Recap: San Diego @ Gonzaga

Final Score:Gonzaga 64 San Diego 47

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Austin Daye 17 Points
Rebounder: Josh Heytvelt 9 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo 3 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 2 Blocks
Theif: Jeremy Pargo 4 Steals

Game MVP:Austin Daye
17 Points, 8 Boards, and 2 Blocks
Daye has been much improved over the last month. 17 Points per, 8.8 Boards per, and 2.7 Blocks per. Nice clip for a Sophomore. Either way, he needs at least another season at Gonzaga to add some more muscle to his wafer thin frame.


Team Comparison: Zags/Toreros
Points: 64/47
assist to turnover ratio: 0.62/0.69
Rebounds: 39/22
Shooting Percentage: 42%/33%
3pt Percentage: 36%/36%

Notes from the sideline:
-Sloppy! The Zags looked ugly out there, lots of turnovers, not enough people distributing the ball. Lots of bad jumpers and threes.
-Pargo looked better, but still nowhere near the level i expect out of a supposed 1st round NBA prospect.
-Heytvelt looks like hes lost. At times he shows that passion and energy that made him so good a couple seasons back, but really its only in bursts.

What it means for the future (Analysis):
I think we are in a holding pattern. I hope for the Zags sake this is just the team building and growing and trying to improve. But seriously its starting to look like the Zags are another 1 and done team. Sure we dominate the WCC, but seriously we need to make much deeper runs come march. I might be nitpicking, but i guess im just a little frustrated watching a team with this much talent look that lost on the court. God help us vs. Memphis on saturday.

Scouting Report: San Diego

W-L: 12-9
RPI: 155
SOS: 52
Best Wins:
(86) Mississippi St. W, 64-61
(118) Nevada W, 65-51
(137) Santa Clara W, 55-50
(139) Oregon W, 64-57
(145) Marshall W, 80-70

Current Rankings:
N/A

Team Leaders:
Points: Gyno Pomare 14.5
Assists: Brandon Johnson 3.6
Rebounds: Gyno Pomare 6.9

Best Player:

Gyno Pomare PG 6-8 240 SR
The Southern Cal big man is just that, quite big. He definitely is among the top 5 big men in the WCC. He is shooting 55% from the field and almost 80% from the line...

My Take:
Billy Grier always makes sure his club is playing to the best of their abilities when facing the Zags. This one is sure to be a slug match. I expect the Zags to win, but continue to struggle against the higher comp of the top tier WCC teams.

Final Score: Gonzaga 70 San Diego 62

Recap: St. Mary's @ Gonzaga

Final Score:Gonzaga 69 St. Mary's 62

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Matt Bouldin 17 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 9 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo 3 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 4 Blocks
Theif: Jeremy Pargo/Steven Gray 2 Steals

Game MVP:Matt Bouldin
17 Points, 4 Boards, and 2 Assists
Bouldin came out again, and led the offense. without his effort, this would have been a very different game. He also was 7-8 from the line.


Team Comparison: Zags/Gaels
Points: 69/62
assist to turnover ratio: 1.00/0.85
Rebounds: 27/34
Shooting Percentage: 46%/41%
3pt Percentage: 33%/33%

Notes from the sideline:
- Jeremy Pargo seemed to finally come out of his shell in the 2nd half.
- Josh Heytvelt looked lost on the floor, where is his athleticism?
- Matt Bouldin continued to show he is trying to be the team leader.
- Austin Daye continued to flaunt big time rebounding and shot blocking skills.

What it means for the future (Analysis):
Honestly, the Zags would have lost if Patty Mills had not been injured. He was beyond hot in the first half prior to his injury. I think the Zags could have been blown out. The Zags continually tried to settle for Jumper afer Jumper instead of predicating their offense on the inside game. This really boils down to Josh Heytvelt, if he does not start to assert himself more, he will be the reason we cannot get out of the first round of the NCAA tournament this year.

