Gonzaga

WCC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:10:06 -0500

Gonzaga lacks the star power of recent seasons, so perhaps this is the year they get knocked out of 1st place. Portland looks to have the best chance, but Santa Clara, San Diego, and Saint Mary's are no slouches either.

Conference Rank: 16th

10 year average: 12th

Conference Page

All-WCC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	Sr
G	Nik Raivio	Portland	Sr
G	Brandon Johnson	San Diego	Sr
F	Dior Lowhorn	San Francisco	Sr
C	Omar Samhan	Saint Mary's	Sr

Player of the Year - Matt Bouldin Freshman of the Year - Matthew Dellavedova (SMC)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Matt Bouldin (1st Team) Omar Samhan (3rd) Steven Gray Brandon Johnson Dior Lowhorn		Best Scorer: Dior Lowhorn Best Rebounder: Omar Samhan Best Playmaker: Brandon Johnson

WCC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

31	Gonzaga	WCC	1	NCAA
88	Portland	WCC	2	CBI/CIT
121	Santa Clara	WCC	3	CBI/CIT
173	St. Mary's	WCC	4
196	San Diego	WCC	5
254	Pepperdine	WCC	6
300	San Francisco	WCC	7
339	Loy Marymount	WCC	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WCC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Basketball: Preseason Mid-Major All-Americans

CHN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:58:34 -0500

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team is led by one of the few underclassmen on the list, Butler's Gordon Hayward. Hayward is joined on the First Team by teammate Matt Howard. Boston U, Butler, Cornell, Gonzaga are the only teams with multiple players.

CollegeHoops.net Preseason Mid-Major Player of the Year: Gordon Hayward (Butler)

CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-America

Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	SR	G
Gordon Hayward	Butler	SO	G
Ryan Wittman	Cornell	SR	F
Matt Howard	Butler	JR	F
Marqus Blakely	Vermont	SR	F

CollegeHoops.net Second Team Mid-Major All-America

AJ Slaughter	Western Kentucky	SR	G
Charles Jenkins	Hofstra	JR	G
Larry Sanders	VCU	SR	F
Kenneth Faried	Morehead State	JR	F/C
Art Parakhouski	Radford	SR	C

CollegeHoops.net Third Team Mid-Major All-America

Ben Smith	Jacksonville	SR	G
Edwin Ubiles	Siena	SR	G/F
Ryan Thompson	Rider	SR	F
Kyle Austin	UC-Riverside	JR	F
Omar Samhan	Saint Mary's	SR	C

CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American

Darion Anderson	Northern Illinois	JR	G
Keith Benson	Oakland	JR	C
Zahir Carrington	Lehigh	SR	F/C
Louis Dale	Cornell	SR	G
Devin Gibson	Texas-San Antonio	JR	G
Jeremy Goode	Mount Saint Mary's	SR	G
Andrew Goudelock	Charleston	JR	G
Steven Gray	Gonzaga	JR	G
Brandon Hazzard	Troy	SR	G
John Holland	Boston U	JR	G/F
Brandon Johnson	San Diego	SR	G
Corey Lowe	Boston U	SR	G
Dior Lowhorn	San Francisco	SR	F
Matt Janning	Northeastern	SR	G
Anthony Johnson	Montana	SR	G
Gerald Lee	Old Dominion	SR	F
Tyrone Lewis	Niagara	SR	G
Grant Maxey	Jackson State	SR	F
Harouna Mutombo	Western Carolina	SO	G
Kevin Palmer	TAMU-Corpus Christi	SR	G/F
Rodney Pierce	Buffalo	SR	G
Jonathan Rodriguez	Campbell	SR	F
Desmond Yates	Middle Tennessee St	SR	F

Other CollegeHoops.net Preseason Awards

- National All-Americans

- High-Major All-Americans (A10, CUSA, MVC, MWC, WAC)

- Preseason All-Freshman Team

Poll: Who Will Win the WCC?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:51:30 -0400

Gonzaga Basketball Preview: #31

Joel Welser — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:43:55 -0400

Overall Rank: #31

Conference Rank: #1 West Coast Conference

2008-09: 28-6, 14-0

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Mark Few (264-66 at Gonzaga, 264-66 overall)

This will not be the first time Gonzaga needs to reload, but with four starters gone, it will not be easy for Coach Mark Few to keep this group on the national radar. Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt and Jeremy Pargo led the Bulldogs to the Sweet Sixteen and a perfect West Coast Conference record. It could happen again, but Gonzaga will need to find a few new superstars.

