SBNation.com User Blog: quidveritas

What is going on here?

quidveritas — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:22:44 -0000

I turn my back for a minute and "poof" posters are gone, posts are gone, and much of what was of interest on this blog as disappeared into the ether!

I though the entire purpose of a sports blog was to have Discussions.

You know, an exchange of ideas, discuss developments, have a little friendly banter, maybe even disagree about things????????????????????????/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuJStuIU_DY

It seems Big Brother has been hard at work sanitizing the text of this blog and ensuring

Korrect Speak

is the only text that appears on these pages of ~~Pravda~~, errr, The Slipper Still Fits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abIx6bUmYes&feature=channel&list=UL

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am not happy. Using a battle axe to deal with a problem that required a small x-acto knife may be just as effective but the collateral damage is simply unacceptable.

Did the powers that be really need to NUKE entire conversations and lines of discussion. Did you really have to BAN certain posters?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9damhMrGDw

Sheesh, one would think we were dealing with the Vatican

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kkj_VC1_Yo

Then again, maybe we are. God forbid there should be any disagreement about a basketball team from a small Jesuit educational facility!

You guys need to take a hard look at this, do some soul searching, and make this right.

Send me where you have sent the others. I'd kinda like to talk to them.

Slipper Still Fits College Football Pickem

quidveritas — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 20:43:42 -0000

I'm sure there are more than a few of you that follow college football. It's going to be some time before the Zags hit the court in earnest and a little idle entertainment with some of your buddies from the Slipper Still Fits may prove entertaining.

There is no gambling component to Slipper Still Fits Pickem. The only thing you will win is braggin rights! Since a certain percentage of you will not read or understand the rules for Pickem, I am allowing you to throw out your worst score. That way those with that horrendous start can still participate on an even keel with the more experienced or well informed players.

Here's how to register

Step 1: Log into your Yahoo account

Step 2: Go to this page and click on the "Join a Group" tab

Step 3: Enter the Group ID# 11959 and Password: zags

Step 4: Enter you information and then don't forget to go back and make your picks every week.

Slipper Still Fits Pickem is open to anyone associated with Gonzaga or if you just happen to be a fan of our great team!

BEST OF LUCK ALL!

DA RULZZZ

quidveritas — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:41:17 -0000

One of the most predictable features of College Basketball are the annual NCAA Rules changes. Not only was this year no exception but you might just say this year was exceptional!

Division I institutions must achieve higher Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in order to participate in NCAA championships.
Institutions now have the choice of providing an additional $2,000 in athletic scholarship money to cover miscellaneous costs of attendance. This increase is the first change to the scholarship value structure in a long time. Public Universities with enormous athletic budgets are sure to benefit most from this rules change.
Institutions also now have the ability to offer multi-year scholarships. Previously, all scholarships were granted on a one-year basis. Each summer, an institution chooses to renew a student-athlete’s scholarship, increase the amount, reduce the amount, or cancel it entirely.
We will see an increased emphasis on APR, as well as more serious penalties for inadequate APR scores. APR measures each school’s ability to retain student-athletes and keep them academically eligible. Each sport is measured separately, so that a team is only punished for inadequate scores from its own members. Every student-athlete is capable of earning four points per year – one for remaining enrolled at the same institution at the end of each semester and one for remaining academically eligible at the end of each semester. APR is calculated by dividing a team’s earned points by the total points possible and multiplying the result by 1000 – i.e. a team of 15 basketball players earns 50 out of 60 possible points (50/60 = .833 x 1000 = 833). A perfect score would be 1000. Through this year, the threshold to avoid potential penalties, such as a reduction of scholarships, is an average score of 925 over a four year period.
We will see more serious penalties for inadequate APR scores.
- 2011-2012 (current academic year) the old system is still in place – no postseason ban for inadequate APR scores, except three consecutive years with a four year average under 900

2012-2013 and 2013-2014

- a four year average above 900 is necessary for postseason eligibility;

- a two year average above 930 will suffice for postseason eligibility

Losing scholarships will certainly get the attention of administrators and boosters but probably won't significantly impact the won-lost column for most schools.

Ineligibility for league championship or NCAA Tournament play is a much bigger hammer. Apparently a team’s APR numbers are going to be easily accessed by the public. If a school is below 930 or hovering just above 930, it won't take much imagination to project how that is going to affect recruiting.

Perhaps most impacted by these changes are programs that 'traffic' in the "one-year-wonders". Apparently “one and done” players often stop going to class during the second semester of their college experience. If they don't go to class the team loses a potential academic eligibility point for APR. They may cost the team an additional eligibility point if they fail to withdraw from classes and take a failing grade. Generally speaking university-imposed dead lines for withdrawing from a class occur well before the NBA Draft declaration deadline. So, the "one-year-wonder" will soon become synonymous with "one-year-poison".

Don't expect these changes to affect coaches like Teflon John. He can continue to conduct business as usual until his present employer is hit by sanctions. Then he can accept another job at a different institution and run them into the ground over the next two to three years before he moves on again. You see, the consequences only impact the institutions and the players but NEVER impact the coaches directly.

One of the most predictable features of College Basketball are the annual NCAA Rules changes. Not only was this year no exception but you might just say this year was exceptional!

