Gonzaga

So a little anecdote:

I am currently living in Denver, CO and last Saturday I was scooting around the local Albertson's getting some stuff for breakfast burritos when down the isle I spotted a person, about my age, wearing a Gonzaga Basketball t-shirt. Now this isn't that unusual as you can buy GU stuff at any Champ Sports or anything like that, but this encounter was a little different because he spotted me in my Portland Basketball shirt. He spotted me at about the same time and next thing I knew we were in the midst of a shopping cart joust match minus the lance. The stare down had started and just as we passed each other he gave me this little "better than you" smirk. I'm quite used to this treatment from my brother and best friend from high school (both GU grads) as well as my girlfriends cousin (now a student there) but now strangers in the grocery store! What is this.

Now that story is really just an introduction to what is really on my mind. Basically how scared I am of Gonzaga in the coming years. They are picking up a couple transfers from Providence and Memphis, one of which can play right away. Also they picked up the Polish big man mentioned in the Oskars post. In addition to all of that Kelly Olynyk red-shirted last year. And with Pangos running that program for the next three years the bulldogs are looking crazy deep. I know that these posts aren't the most popular but I guess I've just been thinking about how hard our team and coaches will have to work to outplay them. Just a thought

That reminds me that I saw that you can get Gonzag-logo-and-colored-keys at Fred Meyer now...

Yes, they look deep. But they have also had a lot of departures lately, and who knows if that trend continues. Players are always looking for more floor time, and not happy sitting.

Umm, you probably should have taken your chances with the GU fan with the shopping cart when you had the opportunity -- it was probably the only 50/50 chance we'll have against the Zags in the foreseeable future.

Yes, you are correct, they are deeeeeep, and getting deeper. I wish I could say there was a plus side for UP fans, but at the moment, the only one I can think of is they apparently have no one else coming in THIS year!

I gotta say, though, Mark Few is a heck of a coach and recruiter, and I think he's a first class guy! I almost literally ran into Coach Few on a jogging trail in Spokane a couple of years back. After a short chat, and when he spotted my Pilots cap, he said, "You guys are going to be tough to beat with Eric as your head coach." So, I guess Rev is to blame for GU working so hard to stay ahead.

I agree with the comments regarding Gonzaga, the rich are indeed getting richer. I am ok with the Zags getting top shelf recruits as this in the end helps UP attract better players. I guess what I am saying is that I would rather have a GU continuing to raise the bar versus a dead dog league where only the conference tournament winner gets a bid. Cant argue the fact that having three or four strong teams is good for everybody.

Now, I also believe that GU is the least of our worries at this point. What UP has to be concerned about is Santa Clara, San Diego, LMU and USF all continuing to get stronger. I used those teams as an example as they are all growing their programs and recruiting at a high level.

So taking UP's "best freshman class ever" and evaluating how they have performed as freshmen, the question is are those players going to be able to help grow the program to the levels needed to compete for second, third or fourth in league? I would like to think so but its hard to really tell after a freshman season. Thoughts?

I'm stunned at your poor social skills.

Jousting?

I dont know about supermarket jousting but Im pretty sure a well placed cart handle to the kidney would have been acceptable. One could always blame the mishap on the notorious fourth wheel that never seems to go where the other three are pointed.

Just mentioning what a wonderful town Spokane is would have done it...

oldtimer wrote:I dont know about supermarket jousting but Im pretty sure a well placed cart handle to the kidney would have been acceptable. One could always blame the mishap on the notorious fourth wheel that never seems to go where the other three are pointed.

And I've found that as one ages to the point of actually being old, you can get away with so many more things. When you're younger men want to fight you, and girls think you are something different than "cute."

It has been almost 10 years now since a GU fan wanted to tear me apart after I pulled him to the ground after he called one of our players the vulgur "C" term as loud as he could while surrounded by fans younger than 14 years-old. I would still do it today, but hopefully now someone besides my wife would come to my rescue.

DoubleDipper wrote:

oldtimer wrote:I dont know about supermarket jousting but Im pretty sure a well placed cart handle to the kidney would have been acceptable. One could always blame the mishap on the notorious fourth wheel that never seems to go where the other three are pointed.

And I've found that as one ages to the point of actually being old, you can get away with so many more things. When you're younger men want to fight you, and girls think you are something different than "cute."

It has been almost 10 years now since a GU fan wanted to tear me apart after I pulled him to the ground after he called one of our players the vulgur "C" term as loud as he could while surrounded by fans younger than 14 years-old. I would still do it today, but hopefully now someone besides my wife would come to my rescue.

I would have your back DD.

No truth to the rumor that DD is the guy who punched Fitzgerald...

I, on the other hand, Dan to buy me a beer once

Of course, he had money to spare.

DD on the attack!

PurpleGeezer wrote:No truth to the rumor that DD is the guy who punched Fitzgerald...

I, on the other hand, Dan to buy me a beer once

Of course, he had money to spare.

I don't know if Dan had money to spare, but he a plenty of players to spare for many years. We weren't sure where he hid them, but all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, a player would end up on the roster and on his bench.

I actually had a lot of respect for Dan who was on many of my flights "back in the day." Dan and I had a mutual friend in Al Negratti, so our conversations invariably turned to that era of basketball and recruiting, especially recruiting. We still have one Pilots supporter left from that era, that I know of, who used to "sign and hide" recruits from all over the US for Al. And now we aren't allowed to chat with a "prospect" at an alumni game. Crazy.....

up7587 wrote:Yes, they look deep. But they have also had a lot of departures lately, and who knows if that trend continues. Players are always looking for more floor time, and not happy sitting.

This is GU's 2012 roster:

Drew Barham Jr SF
Gary Bell So SG
Sam Dower Jr C
Kyle Dranginis Fr SF
Elias Harris Sr SF
Mike Hart Sr SG (walk-on)
Przemek Karnowski Fr C
Guy Landry Edi Sr SG
Mathis Monninghoff Jr SF
Kelly Olynyk Jr C
Kevin Pangos So PG
Chris Sarbaugh Fr SG (walk-on)
David Stockton Jr PG

For 2013-14 GU loses Elias Harris, Guy Landry Edi, and walk-on Mike Hart to graduation. The redshirt coming in for the 2013-14 season, and the 12th scholarship, is Junior SG Gerard Coleman, transferring from Providence.

I think GU projects out pretty well!

DoubleDipper wrote:I don't know if Dan had money to spare, but he a plenty of players to spare for many years.

I figure my beer came out of the slush fund

So... They got Gerard to sit and study a year on his own dime?

PurpleGeezer wrote:So... They got Gerard to sit and study a year on his own dime?

I could have been more clear. I should have written, "The redshirt coming in for the 2013-14 season, and the 12th scholarship THIS YEAR, is Junior SG Gerard Coleman, transferring from Providence."

RipCityPilot wrote:That reminds me that I saw that you can get Gonzag-logo-and-colored-keys at Fred Meyer now...

I saw that last week and it made me upset. Less than 2 miles from UP and I can buy a GU key? Gross.

Hide them behind the frozen vegetables and they won't sell?

I visit all of the WCC sites at least once a week if not daily to see what's going on. I see a lot of posturing and smack talk between all of the schools posters. It reminds me of the smack talk displayed by each of the student bodies directed at the visiting teams. And then I see that 3 ex GU players teamed up with Nick Raivio to win Hoopfest this year. Now I remember that Nick was hounded with "You're not Derek!" chants whenever he came to the Kennel. Makes me believe that the players get it a whole lot more than the fans do. IT IS JUST A GAME! Good luck this year Pilots. Have fun! Go Zags!