Scouting Report: St. Mary's

W-L: 18-1
RPI: 34
SOS: 92
Best Wins:
(35) San Diego St. W, 67-64
(66) Providence W, 81-75
(115) Pacific W, 74-65
(116) Southern Illinois W, 65-52
(138) Oregon W, 78-73
(140) Kent St. W, 75-69

Current Rankings:
AP:#22
Coaches: #18

Team Leaders:
Points: Patrick Mills 18.7
Assists: Patrick Mills 4.0
Rebounds: Diamon Simpson 10.9

Best Player:

Patrick Mills PG 6-0 180 SO
Good Ole' Patty. Mr. Mills is quite the player, probably the most gifted point guard in the WCC(Sorry Pargo). Patty will probably be a top 10 pick in the NBA draft in the next couple years and i wouldnt be surprised to see him become a top NBA player in the next 5 years. He's only a soph, but shows great composure. He seems to always take over in the big games and can score at will when his shot is on.

My Take:
This has got to be the Zags toughest in conference game thus far. The Gaels are on a 15 game winning streak, the longest in the nation. I think if we can come out with a defensive tensity that matches out games against UT, we can and will prevail. Dont underestimate Coach Randy Bennett or pointman Patty Mills. This is going to be a good old fashioned slug fest.

Final Score: Gonzaga 85 Saint Mary's 83 OT

Recap: Gonzaga @ Loyola Marymount

Final Score:Gonzaga 93 Loyola Marymount 60

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Matt Bouldin 18 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 10 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo 4 Assists
Swatter: Josh Heytvelt 4 Blocks
Theif: Jeremy Pargo 2 Steals

Game MVP:Matt Bouldin
18 Points, 6 Boards, 1 Assist, 1 Steal and 5 Big threes...
What a game for Bouldin...He continues to be the unsung hero for the Zags this year. All i have to say is this guy is mature as they come...


Team Comparison: Zags/Lions
Points: 93/60
assist to turnover ratio: 1.00/0.62
Rebounds: 52/33
Shooting Percentage: 49%/25%
3pt Percentage: 44%/28%

Notes from the sideline:
Game was not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
The zags came into this game focused. Ready to dominate in all aspects of the game. Just look at the Lions FG pct. 25%...thats just nuts...not to mention the 52-33 rebounding difference. Now its time for the biggest test of the conference season so far, and probably the biggest until we go to Moraga. Lets Go Zags! Lets Go!

Scouting Report: Loyola Marymount

W-L: 1-19
RPI: 328
SOS: 99
Best Wins:
Only 1 to talk about
(281) Cal St. Bakersfield W, 72-69

Current Rankings:
Are You Serious?

Team Leaders:
Points: Vernon Teel 14.8
Assists: Jarred DuBois 3.0
Rebounds: Kevin Young 6.8

Best Player:
Vernon Teel SG 6-4 190 SO
Vernon is man amongst boys, only a sophomore, but definitely the teams best all around player. He's a Guard but plays like a forward. Averaging 6 Boards and 1.5 Steals per game. He did not play in his frosh season and he has injured for 15 of LMU's 20 Games this year, but when he plays he is very good.

My Take:
Loyola Marymount is probably the 2nd worst if not the worst team in conference. I expect another blowout in preparation for the Saint Mary's game. Expect the Zags to own the Lions.

Final Score: Gonzaga 96 Loyola Marymount 57

Recap: Gonzaga @ Pepperdine

Final Score:Gonzaga 83 Pepperdine 69

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Josh Heytvelt 25 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 10 Boards
Passer: Matt Bouldin 10 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 5 Blocks
Theif: Matt Bouldin 1 Steals

Game MVP:Josh Heytvelt
25 Points, 9 Boards, 3 Assists, 1 Block, 1 Steal, 60% from the floor...
Heytvelt had another big game in Firestone Fieldhouse. He had a monsterous game...hopefully he can channel this energy for the rest of the year, we need his inside presence.