Division I institutions must achieve higher Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in order to participate in NCAA championships.
Institutions now have the choice of providing an additional $2,000 in athletic scholarship money to cover miscellaneous costs of attendance. This increase is the first change to the scholarship value structure in a long time. Public Universities with enormous athletic budgets are sure to benefit most from this rules change.
Institutions also now have the ability to offer multi-year scholarships. Previously, all scholarships were granted on a one-year basis. Each summer, an institution chooses to renew a student-athlete’s scholarship, increase the amount, reduce the amount, or cancel it entirely.
We will see an increased emphasis on APR, as well as more serious penalties for inadequate APR scores. APR measures each school’s ability to retain student-athletes and keep them academically eligible. Each sport is measured separately, so that a team is only punished for inadequate scores from its own members. Every student-athlete is capable of earning four points per year – one for remaining enrolled at the same institution at the end of each semester and one for remaining academically eligible at the end of each semester. APR is calculated by dividing a team’s earned points by the total points possible and multiplying the result by 1000 – i.e. a team of 15 basketball players earns 50 out of 60 possible points (50/60 = .833 x 1000 = 833). A perfect score would be 1000. Through this year, the threshold to avoid potential penalties, such as a reduction of scholarships, is an average score of 925 over a four year period.
We will see more serious penalties for inadequate APR scores.
- 2011-2012 (current academic year) the old system is still in place – no postseason ban for inadequate APR scores, except three consecutive years with a four year average under 900

2012-2013 and 2013-2014

- a four year average above 900 is necessary for postseason eligibility;

- a two year average above 930 will suffice for postseason eligibility

Losing scholarships will certainly get the attention of administrators and boosters but probably won't significantly impact the won-lost column for most schools.

RECRUITING CHANGES:

June 15, 2012, -- apparently just for men's basketball -- unlimited phone calls, text messages, and private messages via social media sites will be allowed for any PSA who has completed his sophomore year in high school. Many coaches feel that PSAs don’t answer or return phone calls anymore; they only respond to text messages. Previous concerns about extra incurred costs for receiving text messages are generally gone too. Most phone plans now include unlimited text messaging. Soon, it is probable that all NCAA sports will adopt this deregulation of text messaging and transmission of private messages via social media sites. Let the circuses begin!!!!

Recent history has shown that certain coaches could recruit the best athletes, largely ignore academics and virtually run a minor league professional team. Well things will change for some programs and for some coaches, but for the truly unscrupulous there are still opportunities to ignore or flaunt the spirit of the rules.

Maybe this isn't all bad, after all, those one-year-wonders deserve a college experience too (even if it might be a very short college experience) don't they???

;-)

I can hardly wait to see how this all shakes out!

http://www.umesls.com/post/12468995484/numerous-rule-changes-adopted-by-ncaa

Where's the Love???

quidveritas — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:31:10 -0000

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News 21
NBC Sports 24
Ringer Sports 18
CBS Sports Line 16
ESPN 19
Rivals.com (Yahoo) 23

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN – Not Ranked;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News Not Ranked
NBC Sports Not Ranked
Ringer Sports Not Ranked
CBS Sports Line Not Ranked
ESPN Not Ranked
Rivals.com (Yahoo) Not Ranked

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN: #17;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News Not Ranked
NBC Sports Not Ranked
Ringer Sports Not Ranked
CBS Sports Line Not Ranked
ESPN Not Ranked
Rivals.com (Yahoo) Not Ranked

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN: #6;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

Let me start out by saying that pre-season rankings mean absolutely nothing when it comes to winning games after the season starts. They represent,opinions, hopes and an attempt by sports writers to keep you engaged with College Basketball even though there is nothing happening at the present time.

Pre-season rankings do represent recognition for a body of work in the past. Some basketball programs have a history of consistently producing teams that perform well. These programs are a good 'bet'. A sports writer cannot go wrong backing a team that performed well in the previous year and is returning a substantial part of that successful team.

Other programs do not perform consistently. It may be true that these programs produce a remarkable team from time to time, but these programs have been unable to sustain a level of play that consistently produces the kind of results a sports writer seeks.

Its always great to OOOH and AHHH about great recruits but until that recruit steps on the floor against D-1 competition, and we see that recruit playing on the floor as part of a team, you never really know how that young man will perform on the ''big stage".

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News 21
NBC Sports 24
Ringer Sports 18
CBS Sports Line 16
ESPN 19
Rivals.com (Yahoo) 23

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN – Not Ranked;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News Not Ranked
NBC Sports Not Ranked
Ringer Sports Not Ranked
CBS Sports Line Not Ranked
ESPN Not Ranked
Rivals.com (Yahoo) Not Ranked

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN: #17;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sporting News Not Ranked
NBC Sports Not Ranked
Ringer Sports Not Ranked
CBS Sports Line Not Ranked
ESPN Not Ranked
Rivals.com (Yahoo) Not Ranked

Recruiting Class Ranking:

ESPN: #6;
Bleacher Report – Not Ranked;
CBS – Not Ranked

Now if I had been right about all this, it would come as no surprise that UCLA is ranked in the top 10 despite two years of dismal play and losses to middling WCC opponents. UCLA is a legendary program headed by a coach that has a history of success (if we discount the past two seasons). UCLA has amassed a fantastic new crop of players (#1 recruiting class??) and appears to be poised for greatness once again!

Seems to me we heard something like that last year didn't we? Fact of the matter is, in recent years, Howland has not been relating well to his young recruits. In recent years he has lost many talented front line players -- and not to the NBA.

