Gonzaga Notes

Gonzaga coach Mark Few and his wife, Marcy, raised $572,000 at their Coaches vs. Cancer Weekend event to give them an 11-year total of more than $6 million to the American Cancer Society and local cancer-fighting organizations, as well as over $1 million to Camp Goodtimes ($158,000 of the total from this year’s event goes to the camp). Meanwhile, the Zags’ top recruit, 7-1 Polish big man Przemek Karnowski, is due on campus on Sept. 10 after playing for the Polish national team. Karnowski hasn’t played with the current players but that shouldn’t be an issue if he’s as good as advertised. The Zags checked to make sure it was OK that Karnowski delayed in entering the fall semester.

Spokane----It is truly fair to say that in the last 20 years, year in and out, the SUCCESS BUS when it comes to west coast college basketball has been driven by Gonzaga and Arizona. It is also fair to point out that Arizona has a national championship in those 20 years and Gonzaga has lots of "wait until next year".

So I have fallen into the trap that many others have as well, how will the Gonzaga Bulldogs perform in 2012-13 and just how far will the Zags go in the NCAA tourney.

First and foremost they are a lock to be in the NCAA tourney for the 15 straight year. A great accomplishment. I also in my early season studying think the Zags are a lock to win their 12th regular season West Coast Conference title in the last 13 years. Their 11 straight titles was stopped last year by St. Mary's.

The examination of Gonzaga must also point out that since Mark Few became the head coach in 1999-2000, no college basketball team overall in the country has had as much success as Gonzaga during the regular season and no school has had a more constant disasters in the NCAA tournament than Gonzaga.

Under Few, this is all you have to say about the NCAA appearances. (Not one time has Gonzaga reached the Elite 8, despite being in the NCAA tournament in each of Few's years.). The highest seed ever Gonzaga has achieved in the NCAA tournament was 2004, when they were seeded second, but lost in the round of 32 to Nevada by 19 points.

Is it still good enough for the country to talk about how tough the Gonzaga schedule is in pre-league and how great they do for a small school? I say not it is not, no way, they should be doing much better and advancing further in the NCAA tournament.

So let's look at 2012-13. Yes I said it last year and I am saying it again this year, it could actually be the year Gonzaga makes it to the Elite 8 or even better the Final Four. Much depends on what kind of year Elias Harris has, the senior needs to play big, if he does he has a great chance to take the Zags a long ways in post season and also be a first round NBA draft choice.

His supporting guard core of Gary Bell, Kevin Pagnos and David Stockton, need to be more consistent, but all could be strong candidates to become WCC first teamers. The wild card with Gonzaga this year could come from one of Mark Few's best recruits ever, 7 footer Przemek Karnowski. My sources tell me, do not sleep on this guy, he has the potential to be a dominating player.

The Zags are once again a deep and talented team, who will play some great teams at home in the pre-league, including Baylor, Illinois, West Virginia and Kansas State in Seattle. For my money, if I was a Gonzaga fan, I would be demanding a more successful run in post season, no longer is just getting there each year good enough.

Ok, I will go ahead and say it, this will be the year Gonzaga advances at least to the Elite 8 and maybe even further. It will also factor in, that Harris will be a first round draft choice, something any team that advances to the Elite 8 needs and surprisingly with all the great teams and success at Gonzaga, they have had only four first round draft choices, the last being Austin Daye in 2009, being the 15th overall pick.

It is always dangerous to make any predictions about Gonzaga, they are a complex group, but it is also so much fun to watch a team that plays in a remote part of the United States and does not have football, have so many highlights during the regular season and so many low-lights in post season.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few has had a chance to observe 7-foot-1 Polish center Przemek Karnowski and came away impressed by his hands and his passing. Karnowski is a lot bigger than anyone “we’ve had. But it’s not going to change the way we play," Few said. "It will only enhance and reinforce the way we’ve always played." Karnowski wasn’t with the Zags at the beginning of the semester as he was still with his national team. But now he joins a fearsome frontcourt with Elias Harris, Sam Dower and Kelly Olynyk. The Zags have easily the top frontcourt in the WCC and arguably one of the best in the West.

DaTruRochin wrote:The Zags are absolutely loaded in the front and backcourt... I've read elsewhere that if they can't win this year (and by win I mean make the Final Four) with the kind of talent they have, they flat out won't without a coaching change.

I'd consider the gauntlet thrown down for Mr. Few, there's a lot of truth in that statement.