Key Losses: F Ira Brown, F Austin Daye, G Micah Downs, F Josh Heytvelt, G Jeremy Pargo

Key Newcomers:

This may not be the best recruiting class to step foot in Spokane, but it is a big group. Coach Few has three redshirt freshmen, six incoming freshmen and one transfer that will all battle for minutes. Mangisto Arop is arguably the most talented of them all. The 6-5 wing is already becoming stronger than he was while playing high school in Canada and should provide an offensive spark off the bench. Sophomore Bol Kong, a native of Sudan, is also an intriguing prospect on the wing. Point guard G.J. Vilarino was on his way to Kentucky until the coaching change and is expected to be the point guard of the future and a contributor as a freshman. However, unless the Bulldogs play small, Sam Dower may be the most important newcomer this season. The 6-11, 228 pound freshman could step immediately into a starting role and is at least the most likely big man among the newcomers to play significant minutes off the bench.

Backcourt:

Do-it-all guard Matt Bouldin is the lone returning starter. After averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals a year ago, Bouldin has to be the go-to-guy for this team. Not only will Bouldin be asked to put up big numbers in just about every statistical category, but as a senior he will also need to be a leader on the floor. Getting a little more consistency out of Steven Gray would help take the pressure off Bouldin. Gray averaged 9.1 points per game last year, but he still is pretty much an outside shooter and once he gets aggressive going to the basket his scoring output will soar.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt lacked depth last year once Robert Sacre went down with an injury and now things look a whole lot worse without Heytvelt and Daye. Sacre is the still the most experienced option after starting ten games as a freshman. During the 2008-2009 campaign, the 7-0 center only played in five games before suffering a foot injury. Other than Sacre, Will Foster is the only other returning big man and the senior has been around for a while, but he has never played very many minutes. Last season he just averaged 6.8 minutes per game in 24 contests. If Sacre gets hurt again, the Zags frontcourt will be in big trouble.

Who to Watch:

Demetri Goodson only averaged 13.4 minutes per game last year, but most feel he is ready to take over the point guard duties and lead this team back to the NCAA Tournament. The 5-11 sophomore seemed to improve with every game as a freshman and proved that he could handle the ball and handle the pressure, as was seen in Gonzaga’s second round victory over Western Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

Final Projection:

A lot of pressure will fall on Goodson, but he is a quality player, albeit young and relatively inexperienced. As long as he takes care of the ball and finds Gray and Bouldin on the wings, Gonzaga will win the West Coast Conference. The frontcourt will work itself out and Coach Few has some options amongst the newcomers. Do not be surprised to see this team run some small ball and put a 6-5 or 6-6 wing at the power forward spot and have Sacre handle a majority of the minutes under the basket.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Demetri Goodson, Sophomore, Guard, 3.8 points per game

Steven Gray, Junior, Guard, 9.1 points per game

Matt Bouldin, Senior, Guard, 13.6 points per game

Sam Dower, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Robert Sacre, Sophomore, Center, 3.0 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
32		33		34		35

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

NBA Draft: Questionable & Bad Decisions

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:52:59 -0400

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Draft Decisions: Good, Bad and Everything In-Between

Part Two

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the Draft has long passed, but the fun part is just beginning. Those who haven’t signed with an agent are eligible to return to school, while others are already picking out their suits for Draft Night. Patrick Patterson is the first big name who entered the Draft but has returned to school. As is usually the case, the list of remaining underclassmen includes some…how should I put this…interesting names. How many people watched Texas A&M this year and thought Chinemelu Elonu was a future NBA player? Or that two players from DePaul, who went 0-18 in the Big East, would feel they were NBA-ready?

>> Return to Part One: Good Decisions

Questionable Decisions

• Paul Harris/Eric Devendorf, Syracuse. Both are talented players who helped the Orange make memorable runs through the Big East and NCAA Tourney. However, neither projects well at the next level. Devendorf is an undersize shooting guard with average athleticism, and he brings little else to the table besides scoring. Harris is an undersized power forward with very little perimeter game, and his inconsistency drove Syracuse coaches crazy. Both players will likely end up playing professionally somewhere, just not in the NBA.

• Nick Calathes, Florida. Calathes did a little of everything for the Gators this year, but he still has never played in an NCAA Tournament game. He has a great feel for the game, but his average athleticism and so-so team results hurt his stock. Some team could take a chance on him late in the first round, but he’d be much better served going back to school and trying to prove he can lead a winning team.