Lets take a look at BYU for minute. Here's a program that consistently produces highly successful teams and (according to some) is bringing in the #6 recruiting class in the country! The team is lead by a well respected coach with a solid track record for success! Last year they beat PAC-12 Oregon; they beat PAC-12 Utah; posted wins against WCC Gonzaga and St. Maries -- all better teams than UCLA. A substantial part of last years very successful team is returning. The BYU faithful claim they can only be better and are predicting another dominating season! Yet . . . not ranked in anyone's preseason polls. Welcome to the WCC BYU. No matter what you do, you get no respect from the sports writers -- especially those located in an Eastern time zone.

St. Marys may be a poor step child in this discussion but can make similar arguments about the potential of their team. Proven performance, good coach, great recruiting class. Now in the defense of the sports writers, St. Marys tends not to play a tough pre-season schedule which can be a reason to question the potential of a team.

But if we were to accept that argument, why does U-Dub get a pass? True they have talent (St. Marys has talent) and they did win the PAC-12 regular season (St. Marys won the WCC regular season and tournament), but they never play anyone in the pre-season (just like St. Marys). Bleacher Report has them checking in at #25? St. Marys gets not a mention. There is this about it, at least St. Marys and BYU have the brass to step on the floor at the Kennel. Cannot say the same for Romar and his team.

What has all this to do with Gonzaga?

Well folks, even though these polls mean nothing, they do indeed mean something. If you beat a ranked team, that is a 'quality win' come tournament time. If you beat an unranked BYU or St. Marys . . . not so much. If you lose to a ranked team, its a loss but its almost never a 'bad loss'. Lose to an unranked team . . .

I strongly suspect Gonzaga, St. Marys and BYU will all find their way to the Big Dance this year. There is no question that two or more of these teams will have losses to WCC opponents.

If those opponents were ranked, we might be looking at a 4, 6, and 10 seed.

If those opponents are unranked, we might well be looking at a 11, 14, and play-in bid.

Tell the truth, who's really the better pre-season team? BYU, St. Marys, or the Huskitties . . . or UCLA for that matter?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLXy70ONUV4

Seed speculation!!!

quidveritas — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:36:02 -0000

TIme to have a little fun while we await selection Sunday. I know this is a matter near and dear to your hearts!

The Zags await selection Sunday with:

RPI Rank: 24 SOS Rank: 75 Record: 25-6 (14-4)

As of March 5th, the AP poll ranked Gonzaga #24.

Virtually every 'expert' says Gonzaga will play in the NCAA Tournament. The only question left to be resolved is where will Gonzaga find itself seeded?

TIme to have a little fun while we await selection Sunday. I know this is a matter near and dear to your hearts!

The Zags await selection Sunday with:

RPI Rank: 24 SOS Rank: 75 Record: 25-6 (14-4)

As of March 5th, the AP poll ranked Gonzaga #24.

Virtually every 'expert' says Gonzaga will play in the NCAA Tournament. The only question left to be resolved is where will Gonzaga find itself seeded?

Poll

Where will the Gonzaga Bulldogs (mens team) find themselves seeded in the 2012 NCAA tournament?

1 seed

2 votes

2 seed

0 votes

3 seed

0 votes

4 seed

0 votes

5 seed

1 votes

6 seed

27 votes

7 seed

129 votes

8 seed

52 votes

9 seed

17 votes

10 seed

15 votes

11 seed

1 votes

12 seed

6 votes

13 seed

0 votes

14 seed

0 votes

15 seed

0 votes

16 seed

1 votes

slate them for a play-in game

1 votes

252 votes | Poll has closed

Is 'Guy' pronounced "Gee" like the French? or is it Guy (like the American / English)? You...

quidveritas — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:42:24 -0000

Is 'Guy' pronounced "Gee" like the French?

or is it

Guy (like the American / English)?

You know the announcers will butcher his name for a year or two but we should at least be able to get it right.

Gonzaga v. Carroll College -- game preview

quidveritas — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:06:17 -0000

via a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

Who are these guys?

Cupcake? Bran Muffin? Are they players or pretenders?

via a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

Who are these guys?

Cupcake? Bran Muffin? Are they players or pretenders?

Carroll College is a school probably better known for its football teams than the game they play with a round ball. While they may not get the attention garnered by the football team, it appears the men suiting up for the Saints in 2011-2012 might be poised to make a little noise for themselves.

Last year the Carroll College Fighting Saints posted a 23-9 record en route to claiming a share of the Frontier Conference Championship. Expectations for the upcoming season remain high. The NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll finds Carroll College listed at No. 23.

The Saints return four starters from last year's championship team, including Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Byago Diouf (6'3"). It seems this might be a pretty good team that just got better. 6-4 junior guard Jordan Weirick joins the Saints after spending a couple years at Southern Utah, where he averaged 4 points per game. He is joined by transfers Renan Custodio (6'8"), and Darnell "Dee" Crandall (6'3).

Carroll is not a tall team. None of its players go bigger than 6'8". I don't see them scoring a lot of points in the paint. Look for them to push the ball down the floor and do much of their scoring from the perimeter. The Saints team leader and All-American, Andy Garland (6'5") often lines up at the small forward position. Opposing small forwards caused a lot of problems for the Zags last year. Watch this match-up closely. There's a good chance we can learn a lot about our defense at this position.

A team like this should not be taken lightly. Remember Ken Bone's Portland State team?

Portland State Stuns #7 Gonzaga

It seems Carroll College is no cup cake. We just might have a game on Friday night!