Team Comparison: Zags/Waves
Points: 83/69
assist to turnover ratio: 2.00/1.22
Rebounds: 38/39
Shooting Percentage: 48%/37%
3pt Percentage: 42%/32%

Notes from the sideline:
Game was not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
The Zags never trailed,they opened the game up 17-0 and at times seemed to struggle on the road against the Waves, but it really never was a game. I expect this to be a nice learning experience to teach the Zags what kind of competion they will experience on the road in conference this season. Its not like they were going to win every game in conference by a 35 point margin, but Pepperdine should not have made the game even that close. We now head to LA to play another cellar dweller in Loyola Marymount...Can you say win #5 in conference?

Scouting Report: Pepperdine

W-L: 4-15
RPI: 319
SOS: 85
Best Wins:
(274) Coppin St. W, 58-56
(329) Loyola Marymount W, 59-57

The real story is in the fact that they could barely hang with non D1 schools
(NR) Cal St. Monterey Bay W, 91-82
(NR) Western Oregon W, 77-67

Current Rankings:
Are You Serious?

Team Leaders:
Points: Mychel Thompson 11.3
Assists: Rico Tucker 2.3
Rebounds: Taylor Darby 7.2

Best Player:
Mychel Thompson SF 6-7 200 SO
Mr. Thompson is only a Sophomore, but he is legitimately the team leader. That shows how youthful this team really is. He is averaging 11.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG although he is only shooting 39% from the field and 36% from the perimeter.

My Take:
Pepperdine is the worst team in the WCC. They have been through a lot over the last few years with the firing of Paul Westphal and then the sudden resignation of Vance Wahlberg, and as such this is a young team with a lot of holes. Don't expect anything short of Demolition Derby. I fully expect the Zags to cause some sort of Explosion within the confines of Malibu.

Final Score: Gonzaga 101 Pepperdine 47

Recap: San Francisco @ Gonzaga

Final Score:Gonzaga 85 San Francisco 51

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Austin Daye 25 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 9 Boards
Passer: Demetri Goodson 4 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 3 Blocks
Theif: Jeremy Pargo 2 Steals

Game MVP:Austin Daye
25 Points, 9 Boards, 3 Blocks, 2 Assists and 3 Big threes...
Daye has awoken. Over the last 4 Games Daye is averaging 17 points(21.7 if you dont count the 3 points he had against Portland), 8.5 Boards, and 1.8 Blocks. Not to mention 59% from the floor and 64% from three. SIZZLE!


Team Comparison: Zags/Dons
Points: 85/51
assist to turnover ratio: 2.00/0.85
Rebounds: 43/22
Shooting Percentage: 52%/32%
3pt Percentage: 36%/28%

Notes from the sideline:
Game was not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
Another Daye(LOL), another big win in conference. The Zags continue to roll through the conference season unscathed, and untouched. With two more easy wins on the horizon, it wont be until January 29th until we know how good St. Mary's really is. On to Pepperdine, possibly the worst team in the conference.

Scouting Report: San Francisco

W-L: 8-10
RPI: 220
SOS: 48
Best Wins:
(123) Long Beach St. W, 78-74 2OT
(151) Boise St. W, 79-76

The real story is in the losses:
(20) California L, 87-74
(33) USC L, 74-69
(62) St. Mary's L, 66-54
(81) Boston College L, 84-62

Current Rankings:
N/A

Team Leaders:
Points: Dior Lowhorn 20.4
Assists: Manny Quezada 3.1
Rebounds: Dior Lowhorn 6.2

Best Player:
Dior Lowhorn PF 6-7 230 JR
This Guy is a first team All-WCC player and has the talent to be listed as maybe top 3 in the league, but hes on a team with no one else around him. He might as well be playing on a intramural team. He is shooting 49% on the year from the Field as well as from Three. Nice clip from outside, they better watch him closely on the perimeter.

My Take:
The Dons are in a transition period, and it shows in their consistency. One night they are hanging with The USC and Cals of the world, the next they are getting blown out by the Cal Polys and Portlands. Dior Lowhorn leads this young team and is far and away their most talented player. I expect a thrashing.

