the true west coast comes up to Spokane.

A little over a year ago we first heard about Przemek Karnowski when ESPN's Fran Fraschilla tweeted that we should expect the Polish big man to be in Gonzaga blue soon. The tweet was quickly dismissed as a rumor but Gonzaga's courtship of the Karnowski has continued. As we stand today, Karnowski is the biggest (literally and figuratively) target on the Bulldogs 2012 radar. Like many international recruits, Karnowski's situation is convoluted because the allure of a professional career in Europe always lingers. Recently, Tommy Lloyd and Mark Few visited Przemek and now, we are hearing that he will be returning the favor and catching a flight tomorrow to visit Gonzaga.

Many rumors have been circulating about Lloyd and Few's visit to Europe but we have confirmed that Karnowski has yet to decide on whether or not he will attend a four year college in the states or play professionally. What we do know is that Gonzaga, due to Tommy Lloyd's incredible legwork over the past few years, is in great shape to land to Polish big man. The biggest factor in international recruiting is relationships and Lloyd has been onto Karnowski since the big man first burst on the scene.

We will keep you as up to date as possible on Karnowski's recruitment. It is important to note that aside from the options he has, there are a number hurdles to clear with any international recruit. Many are saying that this is a done deal but expect there still to still be quite a bit of work to do by both parties if Karnowski is to be in a Gonzaga uniform next season.

Following the loss to Ohio State, one of the first discussions to happen was "okay, who is likely to transfer this time around". While a number of names were thrown around, I would bet most people did not name Ryan Spangler. And, of course, here we are and Jim Meehan of the Spokesman Review is confirming the rumor that the former two-sport star from Oklahoma will transfer to a school closer to home.

Ryan appeared in 22 games a season ago, mostly in mop up time. He averaged a couple points and rebounds per game and was a guy many were looking at to break out in the 2012-13 campaign. What will likely draw the most reaction from people is that his best game was actually Gonzaga's last win of the season against West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. Spangler had four points and eight boards in that game.

The popular explanation for Ryan's decision is being homesick. Going from Oklahoma to Spokane, WA is a big culture swing. However, I'd be flat out lying if I said that a small part of me didn't see this coming. Ryan's career at Gonzaga started out oddly as he did not redshirt this season even though he saw very limited game action. I have to assume that the staff offered him the chance to sit out a year as they knew his minutes would be scarce. When you look ahead to next season, it is likely that Ryan thought he might not get the minutes he felt he deserved and that tipped the scales towards transferring. Kelly Olynyk will come off a redshirt season, Sam Dower is back, Elias Harris will likely return, and the staff is close to adding another big to replace Rob Sacre that should be able to contribute right away. While Spangler was a guy I really liked, if you add up the different elements of his career at Gonzaga, I think this move will probably end up making sense for both parties.

We wish nothing but the best to Ryan and will update folks as he makes his next decision.

Offseason attrition has become one of the major stories for Gonzaga basketball in the past few years and it appears that we are off to a quick start in 2012. Small forward Mathis Keita will transfer, according to CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman. The sophomore small forward appeared in sixteen games this season, mostly always in 'mop-up' time. He only logged double digit minutes in three contests.

In his freshman season, Keita's role was significantly larger. He appeared in 23 games including 22 minutes played against Xavier and 28 minutes against Wake Forest. In that game against Wake, he was a huge reason for the win and amounted a career high twelve points. His minutes began to significantly decline in February of last season and he was never really able to re-establish himself as part of the rotation.

Keita's transfer will likely not come as a surprise to most given the description of his career at Gonzaga I just laid out. Last year he proved to be a solid spark plug at times but at other times, it was woefully obvious that he wasn't prepared for this level of basketball. His biggest downfall was his lack of a consistent outside shot. With the arrival of guys like Gary Bell Jr., Guy Landry Edi, and Kyle Dranginis and the likely addition of another wing this offseason, the writing was more or less on the wall for Mathis.