Poll

How close do you think the Carroll College v. Gonzaga game will be?

Zags win by 40

12 votes

Zags win by 25

15 votes

Zags win by 10

3 votes

Zags win a nail biter!

1 votes

Saints beat Gonzaga for the first time in 10 tries!

1 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

Transfers? Walk-on?

quidveritas — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:14:24 -0000

Transfers? Walk-on?

We have had a lot of conversation about these two subjects lately. These issues are nothing unique to Gonzaga. Indeed we may have a way to go to catch up to Louisville!

NCAAB Rules changes -- 2011-2012

quidveritas — Thu, 05 May 2011 23:57:43 -0000

Yesterday the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended a number of changes to the rules. Perhaps the most significant of these changes will be the official implementation of the restricted three-foot arc under the basket -- similar to the circle currently featured by the NBA. If approved by NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on June 9, 2011, the arc rule change will become a reality this season (2011-12)! It's high time they did this IMHO.

There are a number of other changes also under consideration. Among these are:

1. Timeouts: Coaches can call timeouts only during dead ball periods.

2. Monitor reviews: Coaches can request a monitor review by officials at any time during a game. If coach is wrong, team loses a time out -- like football.

3. Flagrant fouls: Essentially eliminates the intentional foul and makes it a new flavor of a flagrant foul. Only the most flagrant of flagrant fouls will result in ejection.

4. Timeout warnings: The first time a team is late returning to the court after a timeout officials will warn the team. After that, the officials can start play whether or not the offending team is on the court.

5. Double fouls: If officials call a double foul the more egregious foul will be enforced -- these will not be considered offsetting as is the case now.

Poll

What do you think about adding the restricted three-foot arc to college basketball?

This rule change is long over due and should be implemented in 2011-2012

61 votes

They need to continue to study this rule.

8 votes

College Basketball doesn't need the restricted three-foot arc

16 votes

No opinion / don't care

4 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

Points Shaving in small school -- should NCAA make an example?

quidveritas — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:17:05 -0000

The association between Gambling and College Sports often carries the potential for outcomes that no one wants to see. Illegal activity like points shaving is prohibited -- indeed criminalized. Just the same the lure of making a quick buck by shaving a few points has proved to be a temptation that cannot be resisted by some college players.

One player can often influence points totals or key events. By deliberately missing shots or committing well-timed turnovers or fouls, a corrupt player can covertly ensure that his team fails to cover the point spread, without causing them to lose the game (or to lose so badly that suspicions are aroused).

SAN DIEGO -- A former University of San Diego star player, along with another former player and former assistant coach, were charged with running a sports betting business to affect the outcome of games, federal authorities said Monday.

The indictment names Brandon Johnson, the school's all-time leader in points and assists who finished his college career last year; Thaddeus Brown, an assistant coach at the school in the 2006-07 season; and Brandon Dowdy, who played at San Diego in the 2006-07 season and at the University of California, Riverside, from 2008 to 2010. Seven other people also were charged.

Although the NCAA has adopted a zero tolerance policy with respect to gambling activity by its players, some critics claim these policies unwittingly encourage point shaving. Scholarship athletes often have a very limited opportunity to make money while participating in their respective sports. When one considers the idealistic rules regarding amateurism together with the huge amounts of money wagered on NCAA games, does it come as any surprise that NCAA athletes are going to be approached by folks whose primary motivation centers on illegal gambling? In the present system, how much would it take to get a college point guard to shave a few points?

San Diego Points Shaving

The number of people involved and the complexity of this operation would lead one to speculate that perhaps there is a good deal more to this than Brandon Johnson and San Diego. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this investigation eventually implicates more schools and more players.

In recent history, it seems that when 'major violations' occur at major programs, those violations result in 'minor consequences'. You see, the NCAA as much as anyone is more concerned about revenue than it is about effective enforcement of all those rules you hear about.

Think about it . . . Auburn and Oregon, the teams that played for the national title last year are both embroiled in ugly investigations by the NCAA.

Auburn in particular decided to make a calculated risk. They figured a shot at their first national championship in more than a half-century was well worth any sanctions that might result from a 'see no evil' NCAA. At this point does anyone doubt Newton got paid to play at Auburn? Especially after several former Auburn players admitted to receiving cash from boosters?

And how about Tressel at Ohio State? Coach Jim Tressel is a busy guy -- too busy to report NCAA violations among his players . . . but not too busy to alert the "advisor" of one of the players; Terrelle Pryor, so maybe they might do something about it. But even caught red handed, Tressel kept his job and garnered a couple days off early next season so he can watch his team play a couple of cup cakes!

What to do about San Diego? No big money there. No national championship hopes. No big national fan base. Just a little school with a big problem.

Do ya think that maybe, just maybe the NCAA will actually impose a sanction commensurate with the conduct, or will we see more finger waiving and verbal admonishments?

I don't know about you, but I'm concerned. Some where someone has to draw a line in the sand and stand up for something. If the NCAA doesn't deal with this one effectively, you will know the NCAA will lie down for just about anything.

OU fans rock! I'm a graduate of OU and Gonzaga so I flip back and forth between the two blogs all...

quidveritas — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:12:19 -0000

OU fans rock!

I'm a graduate of OU and Gonzaga so I flip back and forth between the two blogs all the time. In addition I often check in with the blogs of future opponents just to see what's going on. The Crimson and Cream stands out as the most optimistic bunch of folks out there. The fan poll on how you feel about your team is always pretty rock steady at about 90 to 100.

