Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

#23 Gonzaga Bulldogs

WCC

2003-04: 28-3, 14-0, 1^st

2003-04 postseason: NCAA 2^nd Round

By Joel Welser

Is this the year that somebody knocks Gonzaga off the top spot in the WCC?  Probably not, but the magnificent guard play that led the Zag’s to the last six NCAA Tournaments has some question marks. 

Who’s Out: Blake Stepp scored 14.7 points and dished out 6.9 assists per game as a senior.  His production and leadership will be very difficult to replace.  Waiting for his chance to lead the team is Derek Raivio.  The sophomore averaged 11.3 minutes in 31 games backing up Stepp.  Kyle Bankhead, Stepp’s backcourt partner, is also gone.  Bankhead averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 assists last year.  Junior Erroll Knight is expected to replace Bankhead at the two guard.  The news doesn’t get any better for the backcourt.  Departing senior Tony Skinner backed up Bankhead last year, scoring 5.5 points and grabbing 4.5 rebounds per outing.  Centers Cory Violette and Richard Fox have also run out of eligibility.  Violette was a monster under the basket for the Zags, averaging 13.9 points and 8.1 boards.  Fox saw limited minutes, but was a solid option off the bench for head coach Mark Few.

Who’s In: Some newcomers will have to help out with the thin backcourt.  Freshman Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes and transfer Nathan Doudney could compete with returnee Derek Raivio for minutes running the point.  Altidor-Cespedes has a solid shot and averaged 19.0 points per game in high school.  Doudney spent a couple productive years at Texas Tech before heading to Spokane.  Doudney should see some time off the bench at both guard spots.  David Pendergraft might have the most potential of all the newcomers, but will have to earn his minutes as a freshman.  The front court doesn’t need much help, but they are getting it anyway with a trio of newcomers.  Senior Ronny Turiaf is a legitimate player of the year candidate and sophomores Sean Mallon and Adam Morrison had terrific freshmen campaigns.  Those three should be starting, but junior college transfer J.P. Batista will have something to say about that.  Batista is a physical presence who averaged 20.2 points and 9.2 rebounds last year at Barton County Community College in Kansas.  Incoming freshman Josh Heytvelt has a good outside shot for a 6-11, 217-pounder.  Calum MacLeod, a 7-1 New Zealand native, redshirted last semester and will provide some more depth off the bench.

Who to Watch: The senior leadership has traditionally been in the backcourt.  This year with a group of young guards, the leadership role will move to forward Ronny Turiaf.  It is somewhat surprising that Turiaf didn’t enter the NBA draft after last season, but Zag fans are sure happy that he is back.  Turiaf led the team with 15.7 points and could average over 20 if he could stay on the floor.  The 6-10, 249 pound senior from Martinique seems to constantly be in foul trouble.  The foul situation improved somewhat last year, but he’ll have to keep working on his decision making on the defensive end.  The Zags need him on the floor to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. 

Projected Conference Rank: Pepperdine and Saint Mary’s will contend with Gonzaga, but everybody will have trouble winning at the new McCarthey Athletic Center.  There is no reason to believe that another 1^st place finish in the WCC and the Bulldogs seventh straight NCAA tournament won’t happen.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

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Email Joel Welser: jwelser_chn@ameritech.net

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