Final Score: Gonzaga 92 San Francisco 55

Recap: Santa Clara @ Gonzaga

Final Score:Gonzaga 95 Santa Clara 53

Box Score Snapshot
Scorer: Austin Daye 20 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 7 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo 8 Assists
Swatter: Micah Downs 3 Blocks
Theif: Ira Brown 3 Steals

Game MVP:Matt Bouldin
16 Points, 5 Boards, 4 Assists and 2 Steals, 67% from the floor and three...
He Continues to quietly have his best season, he is one of the best all around 2 Guards in the country.


Team Comparison: Zags/Broncos
Points: 95/53
assist to turnover ratio: 2.00/0.44
Rebounds: 38/25
Shooting Percentage: 55%/36%
3pt Percentage: 40%/33%

Notes from the sideline:
Game was not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
This was a blowout. Pure and Simple. The Zags trounced the Broncs by 42. There really was no point in this game where Santa Clara remotely looked like they had a chance. Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin had another couple of great games, both filled out the stat sheet very nicely. Austin Daye looks like hes finally broken out of that funk, he shot 8-10 from the floor and hit his only 3, he finished with 20 and 7. I expect this to be a nice building block to help the Zags see how far above the WCC they really are, this is a Final Four caliber club and they really do have a chance to run the table despite playing St. Marys twice.

Scouting Report: Santa Clara

W-L: 7-11
RPI: 138
SOS: 91
Best Wins:
(70) Belmont W, 83-80
(72) UTEP W, 89-88

The real story is in the losses:
(60) UAB L, 64-61
(48) Arizona L, 69-66
(41) Stanford L, 77-69
(61) St. Mary's L, 63-62

Current Rankings:
N/A

Team Leaders:
Points: John Bryant 17.4
Assists: Perry Petty 3.8
Rebounds: John Bryant 12.1

Best Player:
John Bryant C 6-10 305 SR
Say Hello to the BEAST...Bryant is quite possibly the most massive monster in college basketball today...He is leading the team in rebounds and points as well as shooting 58%.

My Take:
This is not going to be an easy game, Santa Clara has hung in there with a lot of tough teams all year long. I expect them to give us some trouble, but ultimately the Zags will prevail.

Final Score: Gonzaga 79 Santa Clara 70

Recap: Portland @ Gonzaga

Final Score:Gonzaga 67 Portland 50

Box score snapshot
Scorer: Matt Bouldin/Josh Heytvelt 14 Points
Rebounder: Austin Daye 10 Boards
Passer: Matt Bouldin 6 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 2 Blocks
Theif: Steven Gray 5 Steals

Game MVP:Steven Gray
13 Points, 5 Steals, 3 Boards, 2 Assists, 1 Block, 3 Big threes
Talk about filling up the stat sheet. Gray was an all around force...


Team Comparison: Zags/Pilots
Points: 67/50
assist to turnover ratio: 0.92/0.50
Rebounds: 31/27
Shooting Percentage: 43%/33%
3pt Percentage: 30%/31%

Notes from the sideline:
Game was not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
This may not be the Zags best preformance of the season, but it is a good stepping stone as they try to rebuild their confidence. If they can beat the Gaels at home, the zags may run the table in conference this season. with two out of conference games left against Memphis and USC upstate, this could be a very long winning streak. Keep an eye out for the return of Robert Sacre, as he may be the key to having the necessary inside depth to make a nice run to end the season.

Scouting Report: Portland

W-L:9-6
RPI:135
SOS:137
Best Wins:
Portland 80, (16) Washington 74

Current Rankings:
N/A

Team Leaders:
Points: Nik Raivio 16.2
Assists: T.J. Campbell 5.2
Rebounds: Luke Sikma 6.4

Best Player:
Nik Raivio SG 6-7 215 JR
The Brother of former Zag Derek Raivio, Leads this team in scoring at 16 per and also shoots a nice 47% clip from the field.