This is pretty remarkable given how the basketball season went.

By comparison, Gonzaga's fans are sky high one week and scraping the bottom the next. Up and down all the time. You will find similar fluctuations on the blogs of other schools.

Why is OU different?

BENNETT AND BYU

quidveritas — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 23:49:49 -0000

There's been a lot of talk about Bennett leaving St. Mary's after this (for Bennett anyway) very disappointing season. The rumor mill has been reporting that:

CSN Bay Area is reporting that Utah and Bennett have entered preliminary discussions on the Utah head coaching job.

Bennett was believed to be a leading candidate for the Runnin' Utes, however, it was unclear if he had interest in the job. This report, though, indicates the two sides met in Las Vegas last week during the conference tournaments for both the Mountain West and West Coast Conferences.

There's been a lot of talk about Bennett leaving St. Mary's after this (for Bennett anyway) very disappointing season. The rumor mill has been reporting that:

CSN Bay Area is reporting that Utah and Bennett have entered preliminary discussions on the Utah head coaching job.

Bennett was believed to be a leading candidate for the Runnin' Utes, however, it was unclear if he had interest in the job. This report, though, indicates the two sides met in Las Vegas last week during the conference tournaments for both the Mountain West and West Coast Conferences.

Well Utah isn't the only job that might be opening up in Utah.

The long term status of Coach Dave Rose at BYU may also be at issue.

It appears that Coach Rose enjoys considerable support among the BYU faithful. For a long time, the BYU fans have been fearful that Coach Rose might go elsewhere, but those fears may have been unfounded.

"I know coach Rose loves it here. He loves the community. I know his wife loves it here. His family is here. So I think it is really big for him. I know that any time you can go to a bigger view, or a bigger stage, and have the chance to get better talent year in and year out, that's intriguing. But I think he likes the community.
But coach knows what is best for him and his family. Whatever he does, it is going to be the best for them."

At this point in time, the more significant issue might be the health of Coach Rose. You see Coach Rose has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Fortunately the specific type of cancer is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which carries a much better prognosis than most types of pancreatic cancer. In a recent medical study, the median overall survival for all persons studied with this disease was 28 months.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4268107

Under the circumstances, how long will Coach Rose continue in his present position?

That's probably a question that only he can answer.

One thing is certain. This year's BYU team probably has a great deal more to play for than most folks outside that program might have appreciated. It's hard to say how this situation will affect that team during the tournament but I think it is certain player emotions will be running high. Don't expect them to hold anything back.

If Coach Rose decides to step down . . . would Randy Bennett be a possible replacement?

Da Rules

quidveritas — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:57:32 -0000

Got no trouble with your rules but I do think you should maybe consider a form of punishment that is short of an outright ban. Sometimes folks get carried away and get stuck on a particular jag that gets them in trouble. I think that if you give them a chance to cool off they can come back and continue to participate in this community.

To that end, I would suggest you consider the concept of the 'dog house'. If a poster gets a little out of line put him/her in the doghouse for a week or two. During this period of time the offender is temporarily banned from participation but is not permanently exiled (and get real -- if you ban someone forever and day, all they need to do is create a new 'persona' to make their way back onto the site.)

Doghousing is more humane than a death sentence and . . . it seems especially appropriate where Gonzaga is concerned.

Poll

How should 'The Slipper Still Fits' deal with those that violate the rules?

Ban them forever regardless of the transgression!

2 votes

Warn them once and then ban them forever.

3 votes

Doghouse all offenders for limited periods of time -- penalty periods may be arbitrary and capricious depending on the offense.

7 votes

Doghouse first offenders -- Ban them if they persist in their objectionable behavior

13 votes

Let's forget about all this, bring back Mallon Fan and lets talk basketball!

12 votes

37 votes | Poll has closed

Out with the Old! In with the New! WCC play begins!

quidveritas — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:55:44 -0000

It has been a tale of two teams: Harris was hurt. Too many new faces. Too many turnovers. Poor passing on the offensive end. Confusion on the defensive end. A schedule as brutal as any in memory. Early season loses to ranked teams. Three consecutive loses. And just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, Steven Gray went down with back spasms . . .

They say it gets darkest just before the light. The bottom fell out just before the end of the first half at Baylor. Gray was gone, Harris wasn't close to 100% and Sacre hadn't been all that effective in earlier games. There was no where left to go but up!

The Zags outlasted Baylor. It wasn't a pretty win but it was an impressive win. Indeed the next four games would see more of the same. With the exception of Lafayette, Gonzaga would be tested in different ways. Each and every time, the Zags would rise to the occasion.

We haven't seen a lot of the fast-break,high flying acrobatics provided by the Gonzaga teams of the past. Instead the Zags and providing a steady diet of methodical half court offense combined with an ever stiffening defensive effort.

Now that WCC play begins, it appears Gray is healthy, Harris is healthy and the Zags are playing some of the best team offense and team defense that we have seen for some time.

First up is Portland. Portland sports a 12-3 record following an impressive 88-79 win at home against Utah! Portland returns a front line that includes three Seniors: Luke Sikma (6'8" 235); Kramer Knutson (6'9" 220) and Jasonn Hannibal (6'10" 270). This veteran inside presence combines with the outside shooting of Nemania Mitrovic and Jared Stohl to produce a very formidable inside-out offensive threat. Four different players have garnered player of the week honors for the Pilots. Mitrovic, Sikma, Stohl, and Freshman Tim Douglas have put up big numbers and provide coach Reveno with a versatile group of scorers.