While there is never a good way to recap an entire season, I can't help but think the phrase: "heading in a great direction" is that best way to do so. The Ohio State game was an incredibly tough loss but, in a tournament where matchups matter as much as performance, the Buckeyes were simply a bad one for the Bulldogs. Because of this, I don't think there are a whole lot of fans that would call this most recent NCAA Tournament appearance anything but a solid success. Taking down a solid, albeit down, West Virginia squad in the 'second' round was a nice accomplishment for this group and it rounded out what must be classified as as season in which the Zags exceeded expectations.

If you had to ask most Gonzaga fans to pinpoint why their is so much excitement for the future, I think most would point to the performance of their young guards. It wasn't so much that they were lights out in both games, but it was the fact that they were truly fearless throughout their first March experience. Against West Virginia, Kevin Pangos was in total control. He shot 5-7 from the floor, had five assists, two steals, and only one turnover. Against Ohio State he really struggled to find his shot but there has never been a point in the season when the Zags' freshman point guard was bashful and that continued into March. His freshmen counterpart may have had the most impressive tournament of any Zag. Gary Bell averaged 16 points in the tournament and he just screams potential to be one of the most complete guards in the history of the program. Already the best defender on the team, Bell's flashes of offensive excellence make even the most reserved fan drool. Both have work to do, however. Pangos' streaky play has really hindered this team from time to time and Bell has much room to improve as a ball handler. All that said, these two have simply made watching Gonzaga guard play fun again...

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Before the ball was tipped, there were a whole lot of preconceived notions in place. The main one being "No chance Gonzaga can travel two-thousand miles and beat a tough Big East team". Well, not only did they beat them, it was one of Gonzaga's biggest wins of the season. One of the other notions was that Gonzaga's freshmen backcourt composed of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. had to play all out to get a win. That one...did happen. Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos combined for 27 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and....only two turnovers. The freshmen duo had absolutely no fear in their first tournament game and carried the Zags tonight. To be completely honest, it was a very stress free game. West Virginia was popped early on by the Zags and never posed a serious threat.

Leading up to the game, I literally heard the word "toughness" one-hundred times in connection with why West Virginia would beat Gonzaga. Tonight, the Zags were the tougher team and the more talented team and ran the Mountaineers back into their bus to Morgantown. It started with the Gonzaga defense. Led by Gary Bell and Guy Landry Edi, Gonzaga's defensive presence stifled the Mountaineers. Mark Few and Co. used some great token pressure to add stress to the already weak backcourt of West Virginia and that was a very big blow to the opponent. We expected Darryl "Truck" Bryant to be a huge factor in this one but he was completely out of it tonight for West Virginia. The senior guard finished with nine points, two turnovers, and zero assists in his final game for Bob Huggins. The stat page wasn't much prettier for the rest of the Mountaineers. The one big surprise was how poorly Kevin Jones played. At 5-14 (mostly during times when Elias Harris wasn't playin) the big man from West Virginia was woefully off on most attempts and, like the rest of his team, just never got going.

If I haven't yet, I can't stress how impressive the Bulldogs were as a defensive unit. West Virginia shot a frigid 33% from the floor while the Zags shot 56%. The Zags hit three times as many three pointers as the Mountaineers and dominated the pace of the game. Along with the defense, I would truly say that the not two...but three freshmen impressed me the most. Gary Bell and Kevin Pangos paced the club all night long. Bell, to me, was particularly impressive offensively. He hit big shots early in the game and is just a player that oozes confidence on the floor. Kevin Pangos was an incredible point guard. He rarely forced the issue, hit his shots, and made plays for his teammates. In all, Kevin was 5-7 from the floor and had five assists. He has had a ton of games where he has hurt more than helped but tonight he played as though he was a fifth year senior.

Not much more for tonight. This one was a ton of fun. Celebrate here and we'll see you Saturday! Shout out to J-Fitz in Champaign!