• Jrue Holiday, UCLA. Holiday arrived with plenty of fanfare, but did little to prove he was worthy of it. Despite having a terrific skill set, Holiday would sometimes seem invisible on the floor, never displaying the aggressive nature he should have. He could still impress scouts enough in workouts to climb into the middle of the first round, but he would be drastically help his stock by going back to campus to prove he can lead a team.

• DaJuan Summers, Georgetown. Summers has NBA skills, but declaring after a sub-par year is a little puzzling. Summers didn’t make the expected jump to team leader that many thought he would, and the Hoyas badly underachieved, missing the NCAA Tournament. Summers hired an agent meaning he can’t go back to school, but he could have helped his stock by going back. He has a chance to sneak into the late first round, but it’s still a questionable decision.

Bad Decisions

• Brandon Costner, NC State. Costner has an intriguing combination of size and ability, but he very rarely showed it. Costner disappeared in too many games, earned a reputation for being soft and unwilling to work, and never developed after a solid freshman year. NBA GMs will take chances on players with size, but even Costner might be too big of a risk, given his attitude and inconsistent play. Look for him to go undrafted, and his chances of playing professionally overseas don’t look to be overly promising either, given his attitude concerns.

• Ater Majok, UConn. Remember that game this year, when Majok led the Huskies to victory with a terrific double-double effort? Yeah, me neither. That’s because this guy didn’t even play this year, yet somehow he feels he should explore the NBA. In all likelihood, Majok will end up returning to school, although his name has been mentioned in the recruiting allegations leveled against the Huskies in March. But with players only having one time when they can “test the waters”, Majok is making a mistake by using his now, rather than waiting until after a year in which he..you know…actually played in a game and showed some skills.

• Austin Daye, Gonzaga. Daye entered the season with people mentioning his name as a potential lottery pick, with comparisons to Kevin Durant not out of the question. He ended the season as a cautionary tale of desire and attitude overshadowing talent. Daye has a ton of skill, but he disappears too often during games, and is unwilling to bang in the post. He also showed a less than stellar on-court attitude throughout the season, arguing calls and hanging his head when things didn’t go his way. For a guy with his talent, it’s very concerning to see him have little to no impact on games. Daye could still impress during workouts, but he’s not exactly striking while the iron is hot, and NBA teams are very weary of underachievers, no matter their potential.

• Nic Wise, Arizona. It’s hard to blame Wise for entering his name and trying to escape the drama he’s endured, but unlike teammates Hill and Budinger, Wise’s NBA potential is very limited. He’s undersized and not a terrific defender. He’s more of a scoring point guard than a pure point guard, and he’s prone to making very questionable decisions on the court. I don’t blame Wise for wanting to find a way out of Tucson, but I don’t see him even getting a sniff from NBA teams, and he needs to return to school.

• Dominique Archie/Devan Downey, South Carolina. Yes, the Gamecocks were a pleasant surprise this year, just missing out on the NCAA Tournament under first-year Coach Darrin Horn. Yes, Downey was their best player, and Archie a consistent contributor. But are they really NBA-ready? Both players have severe shortcomings that worry scouts, and neither is anywhere close to ready to contribute to an NBA team. If they stay in, neither will hear their name called.

• Gary Flowers, Chipola JC/D’Mond Grismore, Houston-Tillotson/Kevin Harris, Northwest Mississippi CC/James Lewis, Fresno Pacific/Dior Lowhorn, San Francisco/Ronald Ogoke, Paul Quinn College/Malcolm Thomas, San Diego City College/Martez Walker, Riverside CC. Come on guys…really?

>> Return to Part One: Good Decisions

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Final 2008-09 CollegeHoops.net Top 50 Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:10:29 -0400

The Collegehoops.net Top 50 Power Ranking is the web's premier ordering of the national college basketball scene. Is the Top 50 Better than the AP or the Coaches Polls? Perhaps.. but at the very least, the Top 50 has no agenda like the coaches and we go deeper into the country than most power-conference biased media members. The CHN Top 50 is brought to you before everybody else on Sunday night! (New: Check out the weekly Non-BCS Top 25 Ranking.)

This is the final Top 50 of the 2008-09 season. Thanks to everyone who took a look throughout the season and added their comments. See you all next year!