Next to Gonzaga, this might be the best team in the WCC. Portland's strength of schedule is 72nd nationally and Portland's RPI comes in at #38 (0.5991). Portland will be playing on their home floor. I don't think the Pilots can match Gonzagas athleticism but they certainly have a talented, fundamentally sound, well coached team. Gonzaga hasn't run much this year and if that trend continues, it may play into the hands of the Pilots. If the Hoff is sitting on the sidelines with his ankle injury, the Pilots may well be the better outside shooting team.

Where Portland is concerned, this might well be the biggest game on their schedule! I know all the cliches about getting everyone's best shot -- don't expect anything less from Portland on Saturday! The Zags are going to have to grind this one out in a very hostile environment.

This is a big game! A very big game! Winning this one may take everything we've got!

Zags 71-68

WSU escapes Santa Clara

quidveritas — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:00:56 -0000

I know a lot of you have been saying we will be OK when we get into league play. Indeed many have commented about how weak the WCC is overall.

WSU over Santa Clara in overtime

I know a lot of you have been saying we will be OK when we get into league play. Indeed many have commented about how weak the WCC is overall.

WSU over Santa Clara in overtime

Portland beat St. Louis at home and Montana on the road -- neither of these teams are cupcakes.

St. Mary's is 8-2 with losses to BYU (73-74) and San Diego State (55-69).

Pepperdine's Keon Bell just keeps putting up 20+ a game

San Francisco beat Colorado in OT

About the only WCC team that appears to be on the rocks is San Diego.

Looks to me like the Zags will have their work cut out for them when they enter conference play. Don't expect a lot of blowouts. I suspect these are going to be competitive games.

Would it be possible to update the schedule tab to reflect the 2010/2011 schedule? and while you...

quidveritas — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:21:39 -0000

Would it be possible to update the schedule tab to reflect the 2010/2011 schedule? and while you are at it, maybe where these game might be viewed on television?

This has to be the most "offensive" lineman so far this...

quidveritas — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:22:14 -0000

This has to be the most "offensive" lineman so far this season!

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/08/23/oregon-state-lineman-tased-arrested-while-naked-and-trespassing/3

Pre-season Love -- a Comparitive look

quidveritas — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:37:16 -0000

It's a slow news day today so I thought I'd take a look at all the "experts" out there. We all know how we stack up going into next season. Might be interesting to see how others view the team. While I was at it, I pulled the rankings for the Dogs just to put things in perspective. There is nothing scientific about the predictions I selected. It appears to me these rankings are typical of the fare found on the internet.

Big XII Hoops, http://www.big12hoops.com/2010/6/2/1495796/2010-2011-college-basketball

Gonzaga #21; Washington #17

Michael Luchies, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2904982/20102011_top_25_ncaa_basketball_preseason.html

Gonzaga #21; Washington -- no love at all -- not even a little.

2011 Early Top 50 Ranking by Shawn Siegel, http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/2011-early-top-50-ranking-168630

Gonzaga #33; Washington #36

The Big Lead, http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/04/06/2010-2011-college-basketball-top-20-the-very-very-early-edition/

Gonzaga #11-20 (now there's some analysis!); Washington #20-25

The Sports Bank.Net, http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-bball/2010-2011-college-basketball-pre-season-top-25/

Gonzaga #24; Washington #12 (assumed Terrance Ross would be a Huskey)

OnLineSportsFanatic.com, http://www.onlinesportsfanatic.com/?p=2086

Gonzaga #29; Washington #22

Rivals, http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=rivals-375208

Gonzaga #9; Washington #23 (also assuming Terrance Ross would play in Seattle)

Mitch's Minute, http://mitchsminute.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/early-top-25-for-2010-2011-college-basketball-season/

Gonzaga -- no love at all; Washington #20

I know most of these guys have never watch a game played on the west coast. They get most of their information watching ESPN highlights. It seems they feel compelled to include a PAC-10 school in their ranking scheme even though they don't know anything about the PAC-10. In so doing they overlook some really fine teams from the WAC, MWC and WCC.

The world of college basketball has changed. Gonzaga has probably played a very large part in bringing that change home to other schools. Over the past 10 years Gonzaga has proved, over and over again, a small school has the capability to put a quality team on the floor. The recognition and other intangibles that quality basketball team brings to a school far outweighs the costs associated with such a program.

Remember last year when the doubters questioned whether Matt Bouldin could lead the team and our inexperience would lead to a down year? Now the 'common wisdom' is that Matt Bouldin was the heart and soul of last year's team and even though he is the only starter not returning, we once again don't have what it takes to compete because we lack leadership!

Indeed there are more than a few folks out there that feel that Gonzaga has been supplanted at the top of the WCC by St. Marys!!! We shall see. I kinda like our chances.

Contrast these remarks with the treatment accorded to Washington! Remember them? Yeah, that team on the coast that used to schedule a pre-season game with us -- well until Romar decided the Dogs would only play cupcakes in the pre-season and Gonzaga definitely failed to qualify as a cupcake! (Portland fans, please do not take offense from this comment. We know how good you were/are. Romar just failed to do his homework.) Last year Washington was the team that could not win on the road. Before the PAC-10 tournament, most felt they wouldn't get in the tournament unless they won the PAC-10 -- which they did largely because Quincy Poindexter put the team on his back and carried it to the tournament. Now Poindexter is gone and . . .