2011-2012 NCAA Tournament - Second Round
	vs.
19-13 (9-9 in Big East)		25-6 (13-3 in WCC)
CONSOL Energy Center - Pittsburgh, PA
March 15th, 2012, 4:00 PM PST
TV: TNT Radio: 1510 KGA
Probable starters:
Darryl Bryant	G	Kevin Pangos
Jabarie Hinds	G	Gary Bell
Keaton Miles	F	Guy Landry Edi
Kevin Jones	F	Elias Harris
Deniz Kilicli	C	Robert Sacre

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The brackets are about to be unveiled for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Most projections I have seen have the Zags in the 7-9 seed range. As everyone knows, the 8/9 game is a bit terrifying as it leads right into a matchup with a #1 seed. Feel free to stop by and chat as the brackets are unveiled.

For as boring as it may be, there are times when simple cliches can describe a game better than anything else. Tonight, the best way I can describe Gonzaga's effort against Saint Mary's is simply that they did not take advantage of enough opportunities given to them. While neither team put together their best performance of the season, it was the Gaels that made plays when they mattered the most and in a game as evenly matched as this, it made all the difference. In what was an excellent finish to a very solid West Coast Conference season, Saint Mary's escaped the Bulldogs tonight by a score of 78-74. Overtime was needed to decide the game after the Zags went on a torrid run to tie the game at the end of regulation. In the end, Gonzaga just did not make enough plays and could not find the shooting touch that got them into the finals tonight. While there is no sugarcoating the implications of tonight's loss, it is hard to be too upset after such a game. The Zags simply did not execute at crucial points in the game.

Execution did not fail across the board tonight for the Bulldogs. In fact, this was one of the best all-around games from the Zags frontcourt of the season. Elias Harris, Rob Sacre, and Sam Dower combined for 53 points. Harris had another incredible game. He was 10-14 from the floor with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Down the stretch, Harris has simply been a double double machine. Robert Sacre, a man that has been the emotional leader of this team for a couple years now, was on a whole new level tonight. Rob scored 17 points tonight on 6-12 from the floor and, although it was in a losing effort, it was one of the best games of Rob's career. He was often guarding Matt Dellavedova (not a typo) and was all of the floor for the Bulldogs. Rob has been much maligned by fans, including us, but it is always fun watching him when his production matches the energy he brings to this team.

more after the jump...

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When Kevin Pangos hit back-to-back threes at the sixteen minute mark of the first half, grins ran across the face of Gonzaga fans everywhere. Heading into last night's game against BYU, most fans knew that Pangos getting rolling early was such a major key to the game. Needless to say, he got going early and he got his shot until the clock struck zero at the Orleans Arena. Pangos netted a ridiculous 30 points in his first WCC Tournament appearance on 10-17 from the floor. His effort was one of the best individual performances of the season for the Bulldogs but, as odd as it is to write, it was just a piece of one of the best complete team efforts from a Zag team in the 2011-12 season.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Pangos' dominance of the Cougars was that everyone knew the scouting report. Pangos is a freshman...AKA he's streaky. What we have typically seen is that if he gets off to a hot start, watch out but if he comes out of the gate and misses a few shots, he has a tough time cranking it up. GU fans know this, BYU fans know this, and Dave Rose knows this. Regardless of that factor, Pangos got free but also made contested shots and got buckets in traffic. He also dished out four assists in addition to his 30 points. An excellent stat for the night, among many others, is that Gonzaga's freshmen backcourt of Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. combined for eight assists and only three turnovers. Very, very impressive for their first collegiate postseason appearance.

Pangos stole the show but he was by no means the only Zag that came to play. Read on after the jump for more...

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I'll have more in the morning on this tremendous victory. For now, comment in this thread to celebrate. If you are in Vegas, a) I'm jealous beyond belief, B) Go bet on red.