2008-09 Final Ranking: April 8th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last*	Pre.
1	UNC	34-4	1	1
2	Connecticut	31-5	3	3
3	Michigan State	31-7	5	7
4	Pittsburgh	31-5	2	11
5	Oklahoma	30-6	7	12
6	Louisville	31-6	8	6
7	Memphis	33-4	4	8
8	Villanova	30-8	11	30
9	Duke	30-7	9	5
10	Kansas	27-8	10	31
11	Missouri	31-7	13	54
12	Gonzaga	28-6	14	13
13	Syracuse	28-10	18	22
14	Xavier	27-8	17	32
15	Wake Forest	24-7	6	14
16	Purdue	27-10	25	20
17	Washington	26-9	15	38
18	UCLA	26-9	16	4
19	LSU	27-8	21	82
20	Clemson	23-9	12	23
21	Marquette	25-10	19	16
22	Butler	26-6	20	65
23	Illinois	24-10	22	66
24	Arizona State	25-10	24	15
25	Dayton	27-8	29	42
26	Texas	23-12	27	2
27	West Virginia	23-12	28	44
28	Siena	27-8	40	45
29	Florida State	25-10	26	78
30	Wisconsin	20-13	31	18
31	Utah	24-10	30	88
32	Oklahoma State	23-12	NA(52)	49
33	Texas A&M	24-10	37	63
34	Ohio State	22-11	36	34
35	Utah State	30-5	39	124
36	BYU	25-8	23	36
37	Michigan	21-14	44	72
38	Arizona	21-14	41	29
39	Penn State	27-11	43	92
40	Saint Mary's	28-7	33	35
41	Tennessee	21-13	35	10
42	USC	22-12	NA	21
43	Boston College	22-12	38	90
44	San Diego St	26-10	46	55
45	Minnesota	22-11	48	52
46	Western Kentucky	25-9	NA	123
47	California	22-11	32	127
48	Florida	25-11	45	19
49	Creighton	27-8	42	24
50	Temple	22-12	NA(53)	27

*Last update was prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament

Next Five (in order): Maryland (21-14), Baylor (24-15), Northern Iowa (23-11), Cleveland St (26-11), Mississippi St (22-13)

Dropped Out

		Week	Pre
UNLV	21-11	Final	28
New Mexico	22-12	Final	51
South Carolina	21-10	Final	80
Providence	19-14	Final	93
Miami	19-13	17	26
Kentucky	22-14	17	29
Davidson	27-8	17	40
Kansas State	23-12	16	98
Virginia Tech	19-15	15	107
Cincinnati	18-14	15	109
Georgetown	16-15	14	33
Tulsa	25-11	14	106
Notre Dame	21-15	13	9
Baylor	24-15	13	17
Illinois State	24-10	12	82
VCU	24-10	12	48
Arkansas	14-16	11	107
Maryland	21-14	9	67
Seton Hall	17-15	7	100
Temple	22-12	6	27
Mississippi	16-15	5	46
Kent State	19-15	3	41
UAB	22-12	3	47
Southern Illinois	13-18	2	43
Cleveland State	26-11	2	53
Nevada	21-13	2	59
Alabama	18-14	1	37

Pre = Preseason CHN Top 144 Ranking

Week = Last Week in Top 50

* = losses this week

Don't forget to check out the CHN Top 50 Power Ranking every Sunday night! Check out past week's rankings and this week's AP Top 25.

GameNight: North Carolina vs Gonzaga

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:05:17 -0400

Start: Mar 27 2009 - 9:57pm

With a healthy Lawson, its hard to imagine UNC losing to anyone.. let alone Gonzaga. But you never know. Perhaps this is the year Gonzaga once again becomes America's team..

Matchup Comparison
	#1 North Carolina		#4 Gonzaga
	Ty Lawson Perhaps has the most famous toe in America. Can carry UNC on his back.	PG	Jeremy Pargo Coming off his best game in over a month. Needs to play with confidence again.
	Wayne Ellington In the midst of the hottest 2 week run of his career. Can he keep it up?	SG	Matt Bouldin Has really stepped up his game in 2009. Has finally become an assertive leader.
	Danny Green Underrated player defends and can knock in threes.	G/F	Micah Downs Must hit the occasional three, rebound, and help on defense.
	Tyler Hansbrough Most effective when he's getting into the lane and getting to the line.	F	Austin Daye Still hasn't taken the next step, perhaps he never will.
	Deon Thompson Leveled off as season went on, and is prone to disappearing at times..	F/C	Josh Heytvelt Can't afford to have another weak game like he did against WKU.
Reserves
	Bobby Frasor/Larry Drew Frasor somehow gotten worse throughout career. Drew is a solid passer who rarely scores.	PGs	Demetri Goodson Decent 5-11 FR holds his own in the 10-15 mins he gets.
	NA	Wings	Steven Gray Basically gets starter minutes. Is a better player than I think even he realizes.
	Ed Davis/Tyler Zeller Both of these guys are A-level future stars.	Bigs	Ira Brown Senior vet doesn't get much time in big games..