Well most of you are used to this kind of treatment before the team steps on the floor. It seems like we go through this every year. Gonzaga plays on ESPN. Washington plays on Fox NW. Gonzaga plays a brutal pre-season schedule in venues all over the country. Washington hardly leaves it's home floor. Gonzaga sells out just about everywhere they play (home or away). Washington . . . (well I don't think they played a sold out game last year -- but maybe they sold out a tournament game -- I just don't know).

You know Gonzaga gets more exposure than Washington. You know more people watch Gonzaga play than watch Washington play. You know Gonzaga players have better hair than anyone in college basketball! You know Gonzaga is poised to be the best team in the West this year. The Huskies? Well they might be the best team in the PAC-10. Then again . . .

Prejudices and attitudes die a very long and agonizing death. The east coast bias will probably never go away. Folks have to get up in the morning to go to work. I understand that. Where teams on the west coast are concerned, it often seems reputation counts for more than anything else with folks that live in other time zones.

I guess I should be happy seeing Gonzaga appearing in so many top 25 lists. Six or seven years ago Gonzaga wouldn't even get mentioned. Now it seems we have risen to the level of the "oh yeah and I need to include a PAC 10 team" selection.

I think we deserve better than that! This program plays a tougher schedule, gets more exposure, and has more success than that "other Washington team".

Where's the love out there?

Big XII Hoops, http://www.big12hoops.com/2010/6/2/1495796/2010-2011-college-basketball

Gonzaga #21; Washington #17

Michael Luchies, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2904982/20102011_top_25_ncaa_basketball_preseason.html

Gonzaga #21; Washington -- no love at all -- not even a little.

2011 Early Top 50 Ranking by Shawn Siegel, http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/2011-early-top-50-ranking-168630

Gonzaga #33; Washington #36

The Big Lead, http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/04/06/2010-2011-college-basketball-top-20-the-very-very-early-edition/

Gonzaga #11-20 (now there's some analysis!); Washington #20-25

The Sports Bank.Net, http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-bball/2010-2011-college-basketball-pre-season-top-25/

Gonzaga #24; Washington #12 (assumed Terrance Ross would be a Huskey)

OnLineSportsFanatic.com, http://www.onlinesportsfanatic.com/?p=2086

Gonzaga #29; Washington #22

Rivals, http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=rivals-375208

Gonzaga #9; Washington #23 (also assuming Terrance Ross would play in Seattle)

Mitch's Minute, http://mitchsminute.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/early-top-25-for-2010-2011-college-basketball-season/

Gonzaga -- no love at all; Washington #20

Indeed there are more than a few folks out there that feel that Gonzaga has been supplanted at the top of the WCC by St. Marys!!! We shall see. I kinda like our chances.

I think we deserve better than that! This program plays a tougher schedule, gets more exposure, and has more success than that "other Washington team".

Where's the love out there?

No Bull? Matt Bouldin does not appear on the Bulls Summer League Roster, nor has he appeared in...

quidveritas — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:41:14 -0000

No Bull?

Matt Bouldin does not appear on the Bulls Summer League Roster, nor has he appeared in any of their first five games. I don't know what's going on, but I am disappointed.

Bouldin Watch -- Chicago Bulls

quidveritas — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:56:14 -0000

via media.spokesman.com

Before the end of second round of the NBA draft, Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson phoned Stu Lash, Bouldin’s agent regarding his availability. As predicted by most of us, none of the teams in the 2010 draft selected Matt Bouldin. The NFL draft is all about getting players that can help you now. The NBA draft is often about getting a player with potential even if he cannot help you in the immediate future.

The 2010 free agent market and fear of a lockout in the upcoming season turned the 2010 NBA draft into something very different from the 'usual' event. No longer were teams concerned with getting the best players or improving their rosters. Now teams were looking at clearing cap space to sign free agents and reducing their contract obligations in anticipation of upcoming NBA contract negotiations.

Going into the NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls were not just another team, they (and many others) felt they had a shot to rise to the very top of the NBA through the acquisition of THE free agent on the market: LeBron James. The Bulls cleared the decks in anticipation of signing LeBron plus one other top free agent. The players jettisoned to make way for the King included Ben Gordon, John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich. Right now, the Bulls really do not have a proven shooting guard on their roster.

Enter Matt Bouldin. I suspect most NBA scouts rated Matt Bouldin as a known quantity. To those that have not closely followed his college career, Matt may appear to be 'finished product'. A good solid player but not the kind of guy that is going to develop into something special. Matt's critics often point to his lack of athleticism and inconsistent outside shooting. Those of us that know him better can tell you Matt just kept getting better and better each year that he played. I don't think the Mark Few ever thought Matt would be playing point guard by the time he was a Senior, but when the time came, there were very few college guards that could play the point any better.

Now Matt goes to a new league, a new role and will be required to develop a new skill set. With Derrick Rose and Jannero Pargo manning the point, Matt will need to develop his outside shot if he is going to see any minutes with the varsity next year. There he will compete with Devin Brown 6'5" (8.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.3 APG); Acie Law 6'2" (4.3 PPG, 0.7RPG, 1.0 APG); and Ronald Murray 6'3" (9.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.8 APG).