My Take:
You gotta love the start of Conference play. This will be a nice warm up game for the likes of San Diego and St. Mary's later this season. I expect a solid win for the zags, despite the fact that Portland is much improved over last season.

Final Score: Gonzaga 95 Portland 82

Recap: Gonzaga @ Tennessee

Final Score:Gonzaga 89 Tennessee 79 OT

Box score snapshot
Scorer: Matt Bouldin 26 Points
Rebounder: Josh Heytvelt 12 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo/Steven Gray 6 Assists
Swatter: Austin Daye 2 Blocks
Theif: Five with 1 Steal

Game MVP:Matt Bouldin
26 Points, 5 Assists, 4 Boards
Without Bouldin taking over the scoring load in this game, this would not be a Gonzaga Victory. Very nice game from Matt. Top Scoring game of this season for him as well...

Team Comparison: Zags/Vols
Points: 89/79
assist to turnover ratio: 1.25/1.27
Rebounds: 43/47
Shooting Percentage: 53%/36%
3pt Percentage: 48%/21%

Notes from the sideline:
-Austin Daye looked like he finally broke out of his slump towards the middle of the 2nd half.
-Matt Bouldin was amazing, slashing, cutting, posting up guards down low. He did a little bit of everything.
-Will Foster showed some nice flashes on the offensive and defensive end, with a little better conditioning, he could be a nice sub next season.
-Pargo looked lost towards the beginning of the game, he seems like hes lost some swagger, i hope he turns it around.

What it means for the future (Analysis):
It means that the Zags finally shot well as a team for the first time in a couple weeks. It also means that we beat the Vols twice this season, both wins will be nice on the Tounanment resume. We go into conference play with the ammunition we need to make a nice run and finish the season on a tear. Hopefully this team will not regress.

Scouting Report: Tennessee (Round 2)

W-L:9-3
RPI:23
SOS:20
Best Wins:
Tennessee 90, (5) Georgetown 78
Tennessee 80, (26) Marquette 68
Tennessee 78, (67) Siena 64

Current Rankings:
RPI: 23
AP: 15
Coaches: 25

Team Leaders:
Points: Tyler Smith 17.2
Assists: Bobby Maze 4.1
Rebounds: Wayne Chism 9.3

Best Player:
Tyler Smith SF 6-7 215 JR
Tyler Smith is the consumate team leader. He is tough, athletic, gritty, and he knows how to win. Bruce Pearl will rely heavily on Mr. Smith to take this team back to the tourney and to try and beat Gonzaga tonight.

My Take:
This game is definitely going to be difficult, traveling into Summit Court and trying to dethrone the 37 game winning streak at home for Coach Pearls team. I expect a battle. Gonzaga knows how to beat Tennessee, they know their strengths and weaknesses, this is after all their second time playing them this season and third time in the last year. When the dust settles, if Mark Few can get his teams confidence back, there will be a big upset in Knoxville.

Final Score: Gonzaga 82 Tennessee 79

Recap: Gonzaga @ Utah

Final Score:Utah 66 Gonzaga 65

Box score snapshot
Scorer: Jeremy Pargo 14 Points
Rebounder: Josh Heytvelt 10 Boards
Passer: Jeremy Pargo 4 Assists
Swatter: Steven Gray 1 Blocks
Theif: Steven Gray 4 Steals

Game MVP:Steven Gray
14 Points, 7 Boards, 3 Assists, 4 Steals, 1 Block
Nice all around game from Mr. Gray...Hes looking more and more like the future team leader...

Team Comparison: Zags/Utes
Points: 65/66
assist to turnover ratio: 1.25/0.88
Rebounds: 31/38
Shooting Percentage: 36%/42%
3pt Percentage: 15%/38%

Notes from the sideline:
game not televised

What it means for the future (Analysis):
What an ugly shooting night for the Zags, 15% from three and 36% from the floor. If they dont get their shots right soon, we might be looking at at least 4 or 5 more losses this season. This could get ugly...