2011-2012 WCC Tournament - Semifinals
	vs.
25-7 (12-4 in WCC)		24-5 (13-3 in WCC)
Orleans Arena - Las Vegas, NV
March 3rd, 2012, 8:00 PM PST
TV: ESPN2 Radio: 1510 KGA
Probable starters:
Matt Carlino	G	Kevin Pangos
Anson Winder	G	Gary Bell
Charles Abouo	F	Guy Landry Edi
Noah Hartsock	F	Elias Harris
Brandon Davies	C	Robert Sacre

If you haven't, sign up for a membership to The Slipper Still Fits and get in the discussion in the comments. You know the drill, the comments refresh automatically so it's a great to chat about the game with other fans. Looking forward to hearing from you!

In a few hours, we will have very few nice things to say about BYU. However, we urge you to take a look at the message below from our friends at Vanquish the Foe, SB Nation's BYU blog. Dave Rose, BYU's head coach, has an incredible opportunity to win $100,000 for The Children With Cancer Christmas Foundation. Rose is in the "Final Four" of the Infinity Coaches' Charity Challenge and now needs your help! Best of luck to Coach Rose.

...

Hello Zag fans. After a hard fought season in WCC hoops, I come to you not as a rival, but as a fellow college basketball fan trying to raise support for a great cause. Thanks to the support of Cougar Nation over the last few weeks, Coach Dave Rose he has advanced to the final round of the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge, one step closer to receiving $100,000 for the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation. The CCCF seeks to help fill the emotional needs of children with cancer and their families. Among other efforts, the foundation puts on an annual Christmas Party for the families where they receive gifts, participate in activities, and get to meet Santa, Cosmo the Cougar and the BYU men's basketball team.

Coach Rose is up against stiff competition in the final four. BYU fans will continue to vote daily, but we need the help of all our fellow competitors to accomplish our goal. We're hoping that our on court rivals can join together with us off the court to support this great cause.

Your daily vote will go a long way in helping put a smile on the faces of the many children touched by the CCCF each year. Please take just a minute of your day to cast a vote to support these children and their families.

Go to http://www.ESPN.com/infiniti to vote every day once a day.

1. Log on to http://www.ESPN.com/infiniti

2. Create an ESPN account or use your existing login

3. Vote for Coach Rose

4. Login EVERY DAY to vote now thru March 8th.

You can learn more about the CCCF here: http://childrenwithcancerchristmasfoundation.org/

Over the past few years, the West Coast Conference Tournament has been one of the most intriguing conference tournaments in the country. While Gonzaga has been on the national radar for quite some time, the rise of Saint Mary's has made the WCC a very strong conference. With BYU entering the fray this season, it goes without saying that a large majority of the basketball-watching world will have a keen eye on the 2012 West Coast Conference Tournament. For Gonzaga, there is a little 'extra' motivation coming into the Orleans Arena. For the first time in twelve years, Gonzaga did not at least win a share of the regular season conference title. Instead, Saint Mary's enters the tournament as the regular season champion. Many are expecting the Gaels and the Zags to once again match up in the tournament championship but there are a few other contenders that will have something to say about that.

At this point, most consider both Gonzaga and Saint Mary's to be locks to get into the NCAA Tournament field regardless of their showing in the conference tournament. With that said, there are some monumental seeding implications riding on it. For the Zags in particular, since they do boast some quality nonconference wins, there is a tremendous amount of upside if they can win in Vegas. While it is unlikely, there is an outside chance that three teams do make it out of the conference. For this to happen, most seem to think that BYU will have to beat Gonzaga and get to the conference championship game. Also, it is possible (very, very slim chance) that four WCC teams get in the tournament. For that to happen, LMU would need to take out Saint Mary's, BYU would need to beat Gonzaga and LMU would beat BYU to get the auto-bid.

As I said, that last scenario is extremely unlikely but it does speak to the quality of basketball that has been played this season the in WCC and I fully expect the conference tournament to be played at a very high level. After the jump, we'll take a deeper look at what to expect.

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Not a whole lot of surprises here. Today, the West Coast Conference announced their postseason awards. Matt Dellavedova was the clear choice for POY in the conference even though Gonzaga's Elias Harris had an incredible season. Also good to see Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell get some recognition. Those two should be on this list for years to come.