At this point, the Bulls seem to be more concerned with their front line (signing free agent Carlos Boozer) and a lot less concerned about their back court. Now that LeBron James has been removed from the free agent market, the Bulls may make additional moves to shore up the shooting guard position. Until that happens, Matt Bouldin has landed in a position of considerable opportunity. If we know anything about Matt at all, we know he's going to make the most of that opportunity!

In other news, it looks like Ronny Turiaf will be playing on the east coast next year. David Lee, the All-Star Knicks forward will be traveling west to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade deal. Apparently Lee will get a six-year, $80 million contract and the Knicks will acquire Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf.

via media.spokesman.com

Welcome to the NBA and MeiGray Group Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program. The NBA and MeiGray...

quidveritas — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:11:00 -0000

Welcome to the NBA and MeiGray Group Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program.

The NBA and MeiGray Group Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program is proud to offer fans and collectors across the globe the opportunity to own a piece of history … a jersey prepared for use in Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 8, 2010 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts by #6 Adam Morrison of the Los Angeles Lakers.

I got nothing against AMO, but there is just something wrong about this auction given the fact that AMO didn't even suit up for this game!

Where will you be at 4:10 PDT on Friday?

quidveritas — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:07:54 -0000

It's time for the faithful to gather! I am especially interested in where folks will gather to watch the game outside of Spokane. You know you don't want to be the only GU fans in the place when the Zags play. Tell everybody where you go to watch the Zags where you live!

Portland Ticket Woes

quidveritas — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:48:01 -0000

Yesterday the tickets for Zags v. Portland -- at Portland went on sale -- 11 a.m. I checked things out earlier and I was sitting there at my computer on ticketmaster .com at 11 a.m. I pop in my order for 4 tickets and . . . . 'no available seats'! OK, I tried for 2 seats. Nope. On stinking seat? Nope again.

While I was at my key board I had the ticketmaster guy on the phone. Covering all my bases. Guess what? Nope not a seat in the house at 11 a.m. Nothing.

I get the feeling I missed something, somewhere along the line. Did ANYONE manage to get tickets on line?

Did I miss something?

Oh well, I guess there's next year.

While I was at my key board I had the ticketmaster guy on the phone. Covering all my bases. Guess what? Nope not a seat in the house at 11 a.m. Nothing.

I get the feeling I missed something, somewhere along the line. Did ANYONE manage to get tickets on line?

Did I miss something?

Oh well, I guess there's next year.

Gonzaga or Portland -- who will be the darlings in the polls?

quidveritas — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:18:19 -0000

It's been quite a week of basketball for the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga found a way to win three times in Maui. Some might say the Zags looked less than impressive against Colorado and Cininnati.

Portland followed their demolition of UCLA at Anaheim with a sqeeker over number sixteen Minnesota. Win or lose against West Virginia, I think Portland will be moving up into the top 25 next week.

Currently both Portland and Gonzaga are unranked. Gonzaga got some votes last week. I don't think Portland received any recognition at all during the last round of voting.

Time to have a little fun before the pollsters register their votes next week. Who will grab the highest position in the Polls next week? Gonzaga, or Portland?

promoted from fanpost- ZB

It's been quite a week of basketball for the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga found a way to win three times in Maui. Some might say the Zags looked less than impressive against Colorado and Cininnati.

Portland followed their demolition of UCLA at Anaheim with a sqeeker over number sixteen Minnesota. Win or lose against West Virginia, I think Portland will be moving up into the top 25 next week.

Currently both Portland and Gonzaga are unranked. Gonzaga got some votes last week. I don't think Portland received any recognition at all during the last round of voting.

Time to have a little fun before the pollsters register their votes next week. Who will grab the highest position in the Polls next week? Gonzaga, or Portland?

promoted from fanpost- ZB

Poll

Who will be ranked higher in the polls next week? (Week of November 30, 2009) Gonzaga or Portland?

Gonzaga will be ranked higher in the AP and Coaches Polls

242 votes

Gonzaga will be ranked higher in the AP Poll; Portland higher in the Coaches Poll

15 votes

Portland will be ranked higher in the AP poll; Gonzaga will be higher in the Coaches Poll

18 votes

Portland will be ranked higher in the AP and Coaches Polls

24 votes

299 votes | Poll has closed

Ranking Speculation

quidveritas — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:29:58 -0000

With three wins in Maui, the Zags are positioned to move up in the polls. Lots of Ranked teams took a nose dive this week and it ain't over yet! We all know west coast teams get no love from the pollsters back East. Reputation can mean more than how you play sometimes. How much do you think the Zags will move up?

For those that watched the games, they will have seen first hand, mental toughness exhibited by Few's troops. This is something that is hard to evaluate until the teams actually take the floor. I think the Zags will get a little love next week and will move into the number 18 spot perhaps jumping over two or three teams in front of them.

Wounded Spartans?

quidveritas — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:38:18 -0000

Four of Coach Izzo's top six players have been hobbled with injuries. Forward Raymar Morgan has his foot in a boot to immobilize a sprained ankle. Forward Delvon Roe, who was recovering from knee surgery that ended his senior season in high school, recently suffered a concussion. Guard Korie Lucious sat out more than six months last year because of offseason foot surgery -- now, he's sprained the ankle on the same foot. Finally guard Chris Allen has been bothered by a groin injury.

When Michigan State meets Gonzaga, we should expect to see guards Lucious and Allen even if they aren't at 100%. Concern surrounding the status of the Michigan bigs appears to be substantial. No doubt we shall hear more about this pair in the near future.

Michigan State Banged Up