NCAA Tournament: Friday Night Preview/Predictions

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:48:04 -0400

So many games, so little time. CollegeHoops.net helps you out by cutting to the core of each Tournament game. Click on team names for stats, results, and more. "Matchup" links include helpful injury news, betting tips and information.

Sweet Sixteen: Friday

CBS

Arizona vs Louisville

7:07

Favored: Louisville by 9.5

Over/Under: 139

More: Matchup

Star Watch: Nic Wise has been on a tear in the tourney (25 ppg), but must limit his TO's against Louisville's pressure D.

Nutshell: The lone surprise team remaining in the tourney faces the #1 overall seed. Biggest Sweet Sixteen mismatch?

At Stake: A win here by Russ Pennell and he'd have to be taken very seriously for potential coaching jobs.

CHN Prediction: Louisville (75% certainty)

Looming next: Kansas/Michigan St

Announcers: Gus Johnson/Len Elmore

Watchability: Arizona's had an impressive run, but Louisville is a major step up from Utah & Cleveland St

Syracuse vs Oklahoma

7:27

Favored: Oklahoma by 1

Over/Under: 132.5

More: Matchup

Star Watch: Blake Griffin is averaging 30.5 ppg & 15 rpg in the tourney, and he still doesn't get enough pub.

Nutshell: The Big East & Big 12 have dominated the tourney so far. Only one can prevail tonight.

At Stake: Neither of these programs have made the Elite Eight since 2003 (the year Syracuse won the title).

CHN Prediction: Oklahoma (50.01% certainty)

Looming next: North Carolina

Announcers: Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg

Watchability: Anytime Blake Griffin plays, it's a big deal. The close spread and the big stage set up a top-notch game.

Kansas vs Michigan St

9:37

Favored: Michigan St by 1

Over/Under: 138.5

More: Matchup

Star Watch: Cole Aldrich dominated the opening rounds (18 ppg, 16.5 rpg, 6 bpg), but Goran Suton is a more even match.

Nutshell: Compared to other Sweet Sixteen teams, these 2 legendary programs get surprisingly little respect.

At Stake: A win here by Bill Self would further cement his status as this year's true Coach of the Year,

CHN Prediction: Michigan St (55%)

Looming next: Louisville

Announcers: Johnson/Elmore

Watchability: Should be one of the best possession-by-possession games of the night, featuring solid play on both ends of the floor.

Gonzaga vs North Carolina

10:07

Favored: UNC by 8.5

Over/Under: 162.5

More: Matchup

Star Watch: Jeremy Pargo had a weak season for the Zags, but will his clutch game-winner against WKU propel him to a big night?

Nutshell: Gonzaga struggled to put away two mid-major opponents, not a good sign for a matchup with #1 UNC.

At Stake: The ESPNACC has had a dismal postseason.. and UNC is the only squad remaining.

CHN Prediction: North Carolina (75%)

Looming next: Syracuse/Oklahoma

Announcers: Nantz/Kellogg

Watchability: Even if UNC pulls away late like usual, this game should still provide its share of late-night entertainment.

Tournament Talk: Gonzaga Bulldogs

Jon Teitel — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:49:22 -0400

2009 TOURNAMENT Q&As: CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

CollegeHoops.net's Jon Teitel spent a lot of time Monday on conference calls with some of the biggest coaches & players in college basketball. Here's highlights of what the coaches & players had to say about their team's chances in the 2009 NCAA Tournament

GONZAGA

Coach Mark Few
Q: What do you think of your upcoming game?
A: I think the seed was fair, and I am happy we were kept in the northwest, which is a great thing for Zag Nation, and our friends/family/staff/students who often have to travel across the country on short notice for the NCAA tourney. Our accomplishments stack up well with other great teams, which is why I schedule the way I do. Many other #1-4 seeds were kept close to home, which is to our advantage.

Q: What do you know about Akron?
A: Their defensive numbers are great, and they made it out of a tough, hard-nosed league. They have great balance on offense (just like us).

Q: What does it take to make the Final 4?
A: The bottom line is that you have to be really good, but you also have to be lucky, get some good match-ups, stay healthy, etc. Officials' calls in particular have huge implications for how far you go.