Below is the complete list of awards...

2012 West Coast Conference Player of the Year
Matthew Dellavedova, Jr., G, Saint Mary's

2012 West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Rob Sacre, Sr., C, Gonzaga

2012 West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year
Kevin Pangos, Fr., G, Gonzaga

2012 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year
Max Good, Loyola Marymount 2012

ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Angelo Caloiaro Sr. F San Francisco
Brandon Davies Jr. F BYU
Matthew Dellavedova Jr. G Saint Mary's
Elias Harris Jr. F Gonzaga
Noah Hartsock Sr. F BYU
Anthony Ireland So. G Loyola Marymount
Rob Jones Sr. F Saint Mary's
Kevin Pangos Fr. G Gonzaga
Rob Sacre Sr. C Gonzaga
Drew Viney Sr. F Loyola Marymount

2012 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
Perris Blackwell (San Francisco); Matt Carlino (BYU); Johnny Dee (San Diego); Rashad Green (San Francisco); Stephen Holt (Saint Mary's); Corbin Moore (Pepperdine)

2012 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE FRESHMAN TEAM
Gary Bell, Jr. G Gonzaga
Matt Carlino G BYU
Johnny Dee G San Diego
Kevin Pangos G Gonzaga
Brad Waldow F Saint Mary's

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GO ZAGS!!!

This picture is far too awesome to not share. Enjoy.

Celebrate here. Gonzaga keeps their hopes alive for a share of the West Coast Conference crown by beating BYU tonight. They'll need help but this is a big win over the Cougars at the MAC. More to come but enjoy this one!

2011-2012 Season - Game 27
	vs.
23-6 (11-3 in WCC)		21-5 (11-3 in WCC)
McCarthey Athletic Center - Spokane, WA
February 23rd, 2012, 8:00 PM PST
TV: ESPN2 Radio: 1510 KGA
Probable starters:
Matt Carlino	G	Kevin Pangos
Anson Winder	G	Gary Bell
Charles Abouo	F	Guy Landry Edi
Noah Hartsock	F	Elias Harris
Brandon Davies	C	Robert Sacre

If you haven't, sign up for a membership to The Slipper Still Fits and get in the discussion in the comments. You know the drill, the comments refresh automatically so it's a great to chat about the game with other fans. Looking forward to hearing from you!

GO ZAGS!!!

2011-2012 Season - Game 26
	vs.
21-4 (11-2 in WCC)		17-11 (7-7 in WCC)
War Memorial Gymnasium - San Francisco, CA
February 18th, 2012, 5:00 PM PST
TV: KHQ/ROOT Radio: 1510 KGA
Probable starters:
Kevin Pangos	G	Cody Doolin
Gary Bell	G	Michael Williams
Guy Landry Edi	F	Rashad Green
Elias Harris	F	Angelo Caloiaro
Robert Sacre	C	Perris Blackwell

GO ZAGS!!!

Over the past few years, Gonzaga's trips to beautiful San Francisco have been anything but pleasant. In their past two trips to War Memorial Gymnasium, the Zags have been upset by the Dons. Both losses have been in gut-wrenching, overtime fashion. This evening, Gonzaga concludes its Bay Area road trip against the Dons and hopes to avenge the past few years. The Dons played Gonzaga tough earlier this year in Spokane and are not going to be intimidated by the name on the front of the jersey. USF enters the game with a 17-11 record but is still searching for a win against a quality member of the West Coast Conference. While they are 7-7 in conference, six of their seven losses have been to the top four clubs in the conference. This past Thursday, they looked to be on their way to their first quality conference win against BYU but the Cougars were able to rally late to squeak by the Dons.

After that heartbreaking loss to BYU, it goes without saying that USF is going to be very hungry. The Dons are lead by a couple of senior power forwards that seem to have been in college for 15 years. Angelo Caloiaro and Perris Blackwell are averaging 15 and 13 points per game, respectively and combine to be one of the few frontcourts in the conference that can cause problems for the Bulldogs.

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