Gonzaga---I keep saying, one year the Zags will break through and be a Final Four team. If Gonzaga, does not make the Final Four this year, it never will until a coaching change takes place. They are loaded with talent.

The Zags are always good, but they have a chance to go deeper than they have ever gone before (which is the Elite Eight) -- largely because of balance, experience and size in Spokane.

Last and definitely not least.

If there is one thing that is evident by looking on the faces of Gonzaga players, that is a distain for losing. For the first time since the late 1990s, the Bulldogs are not the defending regular season or tournament champion.

But with a nearly intact roster and the addition of even more depth, Gonzaga could find themselves back on top in a hurry.

Outlook
Gonzaga is in an unfamiliar position. For the first time since 1998, they come into the season without being the defending West Coast Conference regular season champion. But on paper, they are the favorite to win this league.

They bring back almost everyone except All-WCC center Robert Sacre and, according to sophomore guard Kevin Pangos, this may be Gonzaga’s best team chemistry-wise.

“This is one of the best teams I’ve been on chemistry wise,” the sophomore guard said. “Everybody gets along. We went out for team meals in the summer, not even mandatory, just because we’re all so close. We’re always around each other… push each other.”

That connection off the court usually translates to a cohesiveness on it, which will make Gonzaga extremely dangerous.

Backcourt
It’s young but lethal. Pangos, Gary Bell, Jr., Guy Landry Edi, David Stockton, and the list goes on.

Pangos, who was the WCC Newcomer of the Year last season, burst onto the scene last season and quickly became the focal point of the Gonzaga offense. Bell, who was seen as a liability on the perimeter coming into the season, ended up the league’s best three-point shooter.

The biggest improvement the pair has made over the summer is, well, they became sophomores.

“I think we got a great shot,” Pangos said. “We’ve got a lot more guys that have more experience now. We’re not as young as last year and I think that helps myself and Gary [Bell]. I think that’s going to help us. We just got the mentality that we just want to win.”

Edi was one of their better defenders last year and can stick to different styles of players. Bell is also in that category.

If there is any problem with the backcourt, it is the depth.

Frontcourt
Depth is not the problem for the front line. Despite the loss of the WCC Defensive Player of the Year Robert Sacre, they return a plethora of talent and athleticism to the post, which should make the transition fairly easy to life after Sacre.

Sam Dower should be the guy to slip into Sacre’s role but he is not the same style player. While Sacre was primarily a defensive player, Dower was his opposite and a very skilled offensive player. Dower has the ability to stretch the floor and pull centers out to the three-point line but he can also take those guys off the dribble and score at the basket.

Elias Harris is back. The scary Elias Harris is back.

Toward the end of last season, the Harris that burst onto the scene in his freshman season reemerged. He had a double-double in six of his last nine games leading into the NCAA Tournament and had his two best performances against the league’s best.

He had 22 points and 13 rebounds against Saint Mary’s in the WCC Tournament title game only a few games after a 19-point, 16-rebound performance in a win over BYU.

This is not even to mention the highly touted Polish recruit Przemek Karnowski or a healthy Kelly Olynyk. This is a deep team and will kill most teams on the boards and in the post

There is no bigger matchup this weekend than Gonzaga and Butler. It is a matchup of the two biggest “mid-major” powers in the nation even though there is nothing “mid” about them. Gonzaga has gotten outstanding play from Elias Harris and Kelly Olynyk and, as of late, have gotten more out of Kevin Pangos. That may prove to be critical in this game. The Zags have struggled rebounding recently against tougher teams (i.e.: Saint Mary’s) and that has been one of Butler’s strengths. They have three players who average better than five rebounds per game. But will Butler be able to score enough without their top scorer Rotnei Clarke?

Predicted winner: Gonzaga

up7587 wrote:Don't forget, GU does it in spite of the WCC affiliation. They'll be off to the Big East/Catholic Seven/whatever in no time.

PurpleGeezer wrote:

up7587 wrote:Don't forget, GU does it in spite of the WCC affiliation. They'll be off to the Big East/Catholic Seven/whatever in no time.

They will embarrass themselves in every other sport if they do.
They may not care.

DoubleDipper wrote:Hmmm, I don’t usually pay too much attention the national rankings of basketball teams, but I was somewhat surprised to see Gonzaga is ranked #3 by both the AP and the Coaches Poll. Wow!

Indiana is #1 and Miami is #2, but they certainly have tougher schedules ahead.

dholcombe wrote:So if you can get a #1 ranking while playing in the WCC...why move?

dholcombe wrote:So if you can get a #1 ranking while playing in the WCC...why move?