Q: Is it different this year because Josh Heytvelt has not had to deal with injury/suspension?
A: Josh has been healthy and focused all year long: he even graduated and is focusing on his masters' degree. He had a great weekend in the conference tourney.

Q: How does this year's team stack up to past teams?
A: Comparing teams from year to year is apples and oranges, but it was an incredible accomplishment to go 16-0 in conference, especially with a team like St. Mary's in our league.

Jeremy Pargo, Sr
Q: What do you think of your upcoming game?
A: It is exciting to play close to school, and allow our fans get to come out and see us. March is an exciting time of year, and our non-conference schedule had prepared us for everything that will be thrown at us. I watched Akron in their conference tourney, and was impressed.

Q: What did you learn from your difficult non-conference schedule?
A: It was frustrating that we had some of the games in hand and gave them away (especially the ones that were my fault). It is nice to know that we can hang with them, but a loss does not mean we accomplished anything.

Q: Have you looked ahead at all to your 2nd round match-up?
A: I got quite a rush to see the possibility of playing Illinois, as they did not recruit me very much.

Josh Heytvelt, Sr
Q: What do you think of your team's chances?
A: We are clicking on all cylinders, and playing some of the best ball I've seen since I've been here. I don't think we could be in a better spot or have a better match-up. There have been times in the past when we have had seeds that we did not deserve (unlike this year), and I like our location a lot.

Matt Bouldin, Jr
Q: What do you think of your team's chances?
A: We haven't played well entering the NCAA tourney the last few years, but our performance at the conference tourney in Las Vegas has put us on the right track to being successful. I feel great about being in Portland with a lot more Zags fans, which will help a lot.

Gonzaga: 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:53:07 -0400

Gonzaga Bulldogs

West Coast Conference

Last NCAA Appearance: 2008, First Round loss to Davidson

Coach: Mark Few (9-9 in 9 NCAA appearances)

Why They Can Surprise:

Gonzaga ranks first in the nation in field-goal percentage defense allowing the opposition to shoot just 36.6 percent from the floor. They are not flashy, but simply play good, solid defense day in and day out. Jeremy Pargo, Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin, the starting guards, deserve much of the credit. Each average over one steal per game and all three of them are solid one-on-one defenders.

Those three guards are about a lot more than just defense. Pargo is the point guard and spearheads the team’s great assist-to-turnover ratio. He is not much of a shooter, but he will get to the basket and finish. Bouldin will get to the basket as well, but he is also the team’s most efficient shooter from beyond the arc. Add Gray and part-time starter Micah Downs to the mix and the Zags have four guards who can score in a hurry.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The problem is that the offense can become very stagnant at times. Downs and Gray are pretty much just outside shooters and if the shots are not falling, the Bulldogs are in trouble. Starting forwards Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye are the best scorers on the team, but they both spend a lot of time out on the perimeter. They will occasionally score inside, but that can become difficult against longer and stronger teams. That means if the Zags outside shot is not falling, they have few other options for putting the ball in the basket. And the team often, like in their blowout loss to Memphis, settles for jump shots instead of searching for another way to score.

Who To Watch:

The most important thing to keep an eye on is the aggressiveness of Coach Mark Few’s team. Daye and Steven Gray are both great, and young, players who could be superstars in the coming years. However, they are not the most aggressive players. Daye is putting up solid numbers, but he could do more in the paint on the offensive end. Gray is a good all-around player, but he pretty much looks like a shooter. Over half of his shots come from beyond the arc, and his production would be much, much better if he consistently went to the basket. He even shoots free-throws pretty well, so there is no reason why he should not be attacking the rim more often. If those underclassmen can start to take over the game a little more, the Bulldogs could be in for a surprise run in March.

Probable Starters:

Jeremy Pargo, Senior, Guard

Steven Gray, Sophomore, Guard

Matt Bouldin, Junior, Guard

Austin Daye, Sophomore, Forward

Josh Heytvelt, Senior, Forward

Key Roleplayers:

Ira Brown, Senior, Forward

Micah Downs, Senior, Guard

Demetri Goodson, Freshman, Guard

+ Following final Bracket announcement, more team info will be added, including final RPI, final team statistical rankings, Joel's prediction, and more!

+2009 NCAA Tournament
	• All Tournament Coverage • NCAA Tournament Capsules • NIT Capsules • NCAA Tournament Schedule • Venue Info & Tickets • Bracketology